Ultimate Guide to Effective Multiplication Fact Practice
Does anyone else have a love-hate relationship with multiplication fact practice?
I was always the math kid in school. Math tended to come easily for me. I still remember the multiplication charts and adding stickers for each multiplication fact you memorized. I rocked that.
My kids didn’t.
I’m not going to lie – I was surprised. I don’t remember anyone in my class having difficulty with memorizing math facts. (Yes, I think I had big blinders as a kid). I figured we just need to repeat them all the time.
Spoiler alert – simply repeating the facts in meaningless ways didn’t work. Shocked? Yeah, me too.
So I started delving into other ways to work on multiplication facts. Games, activities, practices, etc.
Truth be told, my kids still aren’t great at multiplication facts. But it’s getting better. We don’t put all of our focus there but I do remind them how much easier high math would be…
Anyway, I’m laying out everything I’ve found right here on this page. If you’re about to start the journey through multiplication, or you’re already in the midst of it, I hope this page will help you along!
Why Memorize Multiplication Facts?
I’ve noticed a lot of back and forth over memorizing multiplication facts. Should we even bother making our kids learn them?
My simple answer is yes and no.
I believe having the basic facts (up to 12 or 15) is incredibly useful, especially when they get to higher levels of math. But it’s not a hill I’m willing to die on.
Calculators exist.
We worked on it and encouraged our kids to memorize the math facts. But then we moved on.
Sometimes when kids see it’s worth having them memorized, they’re more motivated to learn them. And motivated kids are much easier to teach than unmotivated ones.
Sometimes they start to pick up more facts as they use them more.
And sometimes they use a calculator.
All in all, having multiplication facts memorized will make math much easier in the future. And not just in school, but life in general.
When you’re at the store and need to buy multiples of something, it’s a lot easier to calculate the price if you can multiply. But it’s not the end of the world if you need to get our a calculator.
How to Play with Multiplication
I think that if kids can play with toys that naturally lead towards mutliplication facts, they’re much more likely to memorize those facts with little to no effort.
Make a Multiplication Machine
Multiplication Wrap Ups
Montessori Multiplication Board
Printables for Multiplication Play
Code Breakers:
Minecraft Multilplication Code Breaker
Snowflake Code Breaker
Input/Output Multiplication
Spy Multiplication Activity
No Prep Activity Pages
Star Wars No Prep Multiplication Pack
Minecraft No Prep Multiplication Pack
Memorize Multiplication Facts through Games
We are a gaming family. We love all the games. Board games, video games, apps, etc. If it’s a game, we’ll probably enjoy it.
We often use games for school. It’s a great way to learn as a family and big bonsu – it’s a lot more fun than sitting at a desk.
So I’ve include lists for printable games, apps, video games, and board games that are great for multiplication fact practice.
And you already know I didn’t include any bad games. These are the fun games that hapen to include multiplication, not the multiplication games that might include fun.
Printable Games
I’ve made a few printable multiplication games because I’m mostly unwilling to spend money on this pracatice.
Plus, printing games allows me to entice them with more themes. I can put together a Pokemon game and a Minecraft game, but buying them would have been more than I was willing.
Here are some printable multiplication fact games to get you going:
Minecraft Multiplication Fact Game
Pokemon Multiplication Game
Star Wars Multiplication Fact Game
Make a Snowman Winter Multiplication Game
Multiplication BINGO
Shamrock Multiplication War
Apps
I actually love using apps for math fact practice. There are some great and engaging options that let my kids practice for just a bit here and there – or more if they want.
I’ve gone through iTunes and the Google Play store to pick out some of my favorites. I strongly dislike apps that are just flash cards or facts on a screen.
That’s not fun at all and there are tons of them.
So I’ve focused on finding apps that are more game than math.
After all, the goal is for kids to have fun while pracaticing math facts.
If you’re looking for a drill and kill app, just type in mutliplication to the app store and you’ll find plenty. And there’s nothing wrong with those apps for a kid who is motivated to practice their multiplication skills.
But for kids who aren’t as motivated or need to fun part, check out the following options.
iPhone/iPad
Addition and Multiplication Bubbles – iTunes
Splash Math – iTunes
Tic Tac Math – iTunes
Monster Math Duel – iTunes
Math Blaster – iTunes
Sushi Monster – iTunes
Operation Math Squad – iTunes
Tower Math – iTunes
Math Museum – iTunes
Zeus vs Monsters – iTunes
Pet Bingo – iTunes
Android/Google Play
Monster Math Duel – Google Play
Bubble Pop Multiplication – Google Play
Multiplication Snake – Google Play
Math Land – Google Play
Math Blaster – Google Play
Operation Math Squad – Google Play
Tower Math – Google Play
Zeus vs Monsters – Google Play
Pet Bingo – Google Play
Video Games
My kids loved video games. They’re willing to try essentially any video game there is.
So when it comes to learning with video games…well, if they can learn and play, I’m all for it.
MathBlaster
Times Attacks – We first downloaded this game years ago. The maker has changed gears and now only sells to schools. This is a direct site to download the game for personal use.
Prodigy – As the parent, you can set the questions to multiplication. This is just a simple math fact practice game. But it’s a fun game nonetheless.
Websites with video games:
MathPlayground.com
Multiplication.com
Board Games
We are a board game family and I love board games that include multiplication facts.
But just like with apps, I don’t care for games that are just multiplication. They absolutely must be fun, first of all. Adding multiplication facts to the mix is secondary.
So I’ve come up with a list of fun games that also work on multiplication skills.
Prime Club
Proof
Mind Your Numbers
Race to Infinity
Dragon Times
Mythmatical Battles
Bunny Kingdom
Memorize Multiplication Facts through Songs
Sometimes songs and rhymes are the best way to go. You have to know your child to know how they best learn (or test out a few different methods until you’ve figured it out!).
I’ve gathered a few songs and videos that are just for multiplication.
Multiplication Rap by Rock N’ Learn
Multiplication Rock by Rock N’ Learn
Times Tales
YouTube Videos:
