Shut the Box

About Shut the Box

An old pub and sailors' game, and a lovely way to practise adding. Roll two dice, then shut any numbers that add up to the total — one number, or two, or three. Keep rolling until every number is shut, or until nothing adds up any more. The dice are luck, but which numbers you shut is a real choice, and it's the choice that decides whether you win.

Shut the Box is one of our numbers & maths games for kids. This one plays in the iPhone and iPad app rather than in the browser, but 33 of our games are free to play right here — browse the full library to find them. It is also in our classic games for kids collection.

How to Play

• Tap Roll to throw the two dice.
• Tap numbers that add up to the dice total.
• Tap ‘Shut them’ to close those numbers.
• Keep going until every number is shut.

Tips & Tricks

• Shut the big numbers early — they're the hardest to make later.
• A total of 7 can be 7, or 3+4, or 1+2+4 — pick the one that helps most.
• Your score is what's left, so lower is better.

What Kids Learn

Shut the Box is built to teach. Playing it, children work on:

• Adding to a target in several ways
• Making choices under chance
• Number bonds up to 12

Curriculum links

For teachers and homeschooling parents, here is where Shut the Box lines up with what children are taught at school:

• Common Core 1.OA.C.6: Add and subtract within 20, including by decomposing numbers
• Ontario Mathematics, Grade 1 (2020) 1.B1.2: Compose and decompose whole numbers

Shut the Box — Frequently Asked Questions