Make every game more fun with a dash of chance
Fill your pockets with coins and dice and add the thrill of randomness to your favourite games.
Do you ever notice how some of the simplest games captivate your child's attention? Think about it - why does a child squeal with delight when they roll a six on a board game? Why does "Rock, Paper, Scissors" never seem to grow old?
The answer lies in one powerful element: chance.
Chance transforms predictable play into an adventure. It levels the playing field between different ages and abilities. It creates those magical moments of surprise that light up your child's face.
The beauty of chance-based play is that it requires no special toys or elaborate setups. With just a few household items, you can introduce an element of unpredictability that breathes new life into familiar activities.
Inspiration from a pocket full of possibilities
This approach was inspired by my own son's brilliant intuition about play. Once, on a long, potentially-boring day trip, he produced the following items from his pocket:
A sand timer, a marble and a die.
My hero. We played games all day.
Three seemingly-unrelated objects. Thousands of possibilities.
What games could you play? Here are a few:
- Time races
- Play games of chance
- Roll the die to determine how many attempts you get to flick the marble at the target
- Time how long it takes you to get to the top of the hill and back
- Pretend the marble is the hidden treasure
- Try to roll a six before the timer runs out
- Try to roll a '4' and a '2' consecutively. That's the code for the secret door
No toys. Just a whole day's fun.
Creativity is a muscle. It grows with practice. And we don't always feel at our imaginative best. Sometimes we need a helping hand.
That's where these simple elements of chance come in - they're the spark that ignites creative play.
Six simple ways to add chance to any activity
Here are six easy ways to introduce unpredictability to your Play Kits or everyday activities:
1. Pencil spinner (flat spinning top)
- Cut a hexagon (or octagon for more variety) from sturdy cardboard.
- Write numbers, colours, or actions along the edges.
- Pierce the centre with a pencil or skewer and spin it.
- The edge that touches the table when it stops is the result!
Why it works. It's a DIY alternative to dice and adds a fun visual element to randomness.
