I remember trying to learn the multiplication tables. It was a nightmare. I struggled with math. I didn’t enjoy it, and really didn’t want to spend time on it, but my mom was persistent. She would follow me everywhere I went yelling out flashcards and expecting an answer, and when I say everywhere, I mean everywhere. I still vividly remember being quizzed on multiplication while I was in the shower. 🙁 I did eventually memorize the multiplication tables, but it wasn’t fun.
As a homeschooling mom I’ve now run into the same situation with my daughter. She’s super resistant to memorizing math facts. Every time we start talking about memorizing multiplication tables I get flashbacks of flashcards in the shower. Just knowing the multiplication tables makes all of math much easier, but I don’t want her to have such a negative memory of the learning itself. We’ve tried a number of different things, including Times Tales and math games, and I’m always on the look out for more ways to memorize math facts, so here’s a list of some fun (non traumatic) times table activities that serve all sorts of learning (and teaching!) styles, including video, music, printable worksheets, dominos, and more.
About the Times Tales – What is included?
- Animated videos
- Printable worksheets and flashcards
What Educents customers are saying about Times Tales:
“Fun and effective! Did in 2 weeks what other curriculum didn’t do in a year!”
“My 11 yr old is Dyslexic and was having a difficult time learning her times tables. She watched this ONE time and knew them all. So, I did this with my 9 and 5 yr old and they learned them just as easy!! This is amazing and I highly recommend it.” – Barbara B
“My kids did NOT want to like this when I first opened it up, but they ended up liking it a LOT! They kept trying to ‘figure it out’ so it took a while for my 2nd and 4th grader to just relax and watch the stories. We followed the recommended pace, and in 2 weeks this DVD solidified what other methods could not do for them in a year! Even my 3 yr old shouts out the answers to some of the quiz questions! Of course she doesn’t understand what she’s learning yet, but when her time comes, learning her multiplication facts will be painless and easy. Definitely recommend this program to anyone who has stressed over drilling boring multiplication facts into their kids! You WILL Love it! :)” -ML
“I can’t even imagine how many less papers my 5th grade teacher would have had to grade if we had this in my elementary school! We did multiplication drills every single day during our 2nd semester! Using this DVD really beats that.” – Celena J.
Times Tales Animated DVD & Printable Worksheets
Times Tales teaches kids the upper times tables without rote memorization. Students can simply follow along with the entertaining story. As they progress, they’ll be guided into associating the stories they’ve learned with real math. You can always find the Times Tales DVD at a discount on Educents.com!
Times Tales Downloadable Videos & Printable Worksheets
The Times Tales instant download is ideal for the those who “need it now“ and just can’t wait. There is no shipping cost! Just be sure to only have downloadable items in your cart. The downloadable version includes everything in the Times Tales DVD version. The difference is that for the DVD (two files – Part 1 & Part 2) you just watch it on your computer (rather than TV) and the printables come in 3 PDF files to print out the tests, crossword puzzles, flashcards, & cube game.
Learn more about the downloadable Times Tales videos.
Times Tales is one of the BEST things I did to help my kiddo learn her times tables.
You can see my full Times Tales review here.
Visit the Times Tale store for group & classroom sets!
More Activities to Practice Multiplication:
Domino Math Games by Fun Games 4 Learning – Two to four players can use dominos to practice addition and multiplication.
Early Multiplication: Grouping with Legos by School Time Snippets – Kristina and her son practice multiplications using Legos!
Multiplication Rap DVD – Kids discover what multiplication is all about, learn facts through 12, and practice skip counting.
Patterned Multiplication Circles by Lemon Lime Adventures – Dayna and her 7-year old use this visual way to learn multiplication. This math craftivity is fun for all ages!
Skip Counting to Music by Planning Playtime ~ sometimes it takes looking at things a little differently to get it to stick. When you think about it, all multiplication is, is skip counting. Here you’ll find short songs to teach your kid skip counting so they’ll be able to quickly count and figure out their multiplication tables.
Multiplication Cards by Learning Wrapups – Multiplication Wrap-ups are a fun way to combine multiplication practice with hands-on string activities!
Multiplication & Division Story Cards by Memory Joggers – Supercharge your child’s memorization skills! It’s the fast, fun and easy way to memorize multiplication and division facts. Every digit has a symbol that is consistent with all of the numbers. Children learn division as easily as the multiplication. “The stories they put with the problems are entertaining and easy to remember. My four year old granddaughter can remember the story and the problem along with the answer even though she doesn’t understand multiplication yet. She is already telling her teacher at school that she’s learning her times tables.” -Angela, Educents Customer
Musical Math by Sue Dickson’s Songs that Teach – This program makes memorizing the facts easy, sure, and fun with catchy songs that allow students to master the facts in no time!
30 Multiplication Facts Printable Worksheets by Elementary Studies – This low-cost packet includes 30 printable worksheets, 143 flash cards, six vocabulary word cards, and a multiplication chart.
Multiplication Jenga by The Organized Classroom – Download and print multiplication labels for your Jenga Pieces. Flex your math muscles every time you pull a block from the Jenga tower.
A+ Math Multiplication Unit – Build a strong foundation in math with A+ Interactive Math’s multiplication unit.
Multiplication Beach Ball by Lattes & Laughter – This DIY math beach ball can be used for many games, including Silent Ball, Rolling Ball on the floor, and Hot Potato.
Super Hero Multiplication and Division by Teaching Momster Do your kids like super hero movies, like Big Hero 6? They will LOVE these printable math worksheets that incorporate multiplication, division and word problems with a fun super hero theme! “My son is starting to learn multiplication and division and he said this was fun!” -Misty, Educents Customer
Sometimes taking a break from the times tables is the best thing you can do when kids are struggling and frustrated. Here are some more math games they can enjoy, and still keep working on their math skills.
How did your kids learn their times tables?
Hi Jackie,
It’s great to read your post. I was busy with my projects, that’s the reason I was inactive a bit, specially reading & commenting was completely off.
But Anyways, Thanks for the interesting & informative read. Keep up the good work and enjoy the holidays.
A Very Happy New Year Jackie! Cheers
~ Donna