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Game Instructions for Dominoes for Kids

Dominoes is a game that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Kids that are old enough to count can play. Younger children can watch or play with the dominoes by stacking them in shapes. The game is educational because it requires using math skills. Dominoes are small plastic or wood pages with small holes, like dice, that represent different numbers. Some children and adults set dominoes straight up-and-down and line up in a row, and then knock over one that in turn knocks over the rest, but this is a variation of the traditional game.

Things You'll Need

Dominoes set

Instructions

- 1
  Place all the dominoes on blank side up on a table or flat surface. Select seven pieces each for two players and five pieces each for more than two. Make sure to hide your dominoes from the rest of the players by placing them on their side with the blank side facing out or by placing them in your lap. Help younger children by playing together on a team.
- 2
  Decide on either playing in rounds, trying to get a certain number of points, or playing one round. Since you're playing with children, keep the games short by playing to a low point total like 50 or playing one round. Draw dominoes to see who goes first. The player with the highest number of dots on the domino gets to go first. Return all the dominoes used to see who goes first to the draw pile.
- 3
  Pick one of your dominoes to lay down, face up, in the center of the playing surface if you're the first player. If you're playing with young children, count the dots and say the number out loud. Go around in a circle. Each player must match one end of a domino already played. If children are having trouble counting, help by counting the dots out loud.
- 4
  Keep going around the table in turns until one player runs out of dominoes. If a player cannot match one of the currently played dominoes, he must draw. Make sure to help children that might be quick to draw when they actually have dominoes to play.
- 5
  Count the dots on the the left over dominoes from everyone that didn't get rid of all dominoes first. That number of points is awarded to the player that got rid of dominoes first. If you're playing one round, the player to get rid of dominoes first wins.

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