Shut the Box Game — 4 Player Wooden Dice & Math Game, Ages 4+

Addition practice that a child asks to play again. Roll the two dice, add them up, then flip down any tiles that make that total. It takes one round to learn and a very long time to master — nobody shuts the box often.How to play Roll both dice into the felt bed. Add them. Say the total out loud — that part matters more than it looks. Flip down any combination of standing tiles that adds up to that total. Roll an 8 and you can take the 8, or 5 and 3, or 1, 3 and 4. Keep rolling until no combination works. Your turn ends there. Your score is the sum of the tiles still standing on your side — so low is good. Flip them all and you have shut the box, which wins outright. Pass to the left and play again. A full game of four takes about ten minutes.Why the four colours matterEach side has its own colour — red, yellow, blue and green — which sounds cosmetic and isn't. In a plain wooden version everybody's row looks the same, so when a child gets up mid-game to answer the door or fetch a drink, nobody can remember whose side was whose. With colours, they sit back down and carry on. If you are buying this to play with more than two people, get the four-colour one.Why it teaches so wellThe maths is the move, not the price of the move. To play at all you have to add two dice, then work out which combination of remaining tiles makes that number — that's addition and number bonds, run dozens of times a game without anyone calling it practice.And it scales with the player. A four-year-old flips the two tiles matching each die. A seven-year-old works out that 7 can be 7, or 3+4, or 1+2+4, and picks the one that leaves them best placed for the next roll. Same box, same rules, completely different game.It's also one of the few maths games that works in a classroom or a homeschool morning without feeling like a worksheet — the reason you still find one in the corner of a lot of primary classrooms.What's in the box Solid wood frame with a green felt rolling bed, about 32cm square Four playing sides, each with tiles numbered 1 to 10 — so up to four can play at once Two wooden dice Choosing a versionFour colour — a different colour per side. The one to pick for family games and classrooms. Natural wood — the traditional look, best if it's mostly going to be one or two players.Age guidance4 and up. Four and five play by matching each die to its tile. Six and up start combining tiles, which is where the real number work happens. Adults enjoy it too, which is half of why it gets played.MaterialsSolid wood frame and tiles, felt bed, wooden dice. Contains small parts — supervise under-threes.Frequently asked questionsHow many can play? Up to four — there's a numbered row on each side of the box.What's the difference between the two versions? Only the tiles. The four-colour version gives each player their own colour, so nobody loses track of their side mid-game. The natural wood version is the traditional look.Is it too hard for a four-year-old? Not if they play the simple way: flip the tile matching each die. The combining comes later on its own.How do you win? Lowest score wins — the total of the tiles you left standing. Flipping every tile down shuts the box and wins the game.How many dice come with it? Two.Does it need batteries? No.