Learning Math While Playing Yahtzee

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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.

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.

Yahtzee

Since 1956 players have been rolling classic dice combinations like Full House, Large Straight and Five of a Kind - that's Yahtzee! The unique combination of luck and strategy makes every game an exciting challenge. Can you rack up bonus points by scoring an extra Yahtzee' It's classic shake-and-score action that keeps the fun rolling!

Amazon Price: $9.97 (as of 11/16/2009) Buy Now

So What's so Great About Yahtzee? 

playing yahtzee

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

Dad and girl playing yahtzee

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.

yahtz boing by popofatticus

yahtz boing

60th Birthday Party by bunnygoth

60th Birthday Party

Zero Punctuation Imp by thegreatgonzo

Zero Punctuation Imp

fly-by by popofatticus

fly-by

poole in a crowd by popofatticus

poole in a crowd

yahtzee rip by popofatticus

yahtzee rip

Game Time (272 / 365) by somegeekintn

Game Time (272 / 365...

60th Birthday Party by bunnygoth

60th Birthday Party

60th Birthday Party by bunnygoth

60th Birthday Party

treasure! by jcestnik

treasure!

automatically generated by Flickr

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.

Vacation-In-My-Head says:

I absolutely love Yahtzee. I don't see why more games aren't used to help teach, I am sure they would remember more if they are having fun while learning.

Jimmie says:

Oh! I had no idea that Yahtzee was so math-involved. I'm pulling it out again today! I love this game!

No, Learning number facts should be dry, dull and boring.

 

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

SET Game

The object of the game is to identify "sets" of three cards. Each card is unique in its four features; color - red, green or purple, symbol - diamond, squiggle or oval, shading - solid, striped or open, and number - 1, 2 or 3.

A "set" consists of three cards on which each feature is either the same on all of the cards, or different on all of the cards.

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Yahtzee Chatter 

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