Ask most children how they feel about practising the times tables and you may not get an enthusiastic answer. Yet the same children will happily spend hours playing games. The secret to painless multiplication practice is to blur the line between the two. When learning feels like play, children practise more, worry less and remember better. Here we share a collection of games you can play at home, in the car or on a walk, most of which need nothing more than your imagination.
Play lowers the emotional stakes. A child who freezes during a timed test at school may cheerfully shout out answers during a family game, because the fear of getting it wrong has gone. In that relaxed state, the brain learns more readily.
Games also provide natural repetition. A round of a favourite game might involve dozens of multiplication facts without a child ever feeling that they are doing drills. That is exactly the kind of frequent, low-pressure practice that builds fluency.
A simple deck of playing cards offers endless practice. In the game of Multiplication Snap, two players each turn over a card at the same time and race to say the product of the two numbers. The first to answer correctly keeps the cards. Remove the picture cards, or assign them values, to suit your child’s level.
For a calmer version, deal a small hand and ask the child to multiply pairs of cards, keeping a running total. Cards make abstract facts concrete and add an element of chance that keeps things exciting.
Two dice and a pencil are all you need for a quick game. Players take turns rolling both dice and multiplying the numbers, scoring that many points. The first to reach a target score wins. Using dice with more faces, available in many board-game sets, extends the range of facts practised.
Dice games are wonderfully portable and work brilliantly for two children of different abilities, since the roll of the dice does much of the levelling.
Long journeys are perfect for verbal multiplication games. In Buzz, players count upwards but replace every multiple of a chosen number with the word “buzz”. Choosing five means saying one, two, three, four, buzz, six, seven, eight, nine, buzz, and so on. It sharpens knowledge of a specific table and produces plenty of laughter when someone slips up.
You can also play a simple call-and-response game where you say a fact and your child answers, then swap roles so they get to be the quizmaster. Children love the sense of authority that comes with asking the questions.
Everyday life is full of multiplication. Laying the table for a family of four with two of everything, working out how many biscuits three friends get if they have four each, or counting the legs on a group of chairs all turn routine moments into practice. Narrate these calculations aloud and invite your child to join in.
You might also stick a small multiplication chart on the fridge and challenge your child to find a random fact each time they pass. Little bursts like these add up over a week.
The goal of these games is enjoyment, so keep them light. Celebrate effort and laughter rather than perfect scores, and stop while your child is still having fun. If a game starts to feel like a test, change it or take a break.
Mixing physical games with a little screen-based practice gives variety. When your child fancies a change, our online Practice Mode and Timed Challenge offer the same playful spirit with instant, encouraging feedback.
Try cooperative versions where you work towards a shared goal, or games driven by dice and cards where luck plays a part. You can also focus praise on effort and strategy rather than winning.
Handicaps work well: give the younger child easier tables or a head start, and challenge the older child with larger numbers. Dice and card games naturally balance themselves through chance.
Games are a superb supplement and often the most effective form of practice for reluctant learners, but a little structured practice alongside them helps ensure every table is covered systematically.
You can find more articles like this on the Times Table Hero blog.