This is a little more like normal flash card multiplication but if your child likes to race and is competitive this might do the trick to get in some practice.  As usual 10 minutes is plenty.

You will need a calculator.

You can decide to practice all facts or focus on one set of facts like the 7′s times tables.  You can use dice for beginners or cards for those working on higher number facts.

Take cards or dice and have your child roll or lay out two cards then you straighten them out so that both of you can see them (this gives your child time to beat you and the calculator) then while your child multiplies the numbers in his head you enter the numbers into your calculator.  As your child gets faster omit the straighten out the cards step. If you are working on one set of facts find that number and only draw the other card.

This isn’t for everyone but some kids really get a kick out of beating the calculator.

Dice are some of the best tools for learning math facts.  And one of my favorite games is Any Which Way.  Roll 4 dice and add/subtract/multiply/divide any which way to reach a certain number.  The basic game play has been used many times, but here we will target specific math facts.  Let’s say your child is having a struggle learning 6 x 4=24.

 Before you start the game quickly go over some obvious ways to reach your number.  Such as

4 x 6 = 24 and

8 x 3 = 24 and even

2 x 12 =24 or

( 5 x  5 ) – 1 =24.

Roll the dice and see who can make 24.  This will practice the desired multiplication facts and also practice a few more.

If you have an easily frustrated child relax the rule on using all four dice each time.  So if they actually rolled a 4 and a 6 they could use that as their 24 and not worry about the other 2 dice.  For a child up to a challenge use all four.

For larger numbers over 36 add an extra dice!  And use your best judgment on having to use all 5 dice or not.

Play for just 10 minutes then do something else fun!

I brought the game home to my then 5 yr old daughter.  She knew the numbers and their order but it wasn’t instantaneous.  This game would make it automatic.  Fabulous!

 Rules for playing SPIT.

1. Each Player gets half the deck.

2.  Each player lays out 5 piles ( solitaire style)  

       1st pile — 1 face up card

       2nd pile— 1 face down 1 face up

       3rd pile—- 2 face down 1 face up

        4th pile—  3 face down 1 face up

        5th pile—4 face down 1 face up

Note each player will have left over cards these are their “spit” cards.

The face up goes on top of the face downs.  You can not turn over a face down unless it is the top card in it’s pile.  You may move cards within piles only if you have two or more of a kind face up and then you can place the like cards faceup on 1 pile.  This allows you to turn over your facedown pile’s card.

Now to play!

Each player turns over 1 card from their “spit” pile These are the active cards.  At this point each player begins to place cards from their 5 piles.  If they have a face up card that is either immediately before or after the  active “spit” cards they set their card on top and the play continues with each player trying to play all of his cards from their 5 piles.  Again a card may be played from the 5 piles if it is immediately before or after the current active spit card.  When all possible cards are played from the five piles.  Each player at the same time flips over a new “spit” pile card and play resumes.  There are no turns players just go as fast as they can and the fun is beating the other to placing a card. Remember two or more of a kind can be stacked on the same pile allowing the player to uncover new cards.

When one players five piles  are gone, Both players race to slap the smallest of the active “spit” piles.  This pile combines with whatever cards you have left from your 5 piles and your remaining “spit” pile to form your new portion of the deck.

Setup again with your new cards and continue play as before.  At some point a player will no longer have a “spit” pile.  At this point there is only one active pile and the players race at the end to hit the empty(not there) pile to win.

Enjoy this game. Kids get alot out of knowing automatically what number comes before and after. This is different then counting by rote backwards!  Also as kids play the game they learn to anticipate what numbers are coming.  So a child looking to play a 6 learns quite rapidly that the difference between the 9 and the seven he needs is 2 cards.   An intuitive intro and/or practice of basic math facts.

Yeah!