A Fun Maths Game for Comparing Numbers: Dice War!

Get ready for battle in Dice War, a free online maths game that makes practicing number comparison and subtraction skills an exciting challenge! If you’re looking for a fun and strategic game to help your Key Stage 1 child master the concepts of “greater than” and “less than,” the war is about to begin!

This isn’t just a game of luck. After each roll, the winner is challenged with a bonus subtraction question. By asking “How much more?”, the game encourages children to find the difference between the two numbers, turning a simple comparison game into a powerful tool for building number sense.

How to Play

1. Roll Your Die: Click the “Roll Your Die” button to start your turn.
2. The Computer Rolls: Watch as the computer takes its turn automatically.
3. Compare the Dice: The game will announce who rolled the higher number. The winner of the round gets a point.
4. Answer the Bonus Question: A new question will appear asking you to find the difference between the two dice (e.g., “How much more is 5 than 2?”).
5. Score a Bonus Point: Type in the correct answer to score an extra point!
6. Start the Next Battle: Click the “Roll Your Die” button to start the next round. The player with the highest score at the end is the Dice War champion!

Learning Objectives & Curriculum Links

Dice War is a valuable educational activity designed to support key learning objectives within the UK’s Key Stage 1 (KS1) maths curriculum.

• Target Age Group: This game is ideal for children in Year 1 and Year 2 (ages 5-7). It’s perfectly suited for children who are learning to compare numbers and are beginning to understand subtraction as finding the difference.
• Key Maths Focus:
  • Comparing Numbers: The core of the game directly supports the curriculum aim for children to “compare numbers… using the language of: equal to, more than, less than (fewer)”.
  • Subtraction as Difference: The bonus question element is crucial for helping children understand subtraction not just as “taking away,” but also as a way to find the difference between two numbers.
  • Mental Arithmetic: The game encourages children to quickly recall number facts and perform simple subtraction calculations in their head.
  • Number Sense: By repeatedly comparing numbers and finding the difference, children build a stronger, more intuitive understanding of how numbers relate to each other.

Tips for Teachers and Parents

This interactive maths game is a brilliant resource for both the classroom and for supporting learning at home.

• For Teachers: Use Dice War on an interactive whiteboard as a dynamic whole-class starter. It’s a great way to introduce a lesson on comparison or subtraction. You can encourage mathematical talk by asking, “Who do you think will win this round? How do you know?” It also works well as a competitive game for pairs of students on tablets.
• For Parents: This game offers a fun and competitive alternative to worksheets. Playing against the computer is great practice, but you can also use it as a two-player game, with you and your child taking turns to roll a real die and comparing your scores to the on-screen players. This turns screen time into a fun family activity.

Enjoy the battle! Be sure to check out our other free online maths games for primary-aged children.