Skip to Main Content

Games

Dominoes

Primary Category: Cognitive Development

Subcategories: Problem Solving, Academics, Fine Motor Skills,  Creativity/Imagination/Symbolic Play

Description of how the game can be used to fit the categories: Dominoes are typically played by just lining up the tiles and then knocking them over, but in reality there is a game behind this toy. When playing the game, players must match the number of dots on the tile with the tile that is placed in the middle of all of the players. Problem solving skills are involved when the player must figure out which one of the dominoes that they are given at the beginning of the game will match with the one in the middle. They must figure out strategically how to get rid of all of their dominoes and make matches. Academics are involved when playing the game of dominoes when the player counts the number of dots on the domino to make sure it matches the dominoes they must add on to. Utilizing the dominoes in a different way, the dominoes could be used to practice addition and counting skills. The player could be asked to add up the number of dots on the domino or simply just practice counting. Fine motor skills can be practiced when playing the game of dominoes as well as just lining up the dominoes and knocking them over. When playing the game, the player must be able to pick up the dominoes and line them up with the other dominoes. When lining up the dominoes and knocking them over, fine motor skills are practiced to pick up the dominoes and balance them so they can be knocked over. Creativity and imagination could be incorporated into using the actual dominoes by having the players create things out of the dominoes. For example, the dominoes could be used to spell out the player’s name, to build a fort or a tower, or line them up in any way they want and knock them over.