How to Play Dominoes for Kids & Families
There is a particular sound a child learns to love: the clatter of tiles being shuffled face-down across a kitchen table, hands circling to mix them well. Dominoes begins before a single piece is played.
It is one of the simplest games to teach and one of the hardest to put down. A four-year-old can match a four to a four; an adult can still be outwitted by one. That rare overlap is why the game has stayed on family tables for generations.
Our dominoes are tested to UKCA and CE safety standards, so small hands can shuffle, stack and knock them over without worry. Once you know a handful of rules, you can play within minutes.
What You Need to Play Dominoes
To play, you need a set of dominoes and a flat surface. That really is all.
A standard Western set contains 28 tiles, covering every combination of 0 to 6 pips on each half, including seven doubles. Each tile is rectangular, traditionally twice as long as it is wide, with a central line dividing it into two square ends. The number of pips on each end is what you match during play.
For younger children, a double-six set is the right starting point. The numbers stay small, the games stay short, and nobody is overwhelmed. As players grow more confident, larger sets open up more possibilities: a double-nine set has 55 tiles and a double-twelve has 91, allowing more players to join a single game.
If you want a set that will last through years of family use, a cased wooden one is worth seeking out. Our Double Nine Dominoes in a mahogany case suit families who want room to grow into longer games, while the tactile weight of good tiles makes the shuffle itself part of the fun.
Dominoes sits comfortably within our traditional games, alongside the sorts of games that need no batteries and no screen. A set tucks easily into a drawer, ready for a rainy afternoon or the end of a meal. Keep it somewhere handy and it will earn its place.
How to Set Up a Game of Dominoes
Setting up is quick. Place all the tiles face-down on the table and mix them thoroughly with both hands. This pool of face-down tiles is called the boneyard.
Each player then draws a number of tiles to form their hand. For two players, seven tiles each works well; for three or four players, five tiles each keeps the game moving. The remaining tiles stay face-down in the boneyard, to be drawn later when needed.
Players stand their tiles on edge so they can see their own pips but their opponents cannot. A small rack helps young children here, though a careful hand will do.
Decide who goes first. A common method is to let the player holding the highest double start, placing that tile in the centre of the table. If nobody holds a double, the player with the heaviest tile begins. After the first game, the winner usually starts the next.
With tiles drawn and the first player chosen, you are ready to play. The central tile becomes the anchor, and the line of play grows outwards from it in both directions.
It helps to agree the rules aloud before you start, especially with mixed ages. A moment spent explaining the boneyard and the matching rule saves arguments later. The same principle applies to plenty of family games, as we found when writing about how to play rounders without arguments. For more games that gather everyone round a table, browse our board games.
How to Play Dominoes: The Basic Rules Step by Step
The aim is to be the first to play all your tiles, or to be left with the fewest pips when the game blocks.
The first player lays a tile in the centre. The next player must match one end of their tile to an open end on the table. A three must touch a three, a five must touch a five, and so on. The matched tile is placed end to end, extending the line.
Play passes around the table. On each turn, a player adds one tile to either open end of the line, as long as the numbers match. Doubles are usually placed crossways, which can create new branches to build from.
If a player cannot match any of their tiles, they draw from the boneyard until they find a playable tile. Once the boneyard is empty, a player who still cannot go simply passes their turn.
The round ends when one player places their last tile, or when the game is blocked and nobody can move. The player who went out wins; if it is blocked, the player with the fewest pips in hand wins.
That is the whole game in a nutshell, which is why it suits children so well. For the finer points of scoring across several rounds, our fuller guide on dominoes rules, scoring and strategy sets it all out. Dominoes also pairs nicely with the rest of our children toys for a quiet afternoon indoors.
How to Win at Dominoes: Simple Tips for Kids and Beginners
Dominoes rewards a little thought, and children pick up the tactics faster than you might expect.
The first tip is to play your heaviest tiles early. If the game blocks, you want as few pips as possible left in your hand, so clearing the high numbers first protects you.
Second, watch the open ends. If you hold several tiles with the same number, keeping that number available on the table gives you more chances to play on your turn.
Third, pay attention to what others cannot play. If a player keeps drawing from the boneyard when a particular number comes up, they likely have none of it. Keeping that number open can force them to draw again.
Fourth, hold onto your doubles with care. Doubles are harder to place, so leaving them too late can leave you stuck with them when the game ends.
For young children, these ideas come gently. Begin by simply celebrating a good match, then introduce the notion of saving heavy tiles once they are comfortable. The thinking grows naturally with play.
There is real value in letting children work these things out for themselves rather than being told every move. We wrote about that kind of independent discovery in our piece on why risk play matters. The same patience that teaches a child to lose gracefully also teaches them to win well, and both are worth the time.
Fun Variations of Dominoes the Whole Family Can Try
Once the basic game is familiar, a whole family of variations opens up.
Mexican Train is among the most popular. Each player builds their own line, or train, out from a central hub, and under certain conditions others may add to it too. It plays beautifully with larger sets and larger groups, and our Mexican Train Dominoes in a wooden box are made for exactly this. If you want to learn it properly, our guide on how to play Mexican Train dominoes walks through every step.
Draw Dominoes, the version described above, is the classic family game and a fine place to start. Block Dominoes is the same but without a boneyard: if you cannot go, you simply pass.
For the youngest players, forget rules entirely at first. Standing tiles on end and toppling them in a long chain is a game in itself, and it teaches the careful handling that the real game needs later.
Larger sets make bigger gatherings possible. A double-nine set with 55 tiles comfortably seats more players, which matters when the whole family is round the table at Christmas.
Dominoes shares a shelf happily with the rest of our wooden toys, and it travels well too. If you are setting up a corner for games at home, our notes on creating a beautiful play house for kids may spark a few ideas.
£31.99 · value · tested to UKCA/CE
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Frequently Asked Questions About How To Play Dominoes For Kids
How do you play dominoes for kids?
Dominoes is a simple matching game using 28 rectangular tiles, each divided into two halves marked with dots (called pips). Shuffle all tiles face-down, then each player draws a hand. The first player places a tile face-up. On each turn, players match a tile from their hand to an open end of the chain, pairing equal pip numbers. If a player has no matching tile, they draw from the leftover pile (the boneyard). The first player to use all their tiles wins. It is a brilliant family game suitable for children and adults alike.
What are the rules of dominoes?
In standard Draw Dominoes, shuffle the 28 tiles face-down and each player draws a starting hand. Players take turns matching one of their tiles to an open end of the layout, ensuring the touching ends share the same pip value. A player who cannot match must draw from the boneyard until a playable tile is found. If the boneyard is empty and no play is possible, that turn is simply passed. The game ends when one player plays their last tile, or no player can move. The player with the fewest remaining pips is then declared the winner.
How many players do you need to play dominoes?
A standard double-six domino set, containing 28 tiles, comfortably accommodates two to four players. For two players, each typically draws seven tiles; for three or four players, each draws five tiles. If you want to include more players, larger sets are available — a double-nine set has 55 tiles and a double-twelve set has 91 tiles — making it straightforward to involve six or more people. Dominoes is flexible enough for a quiet two-player game or a lively family gathering with several participants.
What age can children start playing dominoes?
Most children can begin playing basic dominoes from around age four or five, once they can recognise numbers and simple matching patterns. Younger children aged two to four often start with picture dominoes, which use colourful images rather than pip dots, making matching accessible before number recognition is established. Standard pip dominoes, with their straightforward matching rules, are well suited to children from age five upwards. Because the rules are simple and turns are quick, dominoes encourages concentration and number familiarity without overwhelming young players.
How do you set up dominoes at the start of a game?
To set up dominoes, place all 28 tiles face-down on the table and mix them thoroughly — this pool of unplayed tiles is called the boneyard. Each player then draws their starting hand: seven tiles each for two players, or five tiles each for three or four players. Players keep their tiles hidden from opponents, often standing them on edge. The player holding the highest double (such as the double-six) traditionally places it first to begin the chain. If nobody holds a double, the player with the highest-value tile starts instead.
What happens if you cannot play a domino on your turn?
In standard Draw Dominoes, if you have no tile in your hand that matches either open end of the layout, you must draw tiles one at a time from the boneyard until you pick a tile that can be played. Once you draw a playable tile, you place it immediately and your turn ends. If the boneyard runs out entirely and you still have no matching tile, you simply pass your turn and play moves to the next person. This rule keeps the game moving and ensures every player stays involved throughout.
How do you win a game of dominoes?
The most straightforward way to win dominoes is to be the first player to place all your tiles onto the layout, calling out as you play your final tile. If the game becomes blocked — meaning no player can make a legal move and the boneyard is empty — the player holding the lowest total number of pips on their remaining tiles wins that round. In longer games played over multiple rounds, players often tally scores across rounds, with the first to reach an agreed total, commonly 100 points, winning the overall match.
What is the difference between dominoes and picture dominoes for children?
Standard dominoes use dots called pips, numbered zero to six, on each half of the 28 tiles; players match identical pip values to extend the layout. Picture dominoes replace pip dots with colourful illustrations — animals, vehicles, shapes or familiar objects — so children match images rather than numbers. This makes picture dominoes ideal for younger children, typically aged two to four, who are not yet reading numbers confidently. Both versions share the same matching gameplay structure, making picture dominoes an excellent stepping stone towards the standard pip version as children grow.
How many dominoes do you start with in a standard game?
In a standard double-six game using 28 tiles, the number of tiles each player draws at the start depends on how many people are playing. With two players, each draws seven tiles. With three or four players, each draws five tiles. The tiles that remain after the initial draw form the boneyard, the reserve pool players draw from during the game when they cannot match. If you are playing with a larger set, such as the double-nine (55 tiles) or double-twelve (91 tiles), starting hand sizes can be adjusted to suit the number of players.
What are the best domino games for young children?
For young children, picture dominoes are an ideal introduction, using illustrated images rather than pip numbers to make matching instantly accessible. Once children are comfortable with numbers, standard Draw Dominoes — using the 28-tile double-six set — is a gentle next step, reinforcing number recognition and turn-taking. Chicken Foot dominoes is a popular, visually engaging variant where the layout branches into multiple arms, keeping children interested. Block Dominoes, which removes the boneyard entirely, is simpler and quicker, making it well suited to younger or less experienced players wanting a straightforward family game.