Activities & games to support the learning of times tables
1)
Make a set of flash cards
. Write the problem, like 4 x 9, on the front and the answer, 36, on the
back. The act of writing out the multiples will provide another repetition/reinforcement. Use a
timer to see how many cards they can go through in a minute. Can they beat that score
tomorrow?
2)
Grab a deck of cards
. You each get half the deck to place face down in front of you - don't look
at the cards! Each player flips their first card simultaneously - the first person to say the answer
based on the two numbers gets both cards (the object of the game is to win them all). If the two
of you flip a 7 and a 5, the answer to shout out is 35. For Jacks, Queens, and Kings, you can use
11, 12, and 13, use them as 0's, or take them out entirely.
3)
Throw the dice -
This can be played with one, two or more children. Throw two dice and ask the
children to write down the multiplication. If you want to work on tables higher than one to six,
use small stickers to change the numbers.
Who can calculate the fastest?
Who can get the most answers in a given time?