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	Dominoes

For other activities, see the Activities Chapter.

Dominoes is a great game to take camping or especially backpacking. It is small, the rules are pretty simple, and the games don't take too long to play.

• Print the image below. Regular paper is too thin (you can see the spots through the paper) so you have to get it copied onto heavy card stock (like business cards are printed on). Card stock is too thick to go through most copiers so take it to a store that makes copies to get it copied onto heavy card stock.
• Carefully cut the dominoes apart.
• Laminate them. Stores that sell teacher supplies usually have laminating machine. Some schools and office supply store also have them.
• Cut the dominoes out of the plastic laminate leaving a small edge of plastic around each tile.
• Print a copy of the instructions to include in the kit if you want.
• Place everything in a film canister or other small bottle and add a fancy WordArt label. Hey, while you're at it, glue on a PVC ring and turn it into a neckerchief slide.

1. Dominoes may be played by two to four people.
2. Turn all of the pieces or tiles face down. Shuffle the tiles well. Each player then draws seven tiles from the pool for two players, five for three or four players.
3. Play begins with the player with the highest double tile. If a double tile has not been drawn by any player, then all tiles are turned face down, reshuffled, and drawn again.
4. After the highest double tile (called the spinner) has been played, each player takes his turn progressing in a clockwise manner (to the left).
5. Tiles are played one at a time and each tile played must match the end of a piece that does not join any others.
6. If a player cannot play, he must draw from the pool until he can play or until he has drawn all the tiles from the pool. If a player cannot play and there aren't any tiles in the pool, that player must "Pass" his turn. If the game becomes blocked where no one is able to play, each player adds up all the numbers on all his tiles, and the person with the lowest number is declared the winner.
7. During the game, a player can score if the number of points on both the arms of the tiles played is divisible by five. Then the player gets that number of points added to his score.
8. If a player is able to play his last tile before anyone else, he calls "Domino" and is declared the winner. The winner's score is determined by adding the numbers on all the tiles that the other players hold. Round this number down to the nearest multiple of five and add it to the winner's score.
9. Play to a maximum score that is agreed upon before the game starts (100 for a short game, 300 for a longer games).