7 Different Ways to Play With Dominoes

Dominoes are one of those simple games that can keep kids entertained in lots of different ways.

A standard set of 28 dominoes can be used for traditional games, counting activities, matching games, building challenges and, of course, knocking down long domino chains.

They’re also small enough to take to a café, the park, on holidays or anywhere you need an easy screen-free activity.

Here are some different ways to play with dominoes.

1. Play a Traditional Game of Dominoes

The classic version is a great place to start.

Turn all the dominoes face down and mix them up. Each player takes a number of dominoes, usually seven when playing with two people.

One player places a domino in the middle.

Players then take turns adding a domino to either end of the line. The numbers touching each other need to match.

For example, if the end of the line has four dots, you need to place a domino with a four on it.

The first person to use all their dominoes wins.

Traditional dominoes are great for helping younger children practise:

• Number recognition
• Matching
• Counting
• Taking turns
• Simple game strategy

2. Build a Domino Chain

Sometimes the most fun thing to do with dominoes is not actually playing dominoes at all.

Stand the pieces upright one after another and create a long domino chain.

Once you’re happy with your creation, knock over the first domino and watch the chain reaction.

Kids can experiment with:

• Curves
• Circles
• Zigzags
• Different gaps between dominoes
• Branching paths
• Obstacles

The challenge is getting the entire chain to fall without stopping halfway.

It takes patience, planning and a surprisingly steady hand.

3. Domino Matching for Younger Kids

For children who are still learning numbers, forget about winning and simply practise matching.

Place one domino on the table.

Ask your child to find another domino containing one of the same numbers.

Keep building the line together.

You can also ask questions such as:

"Can you find a five?"

"Which side has more dots?"

"How many dots are there altogether?"

It turns a simple tile game into an easy counting activity.

4. Domino Memory Game

Dominoes can also be used to create your own memory game.

Choose several pairs of matching dominoes and place them face down.

Players take turns flipping over two dominoes.

If they match, the player keeps them. If they don't, turn them back over and let the next player have a go.

For younger children, you can decide that dominoes match when they share one number rather than needing to be exactly the same.

5. Highest Domino Wins

This is a very simple game for younger kids.

Turn all the dominoes face down.

Each player chooses one domino and counts the total number of dots on it.

The player with the highest total wins the round.

For example:

A 6|5 domino is worth 11.

A 4|3 domino is worth 7.

The player with 11 wins.

Keep the winning domino and play again. The person with the most dominoes at the end wins.

It's an easy way to sneak a little mental maths into playtime.

6. Domino War

This works a little like the card game War.

Divide the dominoes evenly between the players and keep them face down.

Each player turns over their top domino at the same time.

Add the dots on both sides of the domino together.

The player with the highest total keeps both dominoes.

Continue until one player has collected all the dominoes, or simply play for a set number of rounds.

7. Make Domino Towers

Instead of laying dominoes flat, try building with them.

Kids can create:

• Towers
• Walls
• Houses
• Bridges
• Pyramids
• Mazes

See who can build the tallest structure before it falls over.

You can even combine building and domino toppling by creating a structure at the end of a domino chain.

A Simple Game With Lots of Possibilities

You don’t need complicated toys to create a good family activity.

A small box of dominoes can become a counting game, strategy game, building set or giant chain reaction.

They’re an easy activity to keep handy when you want the kids away from screens for 15 or 20 minutes.

Grab the dominoes, put the phones down and see what the family comes up with.