Grades K-2
Bouncy Dice Explosion
The Big Idea
This week you’re going to toss bouncy rubber dice to see what numbers you roll.
You’ll also play War to see who’s the high roller. Finally, you’ll move onto a giant
human Bingo board, where you’ll roll 2 dice and pick any number that could win!
Supplies
Bedtime Math provides:
★ Bouncy rubber dice: 2 per kid
★ To print: Rock ‘n’ Roll Bingo
numbers
Room Set-up:
You provide:
★ Stickers: 5 per kid
★ Paper cut in half: 1/2 sheet per kid
You’ll need open space so the dice can really bounce.
Other Key Prep:
Print 1 set of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Bingo numbers on 8 1/2x11
paper – best if in color and on cardstock.
What’s the Math?
★ Counting
★ Addition
★ Subtraction
★ Frequency
★ Strategic thinking
★ Bonus: Division
© 2013-14 Bedtime Math Foundation. All rights reserved.
Grades K-2
Kickoff
Intro to the kids: “Dice don’t really roll, do they? Since they’re cubes,
with straight lines and pointy corners, they bounce and tumble instead
of rolling like a ball. Today we’ve got some really bouncy dice to toss!”
Going Airborne (10-15 minutes)
Intro to the kids: “First let’s see what dice look like, and how far
these dice can fly.”
1. Hand 1 die to each kid.
2. Have everyone count the sides and edges of the dice.
Ask the kids:
★ “What’s the smallest number of dots on one side?”
★ “What’s the largest number?”
★ “What do you notice about the numbers on opposite sides of the
dice?” See if they figure out that opposite sides always add to 7!
3. Collect the dice from everyone.
4. Stand in the middle of a cleared area and then toss all the dice up
into the air, letting them bounce everywhere.
5. Once the dice stop bouncing, have the kids tally up how many
times each number (of dots) landed face-up in the “explosion.”
Ask the kids: “Which number showed up the most often?”
Bonus (optional): Ask the kids:
★ “How often should each number show up?” Discuss as a group.
★ Explain probability: Each side of a die has a 1/6 chance of facing
up. So each number of dots (1 dot, 2 dots, etc.) should show up on
about 1/6 of the dice.
★ Ask the kids to divide the number of dice by 6 to find out what
that is!
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Grades K-2
War of the Dice (10-15 minutes)
Note: If you’re running low on time (20 minutes left or less), skip
ahead to Rock ‘n’ Roll Bingo – you won’t want to miss it!
Intro to the kids: “Has anyone played the card game War? If you have,
can you tell us how to play?” (Discuss…) “In our bouncy dice version of
War, you’re going to roll dice instead of flipping cards!”
1. Have kids pair off with new partners and spread out on the floor.
If you have an odd number of kids, you can make 1 group of 3.
2. Give each kid 1 pair of dice and 1 piece of paper.
3. Give each pair or group 10 stickers.
4. Each player rolls 2 dice and adds
the numbers of their dice
together.
5. The player who rolls the higher
sum wins 1 sticker from the sheet
and sticks it to his/her paper.
6. In the case of ties, there’s no
winner - simply roll again.
7. To give older kids enough challenge, after 5 rolls they can switch
to subtracting one die from the other. The higher result still wins!
8. Have the kids roll until all the stickers have been won.
Ask the kids:
★ “How often did each person win or lose?” Discuss...
★ “Each person should win about half the time. Why?”
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Grades K-2
Rock ‘n’ Roll Bingo (20-25 minutes)
Intro to the kids: “Who here likes playing Bingo? Today we’re going to
jazz up Bingo in 2 ways. First of all, you’re going to play on a giant Bingo
board where you are the chips. When 5 people are standing in a straight
line and yell ‘Bingo!’ they win. Secondly, you’ll get to roll 2 dice and
choose where to stand based on the numbers you roll!”
1. Shuffle the number squares and set
them out on the floor in a 5 x 5
grid, with the Bedtime Math free
space in the middle. Example 
2. Smaller clubs may use a 4x4 grid
without a free space.
3. The first player rolls both dice and decides where to stand: on a
number shown on any 1 die OR the sum of the 2 dice - their pick!
Encourage the players to work together to choose the best move.
4. If none of the numbers or sum of the dice match an open square,
the player may roll again.
5. If the dice add up to 10, 11, or 12, the player can instead choose to
go to the free space if your grid has it.
6. Repeat for each player in line.
7. If you run out of kids before anyone can yell “Bingo!” use random
small objects as placeholders. The kids can start rolling again in
the same order.
8. The first 5 kids to form a row yell “Bingo!” and win the round.
9. Repeat the game as time and interest allow, making sure every
player gets to roll at least once.
When you’re all done, each kid gets to take home a pair of dice!
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