Shake, Shake, Build is a game to reinforce understanding of the counting principles and is inspired by our favorite early math book, Young Children’s Mathematics. You only need two materials: a set of dice and an object to build a tower (such as Unifix cubes or any kind of block). We use these larger foam dice because Little Sister can play with them too and feel included.

How to Play:

Each player needs at least one dice and 6 cubes/blocks per dice.
Each player roles their dice and builds a tower that is the same size as the number on their dice (picture 2)
Then, players compare the size of their tower to see whose tower is larger

Adaptations as your child increases counting proficiency:

Teach basic addition: Use two dice per player (picture 3), roll both at the same time and build a tower that is the combined height of both numbers rolled
Teach basic subtraction: Use three dice per player, roll 2 and build a tower to match the combined values. Then roll the third dice and take off the amount rolled.
How many more: Instead of simply comparing by looking at the size of the towers, ask your child how many more cubes would be needed to make the towers the same size. Phrasing it as, “How many extra does this one need?” is an accessible way for students to start to understand the concept of “how many more.”

Skills Taught:

Basic counting (counting the dots on the dice)
Building equivalent sets (creating a tower that matches the value of the cubes)
Comparing (determining which tower has more/is bigger/longer)
Composing/decomposing numbers (counting the combined values of dots on multiple dice)

One final note: For pre-kindergarten students, comparing two sets can be as simple as noting that one value is larger because it creates a taller tower or a bigger group. Moving towards identifying exactly how many more it has will develop more slowly.