This roll and color dice game is one of a series I made when I noticed that my students were losing the ability to subitize after kindergarten. I developed preschool and prekindergarten curriculum for the daycare I ran at home.
I am formally trained as an early childhood educator and paraprofessional. I noticed that most preschool curriculum focused on reading but not much on math. While I was focused on hands-on math activities, I also wanted a worksheet that would be fun but introduce written math.
Continue reading to find out how to the benefits of this free printable roll and color dice game, how to play the roll and color dice game and to download the free roll and color dice game to use for a St. Patrick’s Day activity.
Roll and Color Dice Game Benefits for Educators:
- Tried, Tested, Observed- Skill Building-YEP
- Kids love it. It’s active, It’s fun, It’s action packed.- YEP
- NO Prep- YEP
Use this preschool and kindergarten worksheet as an easy math game when you need a quick activity to plug in between curriculum due to inclement weather or unforeseen schedule changes during the day.
The Roll and Color Dice Game allows for Differentiated Learning:
Anyone who has spent time with a group of children of the same age has probably noticed that children naturally learn differently. Some children may be visually inclined, so they have a natural bent toward learning colors and shapes. Some children are hands-on learners, so they may fix something more easily than another child would.
I had a group of children ranging in age from 4 to 8 years old, many days during school vacations and summers. While we spent a lot of time outdoors, we needed something active to do together inside as well.
The 1st and 2nd graders enjoyed helping the younger children. The preschoolers enjoyed helping each other. There would be discussion about colors, and one child would say the name of the color in discussion-which helped the younger preschooler learn her colors.
A personal teaching experience:
NOTE: During homework help, I noticed a 1st grade student counting the number ten individually. He was not my preschool student. However, in kindergarten, he picked up subitizing easily.
Yet in First Grade, he. made mistakes by rushing during the tests. Especially with showing the steps in answers.
I used guided practice by reviewing: looking at the amount of the ten frame and knowing it. (subitizing)
If preschoolers practice, should kindergarten students continue to practice this subtitle format? When they are under test pressure in first grade, they are less likely to lose the process.
Roll and Color Math Dice Benefits for Students:
- This game focuses on subitizing. Subitizing means that one knows the number of a group of objects without actually having to count.
- This game builds skills of visual discrimination.
- This game builds working memory because playing the game involves three steps. Children have to remember what the number of the dice is, then find the matching amount on the page, then color that amount.
- This game builds cooperation. Children can help each other find the number on the page and they enjoy playing together.
- This game can be played in small groups.
- This game is perfect for differentiated learning.
- This game helps preschoolers learn their colors.
- Last but not least, children build fine motor skills while playing this game!
Note: We use a big foam dice from the dollar store. The students don’t have to worry about dropping the die, throwing it too hard, or losing it.
How to play the March theme Roll and Color Dice Game:
- Pass out a St. Patrick’s free printable Dice Game worksheet to each student.
- Make sure each student has: The math game page, and coloring tools.
- To see who takes the first turn, each student rolls the die. The player with the highest number goes first.
- Turns are taken in a clockwise direction.
- When a player rolls the die, they color the section of the picture that matches the number that was rolled.
- If the number has been rolled already, the student passes their turn.
- There is no winner really. The goal is to complete the coloring of the picture.