Learning at home

Fun and Quick Ideas for Practising Number Facts at Home

Here are some simple and fun ways to practise the quick recall and learning of number facts at home using dice, playing cards, scrap paper and domino tiles. Every 5 mins playing these games will support your child’s learning at school. Have fun!

 

Addition War (or Multiplication War)

Lay a pack of cards in the centre of the table (Uno cards also work well for this game).  Both players draw 2 cards each and lay them on the table face up.  Each player adds their own 2 cards together (or multiplies the numbers for a more challenging game).  The player with highest answer wins the cards. The person with the most number of cards at the end is the winner.
 

Dice Race

Two players sit opposite each other and throw a dice each.  Version 1: Race your partner to add the 2 numbers together, winner scores a point.

Version 2: Race your partner to subtract the smallest number form the biggest number, winner scores a point.

Version 3: Race your partner to multiply/times the two numbers together, winner scores a point.

 

Number draw

Players stand opposite each other with hands behind back. On count of 3,2,1, players reveal hands holding up any number of fingers. Players race to add up the number of fingers showing on all 4 hands. First player to shout the answer scores a point.  For a challenge you could multiply/ times the numbers on both players hands together.

 

Domino Race

Pile up the dominos in the centre of the table. Both players take a tile. Add (or multiply) the numbers on each end of your tile together. The player with the highest answer keeps both tiles. The player with most tiles at the end wins.

Speed pyramids

On scrap paper time yourself (or race against a partner) to write a pyramid of times tables facts, e.g. if you are learning your x3 table write 3, then 3,6, then 3,6,9 etc.

 

                             3

                            36

                            369

                          36912

                        3691215

                      369121518

                    36912151821

                  3691215182124

                369121518212427

              36912151821242730

 

Beat the clock
Using scrap paper make 12 blank playing cards. Number the cards 1-12. Shuffle the cards and lay them in a line upside down.  Choose a target times table to practise, e.g. x3. Turn over each card one at a time and multiply the number on the card by your target times table, e.g. if you pick up the card number 4, work out 4x3.   How quickly does it take you to do the whole line of cards?  Ask someone to time you. Re-shuffle the cards and repeat. Can you beat your time? What’s your record?

 

Shout It Loud! (3 player game, great for walks or car journeys)

Player one says a number under 10, player two and three race to shout the partner number that goes with it to make 10, e.g. player one says ‘4’, player 2 and 3 race to shout ‘6’. The person to shout it the quickest scores a point.  This game can be made trickier using numbers to 20 or 100.