Free Beginning Numbers Roll and Color Dice Game
Playing fun math games is one of my key strategies in giving kindergartners the time to practice key skills.
Here is a free beginning numbers game that uses a die. It’s called Coconut roll and cover.
How I use it in my classroom
This activity is an activity my students use during guided math.
I use this activity at the beginning of kindergarten when students are first learning how to do the practice zone (games and activities center).
I want students to learn to use markers appropriately since it’s a material they will use regularly in this zone.
This particular game teaches them how to use that material and at the same time, numeral recognition, and subitizing dots on a die.
I leave this game available for the first week or so and then they’ll use markers to complete a roll and graph and roll and trace-a-shape activity.
I believe that we should teach them how to use the materials once and then simply change up what they use the materials for.
It’s one way that I like to work smart in the classroom.
How to play roll and color
This activity is really simple. It’s designed that way so students can be independently playing it at the beginning of the year.
In a nutshell, students will roll a die and color the matching numeral on their paper.
You will need:
- a roll and color sheet for each student
- markers
- dice (one for each student)
What to do:
- Students each get a sheet and write their name in the rectangle.
- They roll the die. They count the dots on the face of the die that is up.
- They find the matching number and color in the coconut with a marker.
- If they roll a number that is already colored, they roll again.
- Some numbers will not be colored – on purpose – like 0 and 7. This helps you as the teacher see who may need additional help with one-to-one correspondence and makes a great discussion question to also learn about numbers on a dice.
Get the download
Alternative ways to play
If you don’t want to use markers, you could easily use crayons to complete this activity.
You could also laminate these or slip them into a sheet protector and students can cover up the numbers they rolled on the die with:
- playdough
- bingo chips
- plastic manipulatives (counting bears, linking cubes, etc.)
If you wanted students to play in pairs, you could also assign a color to each student. The student with the most colored spots at the end of the game (or time allowed playing), wins.
Plus, you don’t have to do guided math or math centers like I do, to use this activity. You can easily use this free printable with a whole class too.
Conclusion
I hope you can use this free printable math game to help your kindergartners practice numbers 1-6.
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How big is the drawer system you are using for each zone?
Hi Kay, I like using the three drawer units from Sterilite for our math games like you saw in this post. They are wide and deep enough to fit regular sized paper which works out great for printed materials! Here is an affiliate link to see the dimensions of the ones I used, but on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2jDrjnB. I think I bought mine at Walmart 😉
– Leslie
I love the roll and cover game. Since paper is like gold at my school printing multiple copies of things doesn’t always work.. Rather than coloring or dotting the circles we cover them with lids, One child might have red lids and another child might have blue to cover the circles. The group that needs a challenge might play it as a bump game while my ones that need alot of practice each play has their own card.
Paula, that is a great tip! I like to use scrap paper too for stuff like this too. I definitely am a fan of slipping things into plastic sleeves and we use dry erase markers all the time. Thanks for sharing – love the ideas of using it like a bump game!
– Leslie