How to Play Snakes & Ladders

Obtain or make a Snakes and Ladders game board or find a website where you can play online. Players place their game pieces on the space on the board labeled "0" or directly in front of the "1" space to start.

Decide who is going first in the game. Typically the youngest goes first and then order follows down to the oldest or clockwise around the board. You may also decide by throwing a die with the largest resulting number taking the first turn.

Roll the die if you are the first player and mark off the number rolled starting on the "1" spot on the board. All players take turns rolling the die and moving their markers.

Take an extra turn if you roll a 6 on your die after moving six places on the board. You may roll up to two 6s and take two extra turns. However, if you throw three 6s in a row, you must return to the very beginning of the board and may not move again until you roll another 6 on your turn.

Move up a ladder to a higher spot on the board if you land on a space that has the bottom of the ladder in the space after you've completed your move, which is called "climbing the ladder." Move your marker down the snake to a lower spot on the board if you land on a space on the board that has a tip of a snake on it after you've completed your move, which is called "sliding down the snake."

Follow the directions if there is anything written on the spot that you've landed on after taking a turn. For example, if it says "go back three spaces" on the spot you land on, you must obey this command.

Win the game by being the first to reach the "100" spot on the board.