Domino is a type of game that is played by sliding one piece of a set of dominoes, or “bones,” over another piece. This causes the next piece to tip and so on until all of the dominoes have fallen. The game is very popular with children, who use their imaginations to build and knock down lines of dominoes that make interesting shapes. It is also a good way for children to learn the concept of chain reactions. This concept led to the phrase, “domino effect,” which means that one small action can lead to much greater–and often catastrophic–consequences.
Dominos are also used to make patterns and to create artwork. The pieces in a domino set have different colors and numbers of dots, called pips. The number of pips on a domino is often its rank or “weight.” Heavier dominoes have more pips than lighter ones. Some sets are made from natural materials like bone, silver lip ocean pearl oyster shell (mother of pearl), ivory or ebony, which adds to their weight. These types of sets have a more luxurious feel to them, and are generally much more expensive than polymer sets.
Normally, dominoes are stacked side-by-side in long lines. When a player tips the first domino over, it triggers the fall of all of the other pieces in the line. This can create intricate and beautiful patterns, or even designs that take the form of buildings. Stacking dominoes in this manner also gives players the opportunity to play a variety of positional games.
In addition to playing with dominoes, some people use them to make art and for educational purposes. Using the right kind of paint, artists can make a domino painting that looks very realistic. Some artists even create paintings and sculptures from dominoes.
Hevesh is a professional domino artist who has created some incredible creations. She often tests each section of her installations before she completes the entire display. Her tests allow her to correct any issues and ensure that the entire display works as intended.
One of the most important lessons that Hevesh has learned is that the process of creating a domino display is a lot like writing a novel. Whether you write your novel off the cuff or carefully plot out each scene, there’s one question that is always at the forefront of your mind: What happens next? Considering the domino effect as a way of writing will help you answer this question in a way that is engaging to your readers.
While it’s fun to watch a domino line tip over, it’s not as exciting to try and tip over fifty thousand individual dominoes. This is similar to how some learning challenges impact students. In order to compensate for their challenges, some students begin building a “domino” of skills and behaviors that can eventually become overwhelming. As they spend more and more time working to overcome their struggles, they neglect to develop the basic skills they need for success.