Dominoes, known as bones, cards, men or pieces, are small square blocks used to play games of chance and skill. They are normally stacked together on their ends in long lines, and when one is tipped it causes the others to fall over, sometimes in very complex designs. Dominoes can also be set up on a flat surface to form patterns or create 3D structures, such as towers and pyramids. Dominoes are often made of clay or plastic, but can be found in many other materials, including wood, bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother-of-pearl or MOP), ivory, or even gold and crystal.
Domino has been in use for centuries, and is believed to have originated in China. It was later brought to Europe by traders. It is the cousin of playing cards, and like them is used for a variety of games and as a learning tool. The markings on a domino, called pips, originally represented the results of throwing two six-sided dice. The most common dominoes are white with black pips, but there are also colored sets and other variations on the theme.
There are hundreds of different games that can be played with dominoes. A few are very simple, and the rest require strategy, math skills, and good luck. Some of the most popular include the double-6, double-9, double-12, and double-15 sets. The latter are larger and allow more players to participate. Some of the most complicated domino sets are designed to be works of art, with curved lines or grids that form pictures when they fall, or even stacked walls.
The term domino is also often used as a metaphor for something that begins small but eventually leads to bigger and more significant consequences, such as a single action that triggers a chain reaction that has dramatic and widespread effects. It can also be applied to events or activities that occur in rapid succession, such as a series of killings that begin with one and quickly spread like a domino effect.
Some learning challenges impact students as if they were dominoes falling. Compensating for a learning challenge can cause students to build a set of skills that are not as robust or efficient as those they need, and over time can lead to them becoming cognitively overloaded. This can lead to frustration, like when a single domino falls before the player is done building.
Domino can be a great way to develop motor planning and fine motor skills. It can be a fun family activity, and the ability to create mind-blowing domino art can inspire creativity. When creating a layout, it is helpful to plan out the design beforehand. This can be done using a paper template, or in the more advanced cases using software programs that can calculate how many dominoes are needed for a particular track. The ultimate goal of a layout is to have the dominoes fall in a way that fits with the desired theme or artistic statement.