Here are two of the easiest ways to make interactive dice for Google Slides activities and centers.
Digital Dice Introduction
Making interactive dice for Google Slides is a fun, easy way to engage students virtually. I especially like using digital dice for my virtual math centers that I create in Google Slides. Check out the images below for a closer look at some of the ways I use digital dice in my math instruction.
Unfortunately, Google does not have a simple, one-click way to add interactive dice to your Google Slides. But, I have found ways to embed links and install extensions that still allow for fun Google Slides games with dice.
#1- Embed Interactive Dice in Google Slides
My preferred way for making interactive dice for Google Slides is embedding a link within an image. To do this, I start by adding an image of a die or dice to a Google Slide.
Next, I click on the image and select the link icon from the Google Slides toolbar. Paste a link to a dice roller website and select “Apply.” I usually link to the site Random.org because it does not show ads (at the time of writing this blog post). The site also allows students to roll one to 60 dice at a time, so there are lots of different dice games and activities you can create.
This method is how I create all of my virtual math centers in Google Slides. To use the dice, students click the dice image. Then, they select the link that appears. This will open a new window with the dice roller website.
#2- Add a Dice Extension for Google Slides
Google Chrome extensions are programs you can install in your Google Chrome browser to use while browsing the Internet or while working in a Google App. Extensions make it easier to customize what you want to do while working in Google Chrome or a Google App.
With this in mind, you can search for and install an extension that will enable students to roll interactive dice while working in Google Slides. There are a few easy steps to follow when finding and installing the extension.
- Go to the Google Chrome web store to search for extensions.
- In the search bar, type “dice thrower” (the name of the interactive dice for Google Slides extension).
- Click on the Dice Thrower extension and select the “Install” button.
After installing the extension, click the puzzle piece icon (Extensions icon) in the top, right-hand corner of your Chrome browser. Here you will see a list of all of the Google Chrome extensions that you have installed.
Click on the thumbtack next to the Dice Thrower extension. Clicking the thumbtack should turn it blue. When it is blue, it will appear at the top of your Google Chrome browser, to the right of the search bar.
Last, open the Google Slides activity. Anytime students want to use the dice, they just click the Dice Thrower icon next to the search bar.
The one downside to using an extension as your interactive dice for Google Slides is that each student has to install the extension on their computer or device. There is no way to embed the extension into a Google Slides presentation and share it with students, similar to the first option that I shared.
If you are interested in learning more about using Google Chrome extensions to simplify planning and teaching processes, I have other posts here on my blog where I share my favorite extensions for teachers and my favorite extensions for students.
Conclusion
Even though Google Slides does not provide dice within its program for students to use, there are still many ways to make interactive dice for Google Slides. You can embed links or add extensions to your Chrome browser to make fun dice games.
I have shared two of my favorite ways to use dice in Google Slides in this post. If you would like a more visual step-by-step tutorial for either of the methods shared here, be sure to check out this video that I created. Feel free to pause the video at any time as I walk you through embedding links in images and adding dice extensions for Google Slides.
