Play Times Tables Games
Practice multiplication with short challenges using times table facts from 1 to 12.
Answer random multiplication questions, challenge yourself to improve your score, work backwards from missing factors, and focus on the facts that need the most practice.
Work out the multiplication fact before checking the answer.
Random Times Tables Challenge
Practice mixed multiplication facts from the 1 to 12 times tables. Try to work out each answer before choosing your response.
Mixed tables
Times Tables Challenge
Three Ways to Play the Times Tables Challenge
The same multiplication questions can be used differently depending on whether you are learning a table, improving recall or challenging yourself.
Ignore speed and concentrate on getting each multiplication fact correct.
Try to answer directly without counting through the multiples of the table.
Repeat a round and see whether you can improve your own accuracy or recall.
Write down the facts you miss and practice those separately before playing again.
Play the Missing Number Game
Multiplication practice does not always have to ask for the product. Hide one factor instead and work backwards to find the missing number.
Missing-factor problems encourage you to think about the relationship between multiplication and division instead of always recalling a product from the same question format.
Can You Build the Answer From a Known Fact?
If an answer does not come to mind immediately, turn the question into a challenge: find a nearby multiplication fact you already know and use it to reach the answer.
Start with 5 × 7 = 35 and add another 7: 35 + 7 = 42.
Start with 10 × 8 = 80 and subtract 8: 80 − 8 = 72.
Start with 4 × 7 = 28 and double it: 28 × 2 = 56.
Combine 10 × 6 = 60 and 2 × 6 = 12: 60 + 12 = 72.
Strategies help you reconstruct an answer. Repeated recall helps the multiplication fact become easier to retrieve directly.
Multiplication Matching Game
Make two sets of cards: multiplication questions in one set and their products in the other. Shuffle the cards and match every question to its answer.
Play with one times table Easier
Mix several times tables Harder
Turn it into a memory game Variation
Play Multiplication Bingo
Fill bingo cards with products rather than multiplication questions. One person calls a fact, and players find the corresponding product.
For an easier game, use products from only the 2, 5 and 10 times tables. For a harder round, mix multiplication facts from all the tables from 1 through 12.
Which Times Tables Should You Use?
Adjust the difficulty by changing which multiplication tables appear in the game.
Clear number patterns make these useful tables for first multiplication games.
Add these tables once doubling and the simpler patterns are familiar.
Use mixed questions when these facts need more focused recall practice.
Mix all standard tables so the next multiplication fact is unpredictable.
Game, Practice, Quiz or Test?
Each format can serve a different purpose when learning multiplication facts.
Use challenges, matching and different question formats to make repetition less predictable.
Use times tables practice for focused repetition of multiplication facts.
Take the times tables quiz when you want a set of questions to answer independently.
Use the times tables test after accuracy is already reasonably strong.
Times Tables Games Questions
What are times tables games?
Times tables games are activities that turn multiplication practice into challenges such as matching questions and answers, finding missing factors, bingo or improving a previous score.
Can games help with multiplication practice?
Games can provide another format for repeated multiplication practice, particularly when learners have to retrieve the answer rather than guess it.
What is an easy times table game for beginners?
Matching multiplication questions with products is a simple starting activity. Begin with a table that has an easy pattern, such as the 2, 5 or 10 times table.
What multiplication games can two people play?
Two players can use multiplication matching cards, a memory game, bingo or take turns answering multiplication challenges.
Should a multiplication game be timed?
It does not need to be. Accuracy can come first while facts are being learned. A time element can be introduced later if faster recall becomes the goal.
Which times tables should I use in a game?
Choose tables appropriate to the learner's current level. Facts that are frequently missed can be included more often, while already familiar facts need less repetition.
How can I make a times tables game harder?
Mix several tables, ask the questions in random order, include missing-factor problems or remove multiplication facts that have already become easy.