--- title: "The dice-roll rainy day" published: "2026-10-15" updated: "2026-10-15" author: "Dad Field Manual editors (drafted with AI help)" time: "1 hour" cost: "$0" ages: "3 to 10" where: "Write the chart at the kitchen table, then use the living room with a cleared patch of floor for the Move rolls." topics: ["indoor"] print: "https://dadfieldmanual.com/print?p=dice-roll-rainy-day" url: "https://dadfieldmanual.com/plans/dice-roll-rainy-day/" --- # The dice-roll rainy day > On a stuck-inside day, the hard part is deciding what to do next. A die and a six-line chart decide for you. In an hour you make the chart together and roll your way through four or five short activities. ## What you need - One die from a board game, or a big foam die (have / $5) - A sheet of paper and markers for the roll chart (have) - Blocks, LEGO or cardboard boxes for Build rolls (have) - Paper, crayons, tape and scissors for Make rolls (have) - A stack of books for Read rolls (have) - A kitchen timer or phone timer (have) ## Before you start - **Small dice are a choking risk for babies and toddlers.** If a little one is around, use a big foam die and pick it up between rolls. - **Clear a Move zone.** Push the coffee table back, keep away from stairs and glass, and no jumping off furniture. - **Kid scissors only** for Make rolls, and you handle anything sharp or hot. ## Steps 1. **Make the roll chart** (Together) Ten minutes. Write 1 to 6 down the side of the paper: 1 Move, 2 Build, 3 Make, 4 Read, 5 Play, 6 Help. Next to each, write or draw two or three choices. Move: animal walks, freeze dance, ten jumping jacks. Build: a block tower, a couch-cushion bridge. Make: draw a monster, a paper airplane. Read: one book each. Play: a card game, hide the toy. Help: fold towels, feed the pet, wipe the table. 2. **Say the rules once** (Dad) "We take turns rolling. Whatever number comes up, we all do it. The roller picks which choice. When the timer goes, we roll again." Set the timer for 10 minutes a round. 3. **First roll goes to the kid** (Kid) Let them roll first and read the line on the chart, or read it to them. Start the timer and do it together, all in. If you roll Move, you do the bear walk too. 4. **Trade rolls** (Together) When the timer goes, the next person rolls. A repeat number is fine: pick a different choice from that line. Four or five rounds fills about an hour. 5. **Use the Help rolls for real** (Together) Help rounds are real jobs, done side by side: folding a basket of towels, setting the table, wiping counters. Say thanks out loud when it's done. It makes Help a roll they don't mind. 6. **Pin the chart up** (Together) Tape the chart inside a cupboard door or on the fridge. Next rainy day, add one new choice to each line before you roll. ## If it stalls - If they hate a roll, give them one re-roll per game. Once it's used, the dice decide. - If siblings fight over who rolls, roll in age order and let the youngest go first. - If they get wild after a Move round, make the next roll Read, no dice needed, then go back to rolling. - If ten minutes is too long for your youngest, set five. ## Variations - **Ages 3–5:** Draw a picture next to each number instead of words. Use a big foam die and five-minute rounds. You read every line out loud. - **Ages 6–8:** They write the chart themselves. Add a Bonus rule: roll a 6 twice in a row and you get to pick any line. - **Ages 9–10:** Use two dice and a 2-to-12 chart they design, with a few odd ones like "Teach Dad something" or "Plan dinner." ## Sources - **Why play, and why you play too.** The AAP says research shows play can improve children's ability to plan, organize, get along with others and regulate emotions, that physical play builds motor skills, and that a parent's presence and attention matter more than fancy gadgets. (checked 2026-10-15) - **Small objects and choking.** The AAP lists small round objects and pieces of toys among the top causes of choking deaths, and advises keeping toys with small parts away from young children and following the age labels on toy packages. (checked 2026-10-15)