Multiplication facts, though, are still giving my youngest a hard time.

She’s working on memorizing her times tables so she can sail into third grade math this fall with no trouble.

To make it a little more fun, I thought we’d try this printable pineapple multiplication by four game!

This is a simple and cute way to help kids work on multiplication fluency!

Keep reading to see how to get yours – free! And, for more ways to have fun with math, take a look at our list of outdoor math games to play!

Pineapple Multiplication by Four Game

To use this printable multiplication roll and cover game, you’ll need the following: (This post contains affiliate links. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

• Printer (with ink)
• Printer Paper
• Six-sided dice or ten-sided dice
• Math counters or buttons
• Astrobright paper (optional)

This product includes two versions of the multiplication roll and cover game:

• One for use with a six-sided die
• And one for use with a ten-sided die

The rules are simple.

Students roll a die and then find the corresponding multiple of four on the game board.

Then they just cover that number with a math counter and keep going!

You can also use buttons, counting bears, pom-poms, or coins in place of counters.

Students can play the game alone or with a partner. If they’re playing alone, challenge them to see how quickly they can roll and cover all the multiples.

If they’re playing with a partner, the first one to cover the last multiple wins!

A line art version of both game boards is also included.

Personally, I love to add a pop of color by printing them on AstroBright paper – as above. It definitely makes the activity a bit more cheerful.

Scroll down to get your Pineapple Multiplication by Four Game!

Check out these other fun math learning ideas!

To get your copy of this Pineapple Multiplication by Four Roll and Cover Game, click the image or the link below to download it to your computer!

>>> Pineapple Multiplication by Four Game <<<

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If I want my boys to learn anything at all, I just have to find a way to include basketball. They are big fans of the sport and they love everything B-ball related.

So when I was ready for them to practice multiplication facts, I thought “What better way to get them interested than to make times tables into a basketball-themed game?” And that’s how the printable multiplication game Shoot and Score! was born.

Read on to see how to “score” a copy of this game for yourself!

By the way, if you enjoy this printable, grab a set of our free college basketball worksheets also! They’re perfect for keeping the kids learning while watching the college basketball tournament this year!

Shoot and Score! Printable Multiplication Game

To play this printable multiplication game, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are listed below. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

• Printer (with ink)
• Printer paper
• Scissors
• Cardstock (for backing the flashcards)
• Laminator (optional: for the game board and the cards)

The goal of Shoot and Score! is to “shoot” the correct number through the multiplication problem “hoop” it matches!

Full instructions are provided and the game can be played by 1-4 players.

This game includes multiplication facts from 2, 5, and 10 times tables.

Plus, there’s an answer key in the back for kids to check their work!

Scroll down to get your Shoot and Score! Printable Multiplication Game!

Check out these other fun basketball learning activities!

 

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Thanks to HoliMaths, a brand new multiplication game for kids, practicing times tables can be actual, honest-to-goodness fun! Plus, several of my kids could play it together!

Read on to see how practicing multiplication is a snap with HoliMaths!

Disclosure: I received this product in exchange for this post and I was compensated for my time. All opinions are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.

What is HoliMaths Multiplication Game for Kids?

HoliMaths is a fun and flexible multiplication card game that kids can play with or without adult supervision. There are ten, yes, ten different ways to play with these cards, so you’re almost guaranteed that your kids will never get bored.

HoliMaths comes in two levels: One game featuring times tables from 1 to 6 and a second featuring times tables from 7 to 12. Each game can be played by up to six players, so if you have both games, you could have up to 12 people playing the game at any time.

And, yes, the boxes are in Spanish. More on that in a bit.

Here’s what’s inside the HoliMaths game box. It’s a lot, right?

The game includes multiplication table charts – one for each player.

There are also multiplication problem cards. In this set, there are times tables from 1 to 6, so each set is color coded. The ones tables cards are all grey, the twos tables cards are all yellow, and so on.

The card at the bottom of the image with the symbols is the scoring system. Since each card is coded with a symbol, you can look at the point (puntaje) card to see how to count each correct pair. The player with the most points at the end wins!

Finally, there are many small solution cards. These are pretty important, as you’ll see next.

How to Play HoliMaths Multiplication Game for Kids

So how do you play HoliMaths? As I mentioned earlier, there are ten different game play options. Since our game included kids of several grade levels, I started with the Classic Play method (Method #1). For a look at how to play each version of HoliMaths, see the How to Play section on the HoliMaths website.

As I also mentioned earlier, most of the documentation in the game box is in Spanish. That’s because the game was originally designed for a Spanish-speaking audience. But you don’t have to be bilingual to play HoliMaths! There’s an English-language version of the website, complete with video instructions in English!

This version is basically Go Fish, but with times tables.

We chose three times tables to work with, since we had three players. Because my boys are in 2nd and 3rd grade, respectively, we used the ones, twos, and threes tables to play with.

My sons haven’t memorized their multiplication tables yet, so we handed out a times tables chart for each player as we dealt out the cards. That way, they could find the solutions to the problems on their cards easily – without getting frustrated.

The idea is to make a match of a problem card with the correct solution card. My third grader, for example, had the problem card 1 x 12. When he looked at the correct color-coded table on the chart, he saw that 1 x 12 = 12. So he had to match that problem with a solution card featuring the number 12.

As you might have noticed, some of the cards have smiley faces on them. These are “wild” cards – they can be used to represent any problem or solution you need to make a match. First, you clear all of the matches out of your hand as soon as the cards are dealt. Then, you tackle the remaining cards in the game.

As the kids removed the matching problems and solutions from their hands, they became much more comfortable with using the game cards. One of the suggestions in the “How to Play” section that I love was to have the kids call out the problem and solution once they matched them up. That way, you can see if they’re answering each problem correctly.

My kids, who always love a bit of drama, decided to announce their math matches with great fanfare. Like this:

Child 1: *Loud clearing of throat*

Child 2: “What is it?”

Child 1: “I declare that 1 times 12 is equal to 12!”

It’s silly, but it works! They were reciting multiplication facts left and right!

If you can’t find a match for your problem cards or solution cards, you draw another problem card from a pile on the table and you draw a solution card from the game bag. As the game continues, each player empties their hand and then counts up their score.

At the end of our game, our youngest player actually had the highest score! He was pretty excited about his success.

We really loved playing this fun multiplication game for kids! I can’t wait to “plan” a morning of multiplication practice with my boys by just having them play HoliMaths for an hour or so. They’ll be thrilled!

Be sure to visit HoliMaths to learn more about this game, all the ways you can play it with your kids, and how to get it for yourself!

Now for the fun – the HoliMaths giveaway! Use the Giveaway Tools widget below to enter! By the way, if you buy the product (in Kickstarter) and win the giveaway, HoliMaths will send you a refund.

And don’t forget to follow HoliMaths on social media for product news!

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• Twitter
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• Google+
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Get more ideas on how to make math fun from my Math Mania board on Pinterest!

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Turns out that we didn’t actually get any snow, which was disappointing to my kids. But we kept the snowy theme going with a fun paper snowflake craft featuring 2nd grade math factors!

Check out our winter-y math craft below!

Snowflake 2nd Grade Math Factors Craft

Before we could start talking about math factors, though, Pooh needed a quick primer on multiplication. So we talked about making equal groups – one of the ways we can teach multiplication.

First, we started with a simple multiplication fact – 3 groups of 3 equals 9.

Then we learned that you can also make nine by using 1 group of 9 dots.

Which means 9 has three factors: 1, 3, 9. All three can be multiplied in different combinations to make 9.

Time to make our math factor snowflakes! We used our Snowflake Math Factor Printables and a set of Unifix Cubes to help Pooh visualize how to find his multiplication factors.

As we made equal groups of 8, 4, and 2, Pooh discovered the missing math factors that make 24: 3, 6, and 12.

As we discovered the missing factors, Pooh filled in his snowflake.

Now to cut it out!

Roo was in the kitchen as we worked. He came upon one of the paper scraps and declared it “a great white shark’s tooth”. Alrighty then.

We added masking tape to the back and hung our snowflakes on the window.

Ta-da! We got some “snow” after all!

This was a really fun, hands-on activity that also served as a nice way to talk about multiplication without overwhelming my 2nd grader.

If you’d like to make this craft at home, grab a set of our free Snowflake Math Factor printables! There are combinations up to 144, so you can easily use this with 2nd to 4th graders. Plus, the answers are included!

For even more winter weather fun, pick up our All About Snowflakes unit study! It has our snowflake math factors, as well as plenty of other science, grammar, and Pre-K activities about snow!

We’re not the only ones having fun with snow this week! Check out the other snow and ice activities from the Early Elementary Blogging Team!

More Snow & Ice Learning Activities from the Early Elementary Team:

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One of Pooh’s objectives this year is to learn to work with arrays.

When I was in school, we weren’t using arrays. We were memorizing addition and multiplication facts back then.

Now, though, arrays are an important (and helpful) way to understand adding and multiplying.

So I put together a math product: Apple Arrays! – A fun, apple-themed way to have array practice for second grade!

By the way, be sure to check out our Apple Orchard Playdough Counting Mat for your toddlers and preschoolers!

Need to practice visual discrimination? Don’t miss our Apple Alike! Same or Different Worksheets!

Apple Array Practice for Second Grade

To use these printables, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are included in this post. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

• Printer (with ink)
• Printer paper
• Pencils

This product includes 16 worksheets that include both addition and multiplication for numbers 1-5.

If your students are still working on addition fluency, the first ten worksheets are all about adding numbers 1-5.

A full answer key is provided, so the kids can check their work.

This is a great activity for practicing addition facts.

But if your students are ready for a quick introduction to multiplication, the last six worksheets are perfect for showing them the relationship between adding and the times tables!

How to Use Apple Array Practice for Second Grade

I have to admit that when Pooh saw that there were multiplication problems on the sheet, his reaction was “TIMES TABLES????”

It was a dramatic moment, for sure.

But I used the first few pages to introduce him to using arrays with addition.

And then we talked about how addition with arrays is the same as multiplication.

This product focuses just on working with 5’s from 5+0 to 5+5+5, so you can use it to introduce times tables from 5×1 to 5×5.

The first set of pages contains apple arrays and written addition and multiplication problems.

Pooh and I looked at each row and column in the arrays to understand why we write those particular addition and multiplication equations to represent them.

Count out the number of apples in each row to find your first addend.

Then count the number of rows to find the second. Simple!

After he went through and solved the first set of problems, we used the second set of pages.

These pages have the apple arrays and addition/multiplication problems, but kids have to read the array correctly to fill in the addends/multiplicand/multiplier.

Which he did on his own!

He was so excited to grasp how to read arrays and relate them to multiplying that as soon as Jay came in the door, he said “Dad! I learned how to do times today!”

Another one of those homeschooling gifts I’m thrilled to share with them this year.

If you need more suggestions for teaching multiplication, try these tips!

To get your copy of Apple Array Practice for Second Grade, grab our 2nd Grade Learning Bundle! This bundle includes four learning printables designed to get your early elementary student off to a great year!

>>> 2nd Grade Learning Bundle <<<

Come along with the entire 2nd Grade Blogging Team for all of our Apple activities this week!

How to use an apple to explain basic fractions from Crafty Kids at Home

Apples Graphing Activity from Sallie Borrink Learning

Free Number Order Printable Apples from Life Over C’s

Preserve an apple from getting brown from Planet Smarty Pants

Apple Descriptions {adjectives} from School Time Snippets

Nouns and Verbs – Apple Theme from 123 Homeschool 4 Me

Black and White Apple Prints: A Lesson in Contrast from Creative Family Fun

Apple Toothpick Tower Challenge from Preschool Powol Packets

The post Apple Array Practice for Second Grade appeared first on Look! We're Learning!.

Tigger’s had her struggles with math over the years, so we’ve had to add a little fun to our math work to help her stay focused. This month, we decided to tackle multiplication factors with set of free snowflake math factor printables! Read on to see how to get your copy!

If you like these, don’t miss our ideas on how to use them for a fun snowflake math factor craft!

Free Snowflake Math Factor Printables

To use these printables, you’ll need the following: (Affiliate links are included in this post. For details, see our Disclosure Policy.)

• Printer (with ink)
• Printer paper
• Pencil

We designed the activity so that the snowflake arms all show numbers that are factors of the larger number in the center. They work on a diagonal, so there are three numbers already given and the kids have to find the other number that makes a factor pair.

Example: On the sheet above, the center number is 36, so all of the numbers on the snowflake are factors of 36. Kids will need to find the missing number in each factor pair: 18 x ? = 36; 9 x ? = 36; 3 x ? = 36, and so on.

To give Tigger a helping hand, we walked her through the first one. We’ve covered multiplication with her in the past and found that the circles and dots method seems to work best for her.

We decided to let her try the next one on her own.

She did great! She counted up the numbers and filled in the spots pretty easily.

We added some larger numbers in the pack as well to help kids test their multiplication facts, but a full answer key is provided at the back.

Don’t miss our other winter learning ideas!

Get more tips for teaching math on my Math Mania Pinterest board!

To get your free Snowflake Math Factor Printables, sign up for our email newsletter! You’ll receive these and other educational resources in our exclusive Subscriber Library!

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In keeping with the Charlotte Mason philosophy, I wanted to teach math from a practical point of view. That means explaining both “what” and “why”, so that Tigger understands how math works logically. So, when I finally decided to start discussing multiplication with her, I came prepared.

Here are some of the ways to teach multiplication we used to help her grasp the concept!

Ways to Teach Multiplication

To start with, I reached into the depths of our curriculum closet and retrieved a multiplication/division chart. (You can get a very similar one like it on Amazon.)

We talked about what the chart showed and how the numbers are all related to each other. BUT we did not drill her with multiplication facts, especially at first.

I copied a very detailed anchor chart that I saw on Pinterest that demonstrated several ways to multiply. I like the fact that kids are able to learn so many different ways to multiply now, rather than having to force themselves to learn in one way.

If you want to make a chart like this yourself, you’ll need the following:

• Chart tablet
• Markers
• Ruler

The chart showed three ways to teach multiplication:

1. Repeated Addition: Show children to add the same number again and again until they reach the answer. (Example: 3 x 2 = 2+2+2)

2. Circles and Dots: Draw a circle for each time the number is multiplied and fill each one with the number of dots that corresponds with the number being multiplied. (Example: 3 x 2 = Three circles with two dots in each one)

3. Arrays: Make rows of shapes that correspond to the problem. (Example: 3 x 2 = Three rows of two dots each)

Of the three techniques, Tigger took to the circles and dots method.

Coming up to the board to work on the problems herself also seemed to help her stay focused, especially when her little brothers were also working at the table.

(Pay no attention to the laundry basket on her right.)

The good news is that she learned her times tables through eight in one week by using the circles and dots method! We’ll be using both repeated addition and arrays in upcoming weeks to help her see the other ways to teach multiplication.

But – no matter how well school is going – we try to stick with the short lessons advocated by Charlotte Mason. Which means that after a while it’s time to drop everything….

and dance!

(Pay no attention to the stroller standing behind the front door.)

Check out these other math learning ideas!

And if you need more math teaching tips, follow my Math Mania board on Pinterest!

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