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.
Dad Field Manual editors · Drafted with AI help · Published Oct 15, 2026
One die from a board game, or a big foam dieHave / $5
A sheet of paper and markers for the roll chartHave
Blocks, LEGO or cardboard boxes for Build rollsHave
Paper, crayons, tape and scissors for Make rollsHave
A stack of books for Read rollsHave
A kitchen timer or phone timerHave
Where: Write the chart at the kitchen table, then use the living room with a cleared patch of floor for the Move rolls.
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.
02Steps
Make the roll chart
TogetherTen 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.
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.
First roll goes to the kid
KidLet 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.
Trade rolls
TogetherWhen 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.
Use the Help rolls for real
TogetherHelp 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.
Pin the chart up
TogetherTape the chart inside a cupboard door or on the fridge. Next rainy day, add one new choice to each line before you roll.
03If 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.
04Variations
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."
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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. American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org) Checked Oct 15, 2026
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. American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org) Checked Oct 15, 2026
Where the idea came from: a suggestion in a r/daddit thread, put in our own words. The facts above come from the sources listed, not the thread.
Dad Field Manual · Field card 107 · Indoor & 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.
Time
1 hour
Cost
$0
Ages
3 to 10
Where
Living room and kitchen table
What you need
One die from a board game, or a big foam die
A sheet of paper and markers for the roll chart
Blocks, LEGO or cardboard boxes for Build rolls
Paper, crayons, tape and scissors for Make rolls
A stack of books for Read rolls
A kitchen timer or phone timer
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
Make the roll chart. Write 1 Move, 2 Build, 3 Make, 4 Read, 5 Play, 6 Help. Add two or three choices for each.
Say the rules once. Take turns rolling. Everyone does the roll. The roller picks the choice. Ten minutes a round.
First roll goes to the kid. Kid rolls first. Read the line, start the timer, and do it together.
Trade rolls. Next person rolls when the timer goes. On a repeat, pick a different choice from the same line.
Use the Help rolls for real. Make Help rounds real jobs done side by side, and say thanks when it's done.
Pin the chart up. Keep the chart on the fridge. Add one new choice per line before the next rainy day.
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.
