Multiplication games for kids: 7 free games.
Games are the easiest way to get the short, frequent practice that makes multiplication facts stick. Every game here is free: one you can play online right now, and six that need nothing more than cards, dice or paper, at home or in the classroom.
1. Free online game: multiply by 11
No sign-up needed. Learn the ×11 trick, then try it on your own numbers. It suits children who already know their basic facts and want a challenge that feels like a secret code.
Multiply by 11, in your head.
Try any two-digit number. The answer appears one small step at a time.
Enter a two-digit number to see the rule.
4 + 3 = 7. Put that sum between the two original digits.
2. Multiplication War (cards)
You need: A deck of cards, 2 players.
Remove the picture cards (or count jacks as 11 and queens as 12 for the harder tables). Each player turns over two cards and multiplies them. The bigger product wins all four cards. To practise one table, put a 7 face up in the middle and multiply each card by it.
3. Array Capture (dice)
You need: Two dice, squared paper, coloured pencils.
Roll two dice and draw a rectangle with those side lengths on the grid, for example 4 by 6. Write the product inside: 24. Take turns until nobody can fit another rectangle; whoever has coloured the most squares wins. This builds the meaning of multiplication, not just the facts.
4. Multiplication Bingo
You need: Paper and a pencil for each player, 3 or more players.
Everyone draws a 4 × 4 grid and fills it with products from the table you are practising. The caller reads out a fact such as 6 × 8, and anyone with 48 crosses it off. The first full row wins. Children who are still learning can work the answer out; that is the point.
5. Skip-count ball toss
You need: A soft ball, 2 or more players.
Choose a table. Each person who catches the ball says the next multiple: 4, 8, 12, 16… Anyone who hesitates starts the count again from zero. Great for younger children and for getting the wiggles out.
6. Board game booster
You need: Any board game you already own.
Turn a board game such as snakes and ladders into a multiplication board game: before each roll, the player answers a fact card. A correct answer earns the roll; a wrong one means working the answer out aloud before rolling anyway, so nobody gets stuck.
7. Beat your own score
You need: A timer and a list of facts.
Once your child is accurate, see how many facts they can answer in one minute and record it. Next time, the only rival is their own score. Competing against themselves keeps it fun for children who dislike racing others.
Which multiplication games suit 3rd grade?
Third grade is when most children learn their facts. Early in the year, choose games that build meaning, such as Array Capture and skip-count ball toss. Once your child understands the tables, move on to Multiplication War and Bingo for recall, and save Beat your own score for facts they can already answer accurately. Our guide on how to teach multiplication explains the order to teach the tables in.
What makes a good multiplication game?
The best games are short, give many turns per minute, and let a child work an answer out rather than lose instantly for not remembering it. Change games often; a new game with the same facts is still new practice. When your child gets stuck on a particular fact, pause the game and use one of our times table tricks to work it out together.
If you would like a structured game on a phone or tablet, the Trachtenberg Kids app has a timed Speed Round and streaks for each multiplication trick, with no ads. The ×11 lesson is free.