Shut the Box Traditional Wooden Dice Game

How to play shut the box

All tiles start open. On your turn, roll the dice and close any tiles that add up to the total: a roll of 8 can close the 8, or the 5 and 3, or the 6 and 2. Keep rolling until no open tiles fit your number. Your score is the sum of the tiles still standing, and the lowest score wins the round.

A common pub rule worth teaching: once the 7, 8 and 9 are closed, the player may choose to roll one die instead of two. That choice is where the strategy starts, and children soon work out when a single die is the safer bet.

Mental maths without a worksheet

Every roll asks the same question in a different way: which numbers make this total? Children quickly start splitting 9 into 4 and 5 or 6 and 3 in their head, and then begin to weigh up which choice leaves them the best chance on the next throw. The tiles stay on show, so they can see at a glance which numbers are left.

A family favourite among dice games

Rounds last a few minutes, which makes it easy to play two or three after dinner or on holiday. One child can play alone to beat their own score, or the whole family can take turns around the box. Grandparents often know it already, which makes for a nice moment of passing the game on.

For more games played around the table, the Montessori wooden toys in our shop include a 20-in-1 games compendium and a wooden colour lotto for younger siblings.

Specifications

• Material: wood, with numbered flip-down tiles
• Dice included
• Dimensions: 25.6 x 17.7 x 2.4 cm
• Weight: 0.32 kg
• Age: 6+
• Reference: REFGWG175
• 2-year guarantee

Warning: small parts.