If you are looking for a fun way for your kids to learn math, check out this honest review about the Tenzi game. This fast-paced dice game and a card deck full of creative ideas to play will change the way you homeschool.
Sometimes the best games are the simplest ones. With 4 sets of 10 colored dice, Tenzi is easy to learn and fun to play. And if you purchase the 77 Ways to Play Tenzi card deck, you all of a sudden have a whole variety of games to choose from.
Since we received the Tenzi dice game and the card deck from Timberdoodle, we have been incorporating them as part of our homeschool math curriculum. It turns out that playing Tenzi is not only a great way to motivate my kids to practice addition, but also learn different math terminologies as well, such as odd and even numbers.
If you are looking to add to your collection of educational board games for kids, consider getting Tenzi along with the Brain Builder Trio and Smart Farmer Game. Read on to find out exactly what is Tenzi and why it’s a must-have for your gameschooling curriculum.
What is Tenzi and How Do You Play the Tenzi Dice Game?
Tenzi is a fast dice game that encourages number recognition, counting, and basic math operations.
The basic game rule that comes with the sets of dice has each player roll 10 dice of the same color. The objective is to be the first player to get all 10 dice on the same number and shouts “Tenzi!”
To do so, you first roll all 10 dice. After a quick glance at all the dice, you pick a number to go for (typically you want to pick the number that the most number of the dice land on). Set the dice with the number you are aiming for aside, and quickly roll the remaining dice again.
This process continues until all 10 of your dice show the same number. The first player to get all dice to match yells “Tenzi!” and wins.
As you can see, speed is the name of the game. Not only do you have to be quick to recognize the numbers on the dice, but you also have to move fast to set the dice aside and roll the remaining dice again.
What Games are in the 77 Ways to Play Tenzi?
If your child gets tired of the basic game, you can look for new ways to play the dice game in the 77 Ways to Play Tenzi card deck. Each card includes a fun and creative way to change up the dice game and making it even more interesting.
The cards in 77 Ways to Play Tenzi can be sorted into 3 different categories:
Pattern Games
The cards have a unique pattern made out of 9 dice. You quickly roll your dice until you can create the pattern shown on the card. After you complete the pattern, roll the last die until you get a 6. The first player to finish the pattern and roll a 6 shouts “Tenzi!” and wins the game.
Non-Speed Games
Some days it’s better to take it slow and skip the fast games. The non-speed games are marked by “(NOT a speed game)” under the name of the game so you can pick these cards out easily.
The game Battlezi, for example, is basically a game of War but with dice instead of cards. Each player simply rolls two dice at the same time and compares the sum of the two dice. The player with the highest total gets to take all the dice and set them aside. The game continues in the same fashion until there are no more dice to roll. The winner is the player with the most number of dice.
Battlezi is an excellent example of how the Tenzi game can help your kids learn math. I bet your kids will have no problem adding the two numbers on their dice together and practice single-digital addition when playing this game!
Speed Games:
These speed games are fast-paced like the original Tenzi game. I have to admit that some of the cards are not exactly the best use of your money, especially the ones that require you to make funny noises after each roll. For example, Farmzi says to make the sound of your favorite barnyard animal after every roll. It does make the game more interesting, but it doesn’t add much to the gameplay.
That said, games like Pairzi make the card deck worth it. To win Pairzi, you need to be the first to roll 5 different pairs. From this game, your kids learn the meaning of “pairs” and you can take it even further by showing your kids how to count by pairs, or skip count by 2’s.
Here are some more examples of the various speed games in the deck:
Make Your Own Rules
You may think of a different way to place the Tenzi dice game that is not included in the 77 Ways to Play Tenzi. The card deck includes blank cards so you can write down any game rules that you come up with.
Where Can I Buy Tenzi Dice Game and Card Deck?
You can purchase the Tenzi Game and the Tenzi Cards at the Timberdoodle store.
Final Thoughts on the Tenzi Game
Tenzi is for ages 7 and up, but my 4 years old had no problem playing most of the games in the card deck. In fact, I would recommend Tenzi to parents with preschoolers and kindergarteners because the games are so fast and short. Most of the other board games we never finish because halfway through the games my 4 years old would have lost interest and attention.
If you are playing as a family with multiple kids, however, I do recommend sticking to the pattern and non-speed games. Even though my preschooler had a lot of fun playing the speed games, it would be difficult for her to win a speed game against older kids unless she gets lucky. The good news is that the games go so fast that losing one doesn’t seem like a big deal, and it’s always a good opportunity to teach your kids about the spirit of sportsmanship.
My 7 years old did pick up the Tenzi games much faster and could compete with me on the speed games. We had the grandparents visiting and they had tons of fun playing Tenzi with the kids.
Tenzi is a wonderful game to bring on family trips that you can easily take out for a quick game and store away in a small luggage. It’s also a great game to play with friends on a homeschool playdate. Who knew a box of dice and a deck of cards could bring hours of fun, laughter, and learning!
Related Posts: