Hey teachers! Use this free Mexican Train Dominoes learning kit in your classroom
Good old-fashioned dominoes have been a hit with kids and adults for generations because they’re simple, easy to learn, and fun. Now, teachers like you can download a complete kit that shows kids how to play Mexican Train Dominoes, challenges their math and social skills, and even gets them thinking about history, language, and writing.
Download the free Mexican Train Dominoes guide kit for teachers
This free Mexican Train Dominoes kit includes:
- An easy-on-the-ink but colorful sheet of Double-12 dominoes. Students can cut out the dominoes in a few minutes and use them in lieu of buying a Double-12 set.
- A teacher’s guide and lesson plan with
- Instructions on how to play MTD. More rules are available online.
- Advanced questions to challenge students or focus on older high school students.
- A guide to classroom arrangement and setup
- A ready-made sheet for students to reflect on after the game. Details on the core standards covered are below.
- A scoresheet for each table.
- A beginner’s guide on how to play Mexican Train Dominoes.
Core standards covered by Mexican Train Dominoes in the classroom
We recommend playing Mexican Train in middle and high school, but it’s possible to play with students as young as 8 or 9. Students of all ages will be challenged with a variety of core standards and skills.
Counting and math standards required for Mexican Train Dominoes
- Students will use score cards to tally and add points.
- Players must use pattern matching to match domino tiles and pip counts.
- Students exercise a strategy to eliminate dominoes as quickly as possible.
- Students must evaluate outcomes.
- On the attached sheets, students are tasked with graphing their scores and their classmates’ over multiple rounds.
Social skills used in Mexican Train Dominoes
- Students will take turns and follow prescribed rules and directions.
- Students can, at the teacher’s discretion, modify rules for their own “house rules” (or table rules, in a classroom!). Browse Mexican Train house rule variations and ideas.
- Students should discuss or write about strategies and challenges they used or faced while playing.
History and language arts standards employed by Mexican Train Dominoes
- Students should consider where the name “Mexican Train Dominoes” comes from, its long ancestry, and the history of development over generations.
- Students are tasked with critical thinking skills to describe, in writing, how their games progressed and compare and contrast with other players.
Social-emotional development and learning skills
- Mexican Train Dominoes requires patience and turn-taking.
- Students may be tasked with completing goal sheets, reflection journals, or other verbal or written prompts.
- Players should follow standard etiquette as they play.
- Ask students before or after the game how other players may help or harm their strategies for winning.
- Like any game, sportsmanship and being a “gracious winner” or loser are important life skills.