Campbell's Alphabet Dice

 

Campbell's Soup Alphabet Dice Game

Campbell's Alphabet Dice is a fun crossword/anagram game that comes in an adorable Campbell's Soup container. If you're anything like my sister and I, you ate alphabet soup while you were growing up. It is a fun way to practice the alphabet, learn your spelling words, find specific letters in a crowded background, all while enjoying a bowl of hot Campbell's Soup. This one brings back memories for me.

The can contains 216 letters on 36 dice. Each die has six different letters, one per side (see image above). Five of the letters on each die are black, and one is red. The Q and U are on the same side. The dice are a little smaller than your standard dice, measuring 5/8" square.

Included is an instruction sheet with eight game scoring squares on the back. The instruction sheet is approximately 8 1/2" x 11", a standard sized piece of paper. Copy it a few times before you cut it up and use it so you will continue to have scoresheets down the road. Or just keep the instruction sheet intact for future score sheet copying. If you do end up cutting up the sheet you will always have the instructions. They are written on the back of the can on what would typically be the nutrition label.

Before we see the rules for the dice game, let's have a little fun. If you don't want to buy the dice game, here are 20 games to play while eating a real bowl of Campbell's Alphabet Soup: 

20 Games to play while eating Campbell’s Alphabet Soup

1.       Find the alphabet from A to Z and eat each letter in order.

2.       Find and eat all the As, then all the Bs, and so on.

3.       Get your school spelling list. Find the letters to spell each word. Line them up on a cracker or piece of bread and then eat the word.

4.       How many words can you make that start with the letter A? The letter B? Go through the alphabet. Play against someone and record the words as you eat them. Person with the most words wins the game. Set a time limit.

5.       Spell out your personal information like your name, your street name, your city, and state.

6.       Pick up a random spoonful of letters and try to form a word using some of the letters before eating it.

7.       Stir the bowl, find a word with three letters. Then stir the bowl and find a word with four letters. Then find five and six. Keep going until you get stuck.

8.       Look at items around the house. Pick one at a time and see if you can spell it in your soup. Examples: chair, window, pen, dog, TV, etc.

9.       Find a word in your soup. Can you pick up just those letters on your spoon before eating it?

10.    Rapid fire. Pick up a spoonful of letters. Name the letters one at a time and quickly think of a word that starts with each letter. Then eat the spoonful.

11.    Pick up a spoonful of letters. Run through the alphabet in your head, saying out loud the letters that are missing between A and Z.

12.    Make words of one category at a time. For instance, find noun words, find fruit words, find pet names, etc.

13.    Place a random item on the table and ask the individual to find any word that describes it.

14.    Find the alphabet from Z to A. Eat each letter in order.

15.    Choose one letter at random. How many words can you make using that letter as the first letter.

16.    Pick up the letters one at a time, naming them as you go. Who can fit the most letters on their spoon?

17.    Find words in your bowl that you feel describe you.

18.   Start with A and find one word that uses that letter. Then move to B, C and so on, until you get to Z.

19.   Pick up one letter at random. Take a guess of how many of that letter you will find. Search and count. Do you think there will be more of a common letter, such as T, than of a seldom used letter, such as Q? Count and find out.

20.   Pick a letter at random. Name the letter that comes before it and the letter that comes after it in the alphabet.

 

Rules for the Campbell's Alphabet Dice game.

Object:

Score the lowest amount of points by playing as many dice as possible on a community crossword layout.

Set up:

Split the 36 dice up evenly between each player. If there are extra dice leftover that cannot be evenly distributed, set them to the side, they will not be used. Write the name of each player on the score sheet.

Play:

All players play at the same time. Pick up your dice, shake and throw them on the playing surface. Make sure that your dice stay in your own area and don't mix with others' dice. The letters that land face up are the only letters that you can use to add to the crossword being assembled on the table. Choose a player to go first and they will use their face up dice to build a word on the table. The next player goes. During each turn, the player has a chance of doing one of the following:

Building. Build a word by creating new words adding as many letters as you can to existing words. The dice making up the words on the table cannot be jumbled for you to add your dice. For example, the word on the table is EAT. You can add an ING at the end to make a new word.

Slurping. Pull one of the letters out of the crossword on the table and replace it with one of your letters. For instance if the word smart is on the table you can take the M and replace it with a T and change the word to start. The letter that was removed should be given to any player in the game. The person who slurped can also make a new word out by using the letter that they just added.For example, add the letters OY to the T that was added to make the word TOY.

Passing. If neither of those plays are possible, a player passes on their turn. If all players cannot play, them it is time to "reheat". All players will re-throw the dice in front of them. The game continues until someone runs out of dice. Once someone runs out of dice each player will get one more turn to use all their dice and/or SLURP the person who is about to win. If after this round the winner still has no dice they win the game and scores are recorded. Three of these rounds are played and the player with the lowest score wins the game. 

Try this:

• Cup the hand to help strengthen palmar arches as you shake the dice. Shake them a few times without dropping any.
• Cups both hands, one on top of the other, while shaking the dice. Make sure you can hear them "dancing" as you shake.
  
• Skip the game and just use the letters to spell homework words.
  
• Skip the game and see if you can make one giant crossword using all the 36 dice yourself. Keep throwing the dice each time you are not able to make any new words. Make sure you are cupping your hand to help strengthen your palmar arches for better fine motor control. OR, try to use all the dice by picking them up one at a time and roll it in your fingers tips to find the letter you want. Look for a nice rounded web space as you roll the dice.
  
• Use your slurp turn to give another player letters when he is about to go out. Use a slurp turn to give yourself a letter that you need for your next turn.
  
• Throw the dice and then pick them up, one at a time, in alphabet order. Make a long line of dice, from A - Z.
• Put the dice away by picking them up, one at a time, and squirreling them in your hand. How many did you get? Try for one more. Drop them into the can by the handfuls. 
• Incorporate writing by writing all the words you can find in 5 minutes.
  

• Work on visual discrimination, visual form constancy, figure ground, spatial relations, eye-hand coordination, letter recognition, palmar arch strength and support, coordinated use of both hands, in-hand manipulation, finger isolation, rounded web space, manual dexterity, socialization skills, executive functioning skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation