Rolling 3 Dice Trick

Do you want to learn a magic trick? Here is a simple trick using only 3 dice and a little bit of addition. Try it on your second grader, and then teach him how it works! We won't be surprised if he wants to show off his new skills... What a wonderful way to reinforce what your child is learning in math class!

What You Need:

• 3 standard dice (Make your own.)

What You Do:

1. Find someone to trick.
2. Ask that person to roll 3 dice while your back is turned. Then ask them to add the totals on the tops of the dice together. (For example, if they rolled a 5, 6, and 1, they would find 5 + 6 + 1 = 12.)
3. Then, ask them to secretly choose one of the dice. They should pick up that die and look at the number on its bottom. They will need to add this number to the total. (Continuing with our example, let's say they picked up the 5. The number on the bottom of the 5 is a 2. They would add 12 + 2 = 14.)
4. Ask them to roll this same die one more time. They should add the number that comes up onto their total. (If they rolled a 6, they would add 14 + 6 = 20.)
5. Now, it's time to show off your magic. Turn around. Look at the numbers on the die faces. Add them up. Then add 7 more. You should have the same total as your partner! Are they surprised?

Why This Works:

• The three numbers you see when you turn around have been added to the total already. (Two of the dice were added in step 1, and one in step 4.) It's an obvious first step to add these up yourself.
• The only other addition that was done was with that third die. What you asked the player to do was add the number they rolled plus the number on the opposite (or bottom) side of the die. Look at one of your dice carefully. You'll notice that the opposite sides always add up to 7! This is why you add 7 more to find your answer.