Roll two dice, close the numbers, empty the board
Shut the Box
A pub game from Normandy that happens to be the best decomposition drill in existence. Roll two dice and close any combination of tiles adding to the total.
- Players
- 1 or more, taking turns
- Time
- 5 minutes a turn
- Ages
- 6 and up
What you need
- Two dice
- A Shut the Box board, or paper with 1 to 9 written on it
How to play
- Start with 1 to 9 open. All nine numbers begin open. On paper, write 1 to 9 and cross numbers out as they close.
- Roll both dice. Roll and add the two dice together.
- Close any combination. Close any open numbers that add up to your total. A roll of 7 can close the 7, or 3 and 4, or 1 and 6, or 1 and 2 and 4 — whichever you choose.
- Roll again. Keep rolling and closing. Once 7, 8 and 9 are all closed you may roll one die instead of two if you like.
- Stop when stuck. When no combination matches your roll, your turn ends and you score the numbers still open, added up. Lowest score wins, and closing every number is 'shutting the box'.
The maths in it
Every roll is the question 'what are all the ways to make this number?' — asked dozens of times a game, with a real reason to want the answer. Choosing between 3+4 and 1+6 is a genuine strategic decision, so a child ends up reasoning about which numbers are hardest to shed.
Making it fit the child
Easier: Use one die and the numbers 1 to 6. Let the child lay counters on the numbers rather than crossing them out, so a wrong move can be taken back.
Harder: Play the multiplication variant: multiply the two dice instead of adding, with tiles 1 to 12 or higher. Or play strictly — no re-rolls, and score cumulatively across five turns.