10 Multiplication Games for Kids Who Hate Math
Learning doesn’t stop at the classroom door, nor does it need to be so serious.
Below are 10 fun multiplication games for kids that will challenge your kids.
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Multiplication Games
The multiplication facts games are quick, with easy to understand rules.
Teachers will love incorporating these math games into their ongoing multiplication lessons, while parents can use these games to bring their kids’ learning home with them.
Ready to start?
Let’s play!
This article contains affiliate links to items that may help you play the games.
MULTIPLICATION WAR
Similar to a standard game of war, shuffle a deck of cards and distribute the cards equally between two players.
Without looking at their cards, the players will both flip a card from their half of the deck on the table face up.
The first player that can multiply them together and say the product out loud wins that round and takes the cards.
The player who can collect all the cards in the deck first wins!
MULTIPLICATION MEMORY
If testing your memory wasn’t a challenge enough, the free multiplication matching game (located in the Mama Teaches Freebie Library!) will take the cake.
This game includes 60 cards with 30 multiplication problems.
On one card is the problem and on the other is the answer.
Shuffle them together and lay them out on the table face down.
Then, match the answers and problems together!
This can be both a single and two-player game.
If you’re already a Freebies Library member, you can access the library here with your secret password.
(Check your email for the last newsletter if you can’t remember the password!) If you’re not a member yet, sign up at the end of this article!
MULTIPLICATION PUZZLES
If you head to my store, you’ll find some incredible math puzzles with multiplication as the main mathematical challenge. (Coming June 15, 2020)
They’re a terrific tool to use for kids that are a little more versed in multiplication problems and want to up the difficulty level.
AROUND THE WORLD
If you’re in the classroom or you have a handful of kids under your care, have everyone sit in a circle.
One person will stand and stands behind the seated kid next to them.
You will hold up a flashcard with a multiplication problem on it.
Of the standing kid and the seated kid in front of him/her, the first to say the answer moves on.
If the seated kid answers first, they will switch places with the standing kid.
The first kid to make it completely around the circle wins the game!
FLIP UP
You will need a timer and a pair of kids for this one.
Have large flash cards with a multiplication problem on one side and the answer on the other.
In pairs, one kid will be the quizzer and the other the one to answer.
When you start the timer, the quizzer will hold a flashcard problem up.
The kid to answer will say the answer aloud.
If they’re correct, the quizzer discards the card and moves on, but if they’re incorrect, the card is placed at the bottom of the remaining flash cards.
The kid that can get through all the flashcards in the shortest amount of time wins the game!
ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS… WITHOUT THE ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS
In the classic game, you place out a fist, a flat hand or two fingers in resemblance of scissors, but in this game, you will hold out a number of fingers, 1 through 5.
Multiplying the number held out by both players, the first player to call out the product gets a point.
Make it a best of 3 or best of 5 so each player gets a shot at redemption.
MULTIPLICATION JENGA
Print out a sheet of multiplication problems, just big enough that each problem fits perfectly onto Jenga pieces.
Stack them up, just as you would for a normal game.
When a player picks a Jenga piece they must solve the problem on the block.
The twist is, instead of placing it on the top of the tower, the player will keep the block if they solve the problem correctly.
When the tower falls over, as it surely will, the player with the most blocks is the winner!
MULTIPLICATION BINGO
All you’ll really need for this game are bingo sheets, bingo chips or a way to mark the card, and multiplication problems.
Holding up one multiplication problem at a time, the kids must answer the problem and find the number of the answer on their bingo card.
The first person to get a finished row, column, or diagonal cross wins that round! Play as many rounds as you want.
KABOOM
On a pack of popsicle sticks, write out multiplication problems and, on about 10 of them, write kaboom.
Place all the sticks with the writing part down in a cup.
A player will choose a stick and must solve the problem in order to keep the stick.
If a player picks a kaboom stick, they lose all their collected sticks!
You can play for a certain amount of time, or until a player reaches 10 sticks.
MULTIPLICATION “COOTIE CATCHER”
Fold a regular cootie catcher.
Instead of putting solid numbers, write in multiplication problems that belong to a number set.
Like the 2-times table.
The outside can still be a place to color in blue, red, yellow, and green.
The best part about this simple game is that it can be used anywhere and doesn’t require anything more than a player and the cootie catcher.
Making MULTIPLICATION GAMES Fun
Multiplication math games can be used in the classroom, at home or even during summer camp for quick refreshers.
These ten games are just ten of many ways to spice up your teaching style in order to help your students or kids better understand multiplication.
If you found these games to be as fun as we do, share with us your favorite on Instagram @MamaTeaches.
We look forward to hearing what you think!