Objects – teachanyclass.org

Introduction

Walk down a street in Havana on a hot afternoon. You will hear it before you see it. Click. Click. Click. Then a slap — somebody has played a tile hard onto a wooden table. Then a shout — somebody has won, or lost, or made a brilliant move. Then laughter, then arguing, then more clicks. Cuban dominoes. Across Cuba, this scene happens every day. Four old men around a small table, each holding ten tiles upright on a wooden rail. Between them, a growing chain of dominoes laid end to end, matching number to number. Around them, an audience of friends, neighbours, family — kibitzing, joking, drinking small cups of Cuban coffee. The game is intense. The players take it seriously. The talk is constant. The same scene plays out 1,500 kilometres north, in Miami's Little Havana neighbourhood, at a small park called Maximo Gomez Park — known to everyone as Domino Park. Cuban-Americans have gathered there since 1976, when the city of Miami built it for them. The men play the same game with the same tiles. The talk is in the same Cuban Spanish, with the same slang, the same arguments. The park is a piece of Cuba transplanted across the sea. Dominoes is not just a game in Cuba. It is the national pastime. It is on coins, on banknotes, on tourist art, in TV adverts. It is taught to children at age five or six. It is played by old men until they die. It is part of how Cubans understand themselves. The game spread to other Caribbean countries — to the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Trinidad, Antigua. Each country has developed its own version. In Antigua and Barbuda, dominoes is also a national obsession. In Jamaica, it is played at family gatherings, on porches, in rum bars. The basic structure is the same; the local culture is different. This lesson asks how a small set of marked tiles became the centre of public life across a region, and what the game teaches us about how communities build themselves in public space.

The object

Origin: Tiles probably first invented in 12th-century China, derived from dice. Reached Europe in the 18th century via trade routes. Spread to the Caribbean from Europe, where it took on its strongest cultural significance.
Period: In Cuba and the Caribbean since at least the 1800s. Became deeply embedded in Cuban culture in the 20th century, especially after the 1959 Cuban Revolution and the Cuban diaspora to Miami and elsewhere.
Made of: Originally bone or ivory (hence the slang word 'bones' for dominoes). Now usually made of plastic, sometimes hardwoods like ebony or local cedar. A standard set has 28 tiles (double-six) or 55 tiles (double-nine). Each tile is rectangular, about 5 cm long, with a line dividing two ends. Each end has 0 to 6 (or 0 to 9) dots.
Size: Each tile is about 5 cm long, 2.5 cm wide, 1 cm thick. A complete set fits in a small box. Domino tables are often square, about 80 cm on each side, with raised edges to keep tiles from sliding off and racks to hold each player's tiles upright.
Number of objects: Hundreds of millions of domino sets exist worldwide, from cheap plastic sets to elaborate hardwood-and-bone sets. Played in homes, parks, community centres, and tournaments across the Caribbean, Latin America, the Mediterranean, and the diaspora.
Where it is now: Used in homes, parks, and community spaces across the Caribbean (especially Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Trinidad), Latin America (Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico), Spain, and Cuban-American communities in the United States. Major museum exhibitions on Caribbean dominoes have been held at the Smithsonian and the Museum of the Caribbean in Miami.

Before you teach this — reflect

Questions for you

Dominoes is a game with deep cultural significance in Cuba and the Caribbean. How will you teach it as more than just a hobby?
The Cuban-American community has kept the game alive in exile. How will you teach this without simplifying the politics of Cuban migration?
Dominoes is played mostly by older men in some communities. How will you teach this without reinforcing the idea that the game is only for old men?

Common student difficulties — tick any you have noticed

My students may not know that dominoes is the national game of Cuba and Antigua and Barbuda, with deep cultural significance.
My students may not know that the Cuban version uses a double-nine set (55 tiles) while most other Caribbean versions use a double-six set (28 tiles).
My students may not know that dominoes was probably invented in 12th-century China and reached the Caribbean via Europe.
My students may not know that Domino Park in Miami's Little Havana is a major Cuban-American cultural site, opened in 1976 and still active today.
My students may not know that dominoes has its own elaborate slang in Cuban Spanish — pollo, pollona, fresca, bota gorda, darle agua.
My students may not know that the game is increasingly played by women, even though older traditional players are mostly men.

Discovery sequence

1

Imagine the equipment. Twenty-eight rectangular tiles in a basic set, or fifty-five in a Cuban set. Each tile is divided into two ends. Each end shows a number of dots, from zero (a blank) up to six (or up to nine in the Cuban version). Every possible combination appears once. Double-six (six dots on both ends), six-five, six-four, all the way down to double-blank. The rules are simple. Shuffle the tiles face down on the table. Each player takes seven (in double-six) or ten (in double-nine). The first player plays a tile in the centre of the table. The next player must play a tile that matches one of the open ends. If they cannot, they pass — or in some versions, draw from the leftover tiles. Play continues around the table. The first player to play all their tiles wins. If nobody can play, the player with the lowest total dots in their hand wins. That is the basic game. But Cuban dominoes — the partnership version — is much more strategic. Two teams of two play each other. Partners sit across from each other. They cannot show their tiles or speak about them. But they must work together. By choosing which tile to play, a partner sends signals about what they hold. A skilled partnership reads each other's plays like a coded language. Why does this matter?

Points to consider (for the teacher)

Because the game is much more than the rules suggest. The players are doing several things at once. They are playing the immediate tile. They are reading their opponents' tiles. They are signalling to their partner. They are blocking the open ends to prevent opponents from playing. They are counting how many of each number have been played. The good Cuban domino player has a memory like an accountant and the bluffing skill of a poker player. Children in Cuba start playing dominoes at age five or six. By their teens, they are playing seriously. By their thirties, they are competitive. The best players can play eight or ten games an evening, every evening, for decades. The skill builds slowly over a lifetime. Compare with chess: chess masters develop similar skills, but chess is more solitary, more abstract. Cuban dominoes is intensely social — with partner, opponents, audience all involved at once. Students should see that 'a simple game' can have enormous depth. Dominoes is one of the world's clearest examples.

2

Dominoes was probably invented in China around the 12th century, derived from six-sided dice. Each tile shows a possible roll of two dice — six-five, six-four, six-three, and so on. Chinese dominoes were originally used for games similar to mahjong. The game spread along trade routes to Europe, probably arriving in Italy in the 18th century. From there it spread across Europe, gaining its modern form — 28 tiles, double-six, with blanks added to the original Chinese set. European traders and colonists brought dominoes to the Americas. In Cuba, the game took root in a way it had not anywhere else. By the late 1800s, dominoes was widely played by Cubans of all classes. The double-nine version (55 tiles) became distinctive to Havana and the western parts of Cuba. The eastern parts (Santiago, Guantanamo) kept the standard double-six. The game crossed class lines — played by sugar workers and lawyers, by women in homes and men in cafes. In 1959, the Cuban Revolution brought Fidel Castro to power. Many Cubans fled, especially to the United States, especially to Miami. They took their dominoes with them. By the 1970s, the Cuban exile community in Miami's Little Havana neighbourhood was holding daily domino games on the streets and in parks. In 1976, the city of Miami built a small dedicated park — Maximo Gomez Park, named after a Cuban war hero — with sheltered tables specifically for domino games. The park is still in daily use today. What did the game become for Cubans in exile?

Points to consider (for the teacher)

A piece of home. Cuban exiles in Miami had lost their country, often suddenly and traumatically. Many never returned. The game gave them a daily piece of Cuba — the same rules, the same slang, the same banter, the same coffee, the same cigars. Domino Park became a community centre, a memorial, and a public claim that Cuban culture continues. By rules of the park, you must be over 50 to play at the tables. The men there are mostly the original exiles or their children. They have been playing together for decades. Many came to Cuba as children. Some fought in the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961. Some are veterans of the Cuban Revolution. Some are simply nostalgic. The game is theirs. The same pattern has played out for many other diaspora communities. Italian-Americans played bocce in their neighbourhoods. Greeks-Americans played tavli (backgammon). Vietnamese-Americans play co tuong (Vietnamese chess). Each game gave a community a piece of home in a new land. Cuban dominoes is one of the clearest examples. Students should see that 'just a game' can carry enormous emotional weight. The tiles are the smallest piece of Cuba that anyone could carry across the sea.

3

Cuban dominoes has its own elaborate slang. A pollo (chicken) is winning while leaving your opponent with zero — a humiliating loss represented by the round shape of the egg, like the chicken leaves nothing. A pollona (big chicken) is even better — winning by more than 100 points in the first hand. Fresca (fresh) describes a tile that introduces a new number to the table — good players try to avoid these because they give opponents new options. A bota gorda (fat dumper) is a beginner who plays high-value tiles without strategy — usually said with affection but with implied criticism. Darle agua (give it water) is the act of shuffling the tiles face-down on the table. The vocabulary continues. Caja de muerto (coffin) is the double-nine tile — the highest in the deck. Tranque (block) is the situation where nobody can play and the round ends in a deadlock. Pase (pass) is when a player has to skip their turn. The slang is rich, specific, and used in normal Cuban Spanish — even by people who do not play dominoes much. The game also has its own social rules. You slam tiles on the table. The slamming is part of the play — it shows confidence, frustration, victory, defeat. Quiet domino is barely domino. Conversation is constant. Spectators kibitz freely (in Cuban tradition, even children are allowed to comment, though they are sometimes told to be quiet). The atmosphere can range from gentle to ferocious. In Cuba, men have been known to break tables in dramatic moments. In Miami's Domino Park, the rules require some restraint. What does this teach us?

Points to consider (for the teacher)

That a game can be a language. The slang is part of how the game is played. You cannot really play Cuban dominoes without the slang — it would be a different, lesser experience. The slang has spread beyond the game into wider Cuban Spanish. The cultural depth is part of why the game has endured. A game that is just rules can be replaced by another game; a game that is also a culture is much harder to replace. The intensity of play also matters. Cuban dominoes is loud. The slamming, the shouting, the laughing, the arguing — these are not noise around the game. They are part of the game. A quieter version would not feel right. The game is a community ritual that happens to take the form of dominoes. Students should see that 'play' often carries layers of culture, language, and ritual. The same is true of other community games — Italian bocce, English football, American baseball, Indian cricket. Each is more than its rules. Each is a cultural practice. Cuban dominoes is one of the clearest cases.

4

Cuba is not the only Caribbean country where dominoes is central. In Antigua and Barbuda, the game is also a national obsession. The Antiguan version uses double-six. There are formal tournaments. The Antigua and Barbuda Domino Federation organises national championships. Antiguan players have won regional and international competitions. In the Dominican Republic, dominoes is played in homes and on porches everywhere. The Dominican version is partnership-based, similar to Cuban. In Puerto Rico, dominoes is part of family life — most family gatherings include a domino game. In Jamaica, dominoes is played in rum bars and on porches, with its own slang ('domino' itself can mean different things depending on context). In Trinidad, dominoes is played at carnival and family events. In Haiti, dominoes is played widely; the rules are similar to Caribbean partnership versions but with Haitian variations. Across Latin America, dominoes is played in Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, and elsewhere. In Spain, particularly Andalusia, dominoes is played in cafes by older men in much the same style as Cuban dominoes. In Italy, dominoes (called tavola or domino) is played but less prominently than card games. In China and parts of Southeast Asia, the original domino-based games survive as variants of mahjong. The game has also gone digital. Online domino apps allow people to play across distances. International tournaments are held annually in the Caribbean. The International Domino Federation, formed in 1993, organises world championships. Cuba hosted the first one in Havana in 2003. What is the domino set today?

Points to consider (for the teacher)

A global game with local roots. Played by hundreds of millions of people, but with its strongest cultural identity in Cuba and the wider Caribbean. The game has gone with diaspora communities everywhere — wherever Cubans, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Antiguans, Jamaicans live, dominoes is played. The game is also changing. Younger generations sometimes play less than their grandparents — distractions of phones, video games, and busy modern life. But many Caribbean grandparents make sure to teach their grandchildren. Women's participation is growing. Tournament dominoes is now a serious competitive sport. The game continues to evolve. End the discovery here. Right now, somewhere in Havana, four old men are slapping tiles. Right now, in Miami, the same. The game continues. The community continues.

What this object teaches

A domino set is a collection of small rectangular tiles, each divided into two ends with a number of dots (from 0 to 6 or 0 to 9). Players take turns placing tiles end to end, matching dot counts. Originally from China in the 12th century, the game reached Europe in the 18th century and the Caribbean via European colonists. In Cuba, dominoes became the national game, played by all classes for over a hundred years. The Cuban partnership version — four players in two teams, using a 55-tile double-nine set — is one of the most strategically deep variants of the game. Dominoes also became central to other Caribbean countries: Antigua and Barbuda has it as a national game, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico play it in every family, Jamaica plays it in rum bars and on porches. After the Cuban Revolution of 1959, exiles took the game with them to Miami, where Domino Park (Maximo Gomez Park) opened on Calle Ocho in 1976 and remains a Cuban-American cultural landmark. The game has elaborate slang in Cuban Spanish — pollo, pollona, fresca, bota gorda, darle agua, tranque — that has spread into wider Cuban speech. International tournaments are held across the Caribbean and Latin America. The game continues to evolve, with women's participation growing and online play expanding. Wherever Cubans, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Antiguans, Jamaicans live in diaspora, dominoes is played.

Region	Local style	Notable feature
Cuba (Havana and west)	Double-nine, 55 tiles, partnership	National game; deeply embedded in daily life; intense slamming style
Cuba (Santiago and east)	Double-six, 28 tiles, partnership	More similar to other Caribbean styles; called dominó oriental in Cuba
Antigua and Barbuda	Double-six, partnership	National game; formal tournaments; international champions
Dominican Republic	Double-six, partnership	Played in every family; popular at gatherings and on porches
Jamaica	Double-six, partnership and 'cut throat'	Played in rum bars and on porches; world tournament tradition
Cuban-American Miami	Cuban double-nine	Domino Park on Calle Ocho since 1976; daily play by older Cuban exiles
Spain (Andalusia)	Double-six	Played in cafes by older men; similar atmosphere to Cuban play

Key words

Fichas

The Spanish word for the domino tiles. Each ficha is rectangular, divided into two ends, with dots showing a number from 0 to 6 (or 0 to 9 in Cuban dominoes). Slang term among English-speaking dominoes players too: 'bones' or 'fichas'.

Example: In a standard double-six set, there are 28 fichas, including the seven doubles (6-6, 5-5, 4-4, 3-3, 2-2, 1-1, blank-blank) and 21 non-doubles. Each combination appears exactly once.

Maximo Gomez Park

A small park on Calle Ocho (Eighth Street) in Little Havana, Miami, Florida. Named after Cuban independence war hero Maximo Gomez. Opened in 1976 specifically for domino games. Players must be over 50. A Cuban-American cultural landmark.

Example: On any afternoon, dozens of Cuban men gather there to play. Some come every day. The park has been featured in films, news stories, and tourist guides. It is one of the most photographed sites in Miami.

Cuban Revolution

The political revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power in Cuba in 1959. Led to the establishment of a Communist government and the emigration of many Cubans, especially to the United States. Created the Cuban diaspora that has kept Cuban dominoes alive in Miami and elsewhere.

Example: Many of the older men playing at Domino Park today came to Miami in the early 1960s as young adults or children. Some have not been to Cuba since. The game gives them a daily piece of the home they left.

Tranque

In Cuban dominoes, a deadlock where no player can play any tile. The round ends and points are counted from the tiles still in players' hands. Strategic blocking — making the game reach tranque — is a key skill in partnership play.

Example: A skilled team can deliberately create a tranque if they know their hand will score better than their opponents'. This is similar to defensive blocking in chess endgames.

Partnership dominoes

The Caribbean and Latin American style where four players play in two teams of two. Partners sit across from each other and must coordinate without explicitly communicating. The standard format for serious play across the Caribbean.

Example: In Cuban partnership dominoes, players develop subtle signals over years of playing together. A skilled partnership can win consistently against equally skilled but less coordinated teams.

Pollo

Cuban dominoes slang for winning a round while leaving your opponent with zero points — a complete shutout. The word means 'chicken' in Spanish; the connection is to the round shape of the egg (zero). A pollona (big chicken) is winning with over 100 points in the first round.

Example: A pollo or pollona brings huge bragging rights. The losing team is teased mercilessly. The slang is part of the game's social texture and is used widely beyond dominoes in Cuban Spanish.

Use this in other subjects

Mathematics: A double-six domino set has 28 tiles — every combination of two numbers from 0 to 6, including doubles. Calculate why: it is C(7,2) + 7 = 21 + 7 = 28. A double-nine set has 55 tiles. Use combinatorics to verify: C(10,2) + 10 = 45 + 10 = 55. Discuss: dominoes is a real example of combinatorial mathematics.
History: Build a class timeline: dominoes invented in China (12th century), arrives in Europe (18th century), spreads to Caribbean (1800s), becomes Cuban national game (late 1800s-1900s), Cuban Revolution (1959), Domino Park opens in Miami (1976), International Domino Federation formed (1993), first World Championship in Havana (2003). The story spans nine centuries.
Geography: On a class map, mark the major domino-playing regions: China (origin), Europe, the Caribbean (Cuba, Antigua, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Jamaica), Latin America (Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia), Cuban-American communities in the US, Spanish-speaking communities in Spain. Discuss: the game has crossed three continents.
Citizenship: Domino Park in Miami is a piece of public space dedicated to a community's culture. Discuss: what makes a public space culturally meaningful? Compare with other examples — Hyde Park in London (free speech), Plaza Mayor in Madrid (Spanish public life), Tahrir Square in Cairo (revolutionary protest), Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Public spaces matter.
Language: Cuban dominoes has its own slang: pollo, pollona, fresca, bota gorda, darle agua, tranque. Each student picks one and writes a sentence using it. Discuss: a game develops its own vocabulary, and that vocabulary spreads into everyday language. Many languages have games they have shaped this way.
Ethics: Many Cuban-Americans in Miami left Cuba for political reasons after 1959. Some still cannot or will not return. Domino Park is partly a memorial of this lost home. Discuss: how do diaspora communities maintain their cultures? What do they keep, what do they change? The game is one of many possible answers.

Common misconceptions

Wrong

Dominoes was invented in Europe.

Right

Dominoes was invented in China around the 12th century, derived from dice. It reached Europe in the 18th century via trade routes, then spread to the Caribbean from Europe. The Caribbean variants are themselves descendants of European versions.

Why

Crediting Europe for an invention that came from China erases the original origin. The history matters.

Wrong

Dominoes is just a children's game.

Right

Dominoes is taken seriously by adults across the Caribbean. The Cuban version has serious strategic depth comparable to chess in its complexity for human players. International tournaments are held annually. National champions are celebrated. Some players spend a lifetime mastering the game.

Why

'Just a children's game' undersells what dominoes actually is. It is a major adult cultural and competitive activity.

Wrong

Domino Park in Miami is just a tourist attraction.

Right

Domino Park is a real working community space, used daily by Cuban-American residents over 50. Tourism happens there, but the park is fundamentally a place where the local community plays and socialises. The men who play there are not performing for tourists; they are living their daily lives.

Why

Treating it as 'just a tourist attraction' erases the community whose culture it represents.

Wrong

Cuban dominoes is the same as American dominoes.

Right

Cuban dominoes uses a double-nine set (55 tiles) instead of the double-six (28 tiles) common in the United States. It is a partnership game (four players in two teams), not individual. The strategic depth, the slang, the social context are all distinctively Cuban.

Why

'Same as' erases real cultural specificity. The Cuban game is its own thing.

Teaching this with care

Treat the Cuban tradition of dominoes with respect. Use 'dominoes' (plural) for the game; 'a domino' for a single tile (or 'ficha' in Spanish). Pronounce 'pollo' as 'POH-yo'; 'pollona' as 'poh-YOH-nah'; 'fichas' as 'FEE-chahs'; 'bota gorda' as 'BOH-tah GOR-dah'; 'darle agua' as 'DAR-leh AH-gwah'; 'tranque' as 'TRAHN-keh'; 'Maximo Gomez' as 'MAHK-see-mo GOH-mes'; 'Calle Ocho' as 'KAH-yeh OH-cho'. Be careful with the political context. The Cuban Revolution of 1959 and the resulting emigration to the United States are politically charged topics. Many Cuban-Americans in Miami left for political reasons; some support the Cuban government, some strongly oppose it. Avoid taking sides. Present the diaspora story as a real historical event with cultural consequences. Do not make the lesson about the politics of Cuba; make it about the persistence of culture across borders. If you have students of Cuban or Caribbean heritage, give them space to share family experiences if they want. Many will have grandparents or great-grandparents who played dominoes; some may still play themselves. Be respectful of the variety of Cuban-American experiences. Some Cuban-Americans have visited Cuba; some have never been. Some left voluntarily; some were exiled. Some left wealthy; some left with nothing. The community is not monolithic. Avoid stereotyping. The image of the old Cuban man slamming dominoes is real but partial. Younger Cubans play dominoes too, including women. The game is evolving. Mention this. Avoid the lazy 'colourful Caribbean culture' framing. Cubans, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Antiguans, Jamaicans all have their own distinct cultures. Dominoes is part of how each maintains identity. Treat the diversity seriously. Finally, end the lesson on the present. Domino Park is open today. Games are happening right now in Havana, in Miami, in Santo Domingo, in San Juan, in St John's, in Kingston. The tradition continues.

Check what students have understood

Answer each question in one or two sentences. Use what you have learned about the domino set.

Where and when was dominoes probably invented?

In China, around the 12th century, derived from six-sided dice. The game spread along trade routes to Europe in the 18th century, then to the Caribbean via European colonists.

Marking note: Award full marks for any answer that mentions both China and the approximate timeframe (12th century or 'medieval China').
How is Cuban dominoes different from the version most common in the United States or Britain?

Cuban dominoes uses a double-nine set with 55 tiles instead of the standard double-six set with 28 tiles. It is played in partnerships of four players (two teams of two), not as an individual game. It has its own slang and intense social culture.

Marking note: Strong answers will mention the larger set size and the partnership format. Either is enough for partial credit.
What is Domino Park, and why is it important?

Domino Park (officially Maximo Gomez Park) is a small park on Calle Ocho in Little Havana, Miami, opened in 1976 specifically for Cuban-Americans to play dominoes. It is a major Cuban-American cultural landmark, with daily games by exiles who carried the tradition with them when they left Cuba.

Marking note: Award full marks for any answer that names the park and explains its cultural importance.
How did dominoes become so important in Cuba and the Caribbean?

The game arrived from Europe in the 1800s and was adopted across all classes in Cuba. By the late 1800s it was widely played. It became deeply embedded in daily life — in homes, parks, cafes — and developed its own slang and culture. Other Caribbean countries developed their own versions. The Cuban Revolution of 1959 spread the game to diaspora communities worldwide.

Marking note: Strong answers will mention multiple factors: spread from Europe, all-class adoption, daily life integration, diaspora.
Why is dominoes more than just a game in the Caribbean?

It is a community ritual, a cultural language, and a way of life. The slang has spread into Cuban Spanish. The game is taught to children and played until old age. It anchors public space (like Domino Park). For Cuban exiles in particular, it carries the home they left. It is a way of being together, not just an activity.

Marking note: Award full marks for any answer that recognises the cultural and social weight of the game beyond its rules.

Discuss together

These questions have no single right answer. Talk in pairs or small groups, then share your ideas with the class.

Cuban exiles in Miami built Domino Park to keep their culture alive in a new country. What other ways do communities keep their cultures alive when they leave their homelands?

Push students to think about diaspora cultures. They may suggest: language schools, food traditions, religious gatherings, festivals, sports, music. Each of these is a way of carrying a culture across a border. The deeper point is that diaspora communities often invest enormous energy in cultural preservation, sometimes more than people who never left. The community in exile sees the culture more sharply because they have to actively maintain it. Domino Park is one example. Others include Greek festivals in American cities, Diwali celebrations in British cities, Vietnamese Lunar New Year events worldwide. End by asking what students' own families maintain or have lost in moving.
In Cuban tradition, dominoes is mostly played by older men. Is this changing? Should it change?

This is a question about gender and generational change. Students may suggest: women have always played in homes but less in public; younger generations play less than their grandparents because of phones and other distractions; the public game has been a male preserve. The deeper point is that traditions can be both meaningful and exclusive. The Cuban domino tradition is real and valuable, but if only older men play, the tradition will die. Many Caribbean countries are seeing women's tournament participation grow. Children are still being taught. Strong answers will see that 'tradition' is something people make every generation, not a fixed thing. End by asking what would be lost and gained if the tradition opened up.
A small set of marked tiles can hold a community together. What other small objects do you know that hold communities together?

This is a creative question. Students may suggest: a religious book, a particular food, a piece of music, a sports ball, a flag, a photograph. The deeper point is that human community often crystallises around small concrete objects. The cassava grater is one. The mancala board is another. The domino set is a third. Each is a small thing that organises a much bigger pattern of human life. End by saying that the smallest objects often carry the biggest meanings.

Teaching sequence

THE HOOK (5 min)

Without saying anything about the lesson, ask: 'What is the national game of Cuba?' Take guesses. Then say: 'Dominoes. Not baseball, though baseball is also huge. Dominoes. Played every day in parks, homes, and cafes. We are going to find out why.'
INTRODUCE THE OBJECT (10 min)

Describe the domino set: 28 tiles in standard, 55 in Cuban version. Each tile has two ends with dots from 0 to 6 (or 0 to 9). Players match dot counts to lay tiles end to end. Pause and ask: 'How can a simple game with 28 tiles become the centre of a country's daily life?' Listen to answers.
THE CUBAN STORY (15 min)

Tell the story: dominoes invented in China, arrived in Cuba via Europe in the 1800s, became national game by late 1800s, deeply embedded in daily life. Explain partnership play: four players in two teams. Then tell about Domino Park — opened in Miami in 1976 for Cuban exiles. Discuss: why would a city build a park just for a game?
THE LANGUAGE OF THE GAME (10 min)

On the board, write Cuban domino slang: pollo, pollona, fresca, bota gorda, darle agua, tranque. Explain each. Discuss: the slang is part of how the game is played. The game is also a language. Compare with other games' slang in students' own cultures.
CLOSING (5 min)

Ask: 'What does the domino set teach us about how communities build their lives in shared space?' Take a few honest answers. End by saying: 'Right now, in a small park on Calle Ocho in Miami, Cuban men over 50 are slapping tiles. Right now, in Havana, four old men are doing the same. Right now, in Santo Domingo, San Juan, Kingston, and St John's, the same. The tiles are the same. The slang varies. The community is the centre. The game is the centre. The community continues.'

Classroom materials

Play a Game

Instructions: Students play a simplified domino game in pairs. Use a real set if you have one, or draw 28 tiles on paper. Work out who has the highest double; that player goes first. Each player takes seven tiles. Take turns matching numbers. The first to play all tiles wins. After the game, discuss: what did you notice about the strategy?

Example: In Mr Garcia's class, students were surprised at how much you have to think ahead. The teacher said: 'You have just done what every Cuban grandfather does five times an evening. The strategy you noticed is what makes the game last a lifetime. The game looks simple. The depth is real.'

The Slang of Games

Instructions: Each student lists three slang words from a game they play (sports, video games, card games, board games). Compare across the class. Discuss: every game has its own language. The language is part of the game. Cuban dominoes is one example among many.

Example: In one class, students listed slang from football, chess, video games, and family card games. The teacher said: 'You have just shown what Cuban dominoes shows. A game is more than its rules. It is a language that develops between players. The richer the language, the deeper the community around the game.'

Maps of Diaspora

Instructions: On a class map of the world, mark the major Cuban diaspora cities — Miami, New York, Madrid, Mexico City. Discuss: in each of these places, Cuban-Americans play dominoes. The game travels with the people. Map other diaspora communities and their games — Greek-Americans and bocce, Vietnamese-Americans and chess, Indian-Brits and cricket. Each pattern is the same: people, games, persistence.

Example: In Mrs Suárez's class, students realised their own city has many diaspora games — Italian bocce in the park, Korean Go in coffee shops. The teacher said: 'You are looking at how communities keep their cultures alive. The game is the smallest thing they brought. But it is enough to anchor a community in a new place.'

Where to go next

Try a lesson on the carnival costume for another Caribbean cultural anchor.
Try a lesson on the steel pan for another Caribbean tradition rooted in adaptation.
Try a lesson on the abeng for another Caribbean tradition rooted in resistance.
Connect this lesson to history class with a longer project on the Cuban Revolution and diaspora. The dominoes tradition is one piece of a much larger story.
Connect this lesson to language class with a longer project on slang and games. Many sports and games have shaped daily speech.
Connect this lesson to citizenship class with a longer discussion of public space. What makes a public space culturally meaningful, and who gets to use it?

Key takeaways

A domino set is a collection of small rectangular tiles, each divided into two ends with a number of dots. Players take turns placing tiles end to end, matching dot counts.
Dominoes was probably invented in China around the 12th century, reached Europe in the 18th century, and arrived in the Caribbean via European colonists in the 1800s. In Cuba it became the national game.
Cuban dominoes uses a double-nine set (55 tiles) and is played by four people in two partnerships. The Cuban version has serious strategic depth and its own elaborate slang.
After the Cuban Revolution of 1959, exiles took the game with them to Miami. In 1976, the city built Maximo Gomez Park (Domino Park) on Calle Ocho specifically for Cuban-American players. It is still a daily community space today.
Other Caribbean countries also have strong domino traditions. In Antigua and Barbuda it is also a national game; in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Jamaica it is part of family and public life.
The game is more than just a pastime. It carries community, language, ritual, and cultural memory — especially for diaspora communities. The slang has spread into wider Cuban Spanish.

Sources

Dominoes around the World — Mary D. Lankford (1998) [academic]
Cuba and Its Music: From the First Drums to the Mambo — Ned Sublette (2004) [academic]
Maximo Gomez Park: The Heart of Little Havana — Smithsonian Magazine (2019) [news]
International Domino Federation — International Domino Federation (2024) [institution]
Dominoes: A Cuban National Pastime — BBC Travel (2020) [news]

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The Domino Set: A Game That Holds a Community Together

Questions for you

Common student difficulties — tick any you have noticed