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Yahtzee Math

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The Mathematics of Yahtzee

It is amazing what you can learn while playing a seemingly simple game like Yahtzee. It's not just rolling the dice. In the game of Yahtzee you try to score the highest points by rolling a combination of numbers. These numbers are added up and the highest score wins.

In strategizing how to record your score you will need to use number recognition, prediction and statistics. In calculating your score you will need to use addition and multiplication would be helpful. To determine how many more points you will need to win you will need subtraction and often you will need to do these calculations quickly in your head.

Yahtzee is one of those unique games that can be played by people of all ages. A four or five year old can roll the dice and count up the numbers on the dice while a college math major can work out complicated statistics and probability. But maybe the best age to use Yahtzee is for children working on pre-algebra, the age that need to polish their command of the number facts. Yahtzee is a fun way to practice those facts in a creative, hands-on way that can involve the whole family.

Photo Credit: Yatzee
on Flickr, Creative Commons

Playing Yahtzee with my Dad

Yahtzee: A Mathematical Dice Game

Whenever my dad comes to visit we like to play Yahtzee. Yahtzee is one of those games that the more you play the more you learn. At first it seems like it is just rolling dice, but soon you start to see how much counting and addition is involved.
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So What's so Great About Yahtzee?

Yahtzee Dice

Photo Credit: Yahtzee All Ones
on Flickr, Creative Commons.



Yahtzee is a fun game for the whole family. It is a simple game that teaches math from pre-school number recognition through statics and probability and is an ideal way to engage pre-algebra students and homeschoolers in learning their math facts.

Yahtzee Helps Teach Mathematics

Advantages of playing Yahtzee include:

Playing Yahtzee to learn Math

Photo Credit: Playing Yahtzee
on Flickr, Creative Commons.



1. Once you know how to play the game, all you need are 5 dice and a pencil.
2. Yahtzee is easy to carry when traveling.
3. Yahtzee is fun for the whole family.
4. Children may not realize that they are practicing their math facts.
5. Yahtzee is inexpensive.
6. Yahtzee is easy to learn and to teach to others.
7. It is a game that can be played competitively or cooperatively.

Yahtzee is more than just rolling dice.

Yahtzee is more than just rolling dice. Yahtzee can be an integral part of your pre-algebra math lesson. Roll the dice and practice your math facts.

Yahtzee Face by Nathan Jongewaard
Yahtzee by bunnygoth
Counting the Dots by Nathan Jongewaard
Briana's big score in Yahtzee for iPad by steffens77
Dice Reflections by CarlyDaily
Yahtzee by bunnygoth
automatically generated by Flickr

Yahtzee Math Center Activities

Yahtzee for Math Work Stations

yahtzee

Photo Credit: dice
From WPClipart


Here is a quick version of Yahtzee that is perfect for children learning their multiplication facts.

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Guided Math: Yahtzee for Multiplication

Here is a short version of Yahtzee for playing in your guided math work stations or learning centers. This version of Yahtzee also has another advantage. By using 9 dice instead of 5, children learn the multiplication facts from 2 to 9 rather than just up to 5.0 points

Your turn: Like this game or loathe it?

What do you think of the idea of replacing math textbooks with games like Yahtzee?

Having homeschooled by oldest until 7th grade, I found that Yahtzee was a great way to practice the number facts. When she started 7th grade she was already beginning Algebra II. Yahtzee was one of the materials we used to prepare her for algebra.

Could Yahtzee replace pre-algebra textbooks?

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Yes, Yahtzee and a few more games like this are all that's needed.

KarenWrites says:

As a homeschooling mom anything that takes us away from the text books and into hands-on learning gets my vote. I use Yahtzee to practice math skills with my 9 and 11 year old. I don't tell them that's what we're doing though ;)

brendajoy says:

I always had problems with math when I was a youngster in school. Were it not for my folks and my aunts and grandparents, who were all dice game fanatics, I would have never have caught on. I remember having quite a few "Aha!" moments when we played dice at the kitchen table. It was fun and engaging in a way no textbook could ever be. Great Lens. Thanks.

EdmondHoggeJr says:

I always loved playing with the family myself, you know back then we didnt have the things they have now lol 3 tv channels, a deck of cards, or just going outside to play, nice work!

RobininColorado says:

Oh yeah! I think we need to brush up on those skills! Thanks Evelyn!

Blessedmombygrace says:

LOVE, love, love Yahtzee!

No, Nothing can replace textbooks.

Bescientist says:

Guys interested in learning, must check this site.
http://www.bescientist.info/

 
view all 10 comments

Memorization of Math Facts with Yahtzee

Yahtzee and Math Facts

Multiplication

Photo Credit: Dice by matsuyuki
Used under creative commons


Memorization of math facts comes with time and practice. My kids loved playing games so we used math facts often while playing games. We would change the rules so that we included more math facts.

When playing Yahtzee, we changed some of the rules so that we would have to state the multiplication facts when calculating scores, ie. 5 dice with four dots on each is a Yahtzee or 5 X 4 = 20. You could still have the 50 points for a Yahtzee but you could also add the multiplication of the points of the dice, thus in this case you would score 70 points for the Yahtzee.

Changing the rules in this way, of course, lead us to learning probability and a push for everyone to try for a Yahtzee in the sixes.

P.S. If you liked this game, you might also like these...

Playing Cards and Dice

Playing Cards and Dice - Wall Tapestry
De Villeneuve,...
Buy at AllPosters.com



Here are some of the other math materials that I used to help my daughter prepare for Algebra I
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More Math Lenses

Math Games that make Learning Fun

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Yahtzee Chatter

Tell us about your experiences playing Yahtzee.

  • brendajoy May 12, 2012 @ 1:40 am | delete
    We are either going to play dice or dominoes on Mother's Day. It will be after church and a big dinner at the best Mexican food restaurant in town. If I were a betting lady I'd put money on us all taking a preacher's nap after the big game. Good Job,Evelyn_Saenz! Brings back good memories.
  • gypsykitschpress Apr 18, 2012 @ 1:42 pm | delete
    I love playing Yahtzee with my kids. They are grown now, but we still play from time to time. Great lens.
  • WhiteOak50 Apr 18, 2012 @ 8:23 am | delete
    Wow, when I seen this lens, it brought back a ton of memories of our homesteading days! My husband and I played yahtzee in the evenings using an oil lamp as light. We did this almost every night for months!!
  • nsixx99 Jan 30, 2012 @ 10:16 pm | delete
    I don't own Yahtzee, but I do like to play online!
  • Blessedmombygrace Sep 19, 2011 @ 6:29 am | delete
    We love to play Yahtzee, but shhh, don't tell my kids they are doing math!
  • GonnaFly Feb 6, 2011 @ 3:40 pm | delete
    Great ideas. This lens has been blessed by the maths angel and added to my best maths resources lens.
  • Janiece Jan 14, 2011 @ 8:32 am | delete
    Blessed by a Squid Angel, and featured on my Angel Blessings lens!
  • JJNW Nov 18, 2010 @ 11:45 am | delete
    I wish you lived next door, sweet & smart lady!
  • Irenemaria Nov 18, 2010 @ 7:26 am | delete
    I should have met you 60 years ago....=D
  • MisterJeremy Sep 20, 2010 @ 7:46 am | delete
    We've been all about UNO recently but after reading this lens, I think it's time to break out Yahtzee again. My oldest is about to finish his 4th grade math and Yahtzee might be just the thing to solidify his knowledge of math facts.
  • Wednesday_Elf Aug 17, 2010 @ 8:05 am | delete
    We've played Yahtzee for years - both with children, and as an adult entertainment. It's such a fun game and, yes, it can be very helpful in teaching math to children.

    We moved to California at the beginning of a school year when my youngest was 5. The older two siblings were in school all day, 5-year-old only had afternoon Kindergarten. Dad was at work, mom was busy still 'unpacking'. To keep Greg entertained in the mornings, I got out the Yahtzee game and let him play by himself. He knew his numbers, and enjoyed writing the score down in the boxes on the scorepad. Only problem was he kept constantly interrupting me with "Mom ... what's 2 & 5 & 1 & 6 & 3?" So I taught him how to line up the dice in a row and 'count' each spot on the dice together to get the final number!. He LOVED it. It kept him busy for hours! The PLUS was he was increasing his math skills without even realizing it! Nothing like learning while having fun!

    Am lensrolling this to my Games & Puzzles lens.
  • KarenTBTEN Apr 20, 2010 @ 3:44 pm | delete
    Yahtee is a great game. I was reading an article the other day (it came through Twitter) about aspects of measured intelligence actually increasing as a result of playing games. The students in the study were actually in the middle elementary grades. In the past, I've read studies involving younger children.)
  • Vacation-In-My-Head Aug 27, 2009 @ 10:12 pm | in reply to Vacation-In-My-Head | delete
    I don't know where my head was when I made this comment, but the right link to the page that you are featured on is this one:

    Growing Up With Board Games

    I'm sorry about that :-)
  • Vacation-In-My-Head Aug 27, 2009 @ 10:08 pm | delete
    I am with Jimmie on this one! Great job, I love using games to help teach my daughter. It is fun for everyone! I am featuring this one on Growing Up With Board Games
  • Jimmie Apr 1, 2009 @ 8:53 pm | delete
    You rolled a full house with this lens!!
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About the Author of this Yahtzee Lens:

Find out what I'm up to when I'm not learning math playing yahtzee:

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Evelyn_Saenz

My passion is teaching and finding ways to teach children in fun, hands-on, creative ways. The unit studies I make on Squidoo reflect my view that learning... more »

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