I absolutely love for my students to play math games with dice… but I do NOT love 25 students dropping them on their desk tops, or rolling them across the room. Hence, this month’s bright idea:
Yes, you CAN have students playing math games at their desk without hearing that constant clatter. The solution? This aisle in Hobby Lobby (or whatever your local craft store may be):
FELT!
They have every color and design of felt you can imagine. The plain colors only cost a quarter, so I went with those.
Now, just like with every other routine in your classroom, you have to teach them HOW to play with dice and roll them on the felt. We practice together… and during stations, if I hear dice, they get one warning. The next time, they have to put up the dice for that day and I give them a “not-so-fun” review activity to do instead. It only takes one warning!! I’ve never had a student actually have to put the dice away. 🙂
So, how DO you roll dice without making noise or having them rolling across the room? First pick up the dice and “make a bubble” around them. Explain you want the dice to move in your hands but you don’t want them to ESCAPE.
Shake the dice gently, then put the sides of your wrists on the felt, before opening your hands. (Let your students know this is an important step to keep the dice from flying…)
…AND THAT’S IT!
Super easy, right? But believe me. They will need to practice. You’d be amazed at how many think by squeezing the dice and shaking their hands, the numbers are moving around on the dice. HA!
Good luck, and I hope this helps save a little sanity during math stations. 🙂
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