Shut the Box Wooden Dice Game

Shut the Box is one of those games whose rules fit in a sentence and whose appeal does not run out. Roll the two dice, then flip down number tiles that add up to what you rolled. Roll a nine and you can close the 9, or the 3 and 6, or the 1, 2 and 6 - the choice is the whole game.

What makes it work as a family game is that the arithmetic is doing real work rather than being bolted on. A child counting pips is playing the same game as an adult looking three moves ahead for the combination that leaves the fewest awkward tiles. The board carries numbers 1 to 10 across four sides so up to four people play at once, each working their own row.

Five modes are printed with the set, moving from simple number recognition through decomposition and addition to multiplication - roll a 3 and a 4, flip the 1 and the 2 to show 12. There is also an open mode where players agree their own rules. It is solid wood with a hinged tile action rather than card flaps, so it survives being played on properly, and it comes in colorful, red or green finishes.

• Solid wood board with hinged number tiles
• Numbers 1 to 10 on four sides for up to 4 players
• Two dice included
• Five game modes: recognition, decomposition, addition, multiplication, open play
• Three finishes: colorful, red, green
• Suggested for ages 7 and up
• WARNING: contains dice and small parts - choking hazard. Not suitable for children under 3. Adult supervision recommended for younger players
• Wipe clean with a dry cloth; store indoors