A game where you can learn the multiplication table while playing
The multiplication table is something you have to learn, but memorizing it can be really tough.
Even if children chant it out loud like a magic spell many times every day, there are probably many who still struggle to remember it.
In this article, we’ll introduce games that help kids enjoy learning the multiplication table!
We’ve gathered a variety of games: ones you can play on a computer or smartphone, card games, and games that help you learn the multiplication table while moving your body.
It can be hard to memorize when you think of it as “studying,” but if you approach it as a “game,” you can enjoy learning the multiplication table!
If you find a game that interests you, give it a try!
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A game to learn the multiplication table while playing (11–20)
Rapid-fire times tables
The habit of clapping your hands or tapping on a desk and keeping rhythm for no particular reason isn’t just something kids do—adults often do it too.
The pleasant feeling when everyone claps in unison and the rhythm lines up perfectly can help children focus.
With that effect in mind, this activity called “Kuku Panpan” works like this: the teacher calls out a multiplication problem, and the children clap the number of times equal to the answer.
For example, if the problem is 5×3, the answer is 15.
The tens digit is expressed with hand claps, and the ones digit is expressed by tapping the desk or similar.
So in this case, you would clap once and tap the desk five times.
By solving the calculation while keeping rhythm, children may internalize multiplication not just with their heads but with their bodies too! Give it a try at home with your child.
Fun Multiplication Table Learning: A Multiplication Game for KidsApp
These days, it’s easy to play educational games on smartphones, so it makes perfect sense to use them as one way for your child to study.
“Fun Multiplication Table Learning” is, as the name suggests, a multiplication game developed for children.
While helping the character Kelly—who’s collecting photos of creatures for a space museum—you advance through the story and practice multiplication as part of an adventure.
Instead of just solving calculations, you get to enjoy game-specific fun like clearing problems to obtain items, which naturally makes multiplication more enjoyable.
It’s the perfect app game for kids who would quickly get bored with simply repeating the times tables over and over.
Multiplication Table Trump Cards to Boost Your Brain: KukuppuCard game
I’m not good at studying steadily on my own… but if I could enjoy it like a game with close friends, I might be able to keep it up.
For people like that, the perfect multiplication card game is “Kukuppu: A Smarter Multiplication Table Trump.” The title doesn’t exaggerate—just like a deck of playing cards, it lets you learn the times tables through gameplay.
You can enjoy four distinct games: “Kuku Karuta,” “Kuku Link,” “Kuku Battle,” and “Kuku Great Reversal,” each with its own twist.
The detailed rules are introduced in the video, so please use that as a reference, but it’s great that it works both one-on-one between a parent and child and in groups of kids.
Designed to make the most of card-game dynamics, it gets players absorbed and learning the times tables naturally.
Adults, why not enjoy it with the kids as a brain workout too?
How do I take the Shinkansen?
Some of you might have seen only the title and wondered, “What do you mean you can learn multiplication from how to ride the Shinkansen?” Many Shinkansen cars have seat rows split into three seats on one side and two on the other, and we can use this pattern to teach children multiplication.
For example, if 15 people are going on a trip and you want to assign seats so that no one has to sit alone, multiplication helps.
The simplest way is to think of three rows of five people each—so 5×3=15—to arrange everyone together.
Of course, you could also assign three rows of three-seat sides (3×3=9) and three rows of two-seat sides (2×3=6).
In that case, the calculations 3×3=9 and 2×3=6 both hold.
Once children see that there isn’t just one way to make a total of 15, they may appreciate the depth of math and become more interested in it.
Practice problems for arithmetic calculationsPC game
How about incorporating practice problems that feel like a game to help kids practice the multiplication tables? Learning the tables in order is fundamental, but this PC game helps you answer even when the order is mixed up! In addition to 1 through 9, some schools teach up to 12, so you can choose from 1 to 12.
If you get an answer wrong, you can’t move on—so do your best to find the correct answer! It also records how long it takes you to get the right answers, so it’s fun to compete for speed, too.
Multiplication Table Sumo
There are many ways to learn the multiplication table in a game-like way even without a smartphone or tablet.
As the title suggests, “Kuku Sumo” has two children face each other like sumo wrestlers, while a teacher or parent plays the role of the referee.
Just like in real sumo, they call out “Hakkeyoi, nokotta!” and at that moment hold up a card—prepared in advance—with a multiplication problem written on it so the children can see it.
It’s simple: the child who answers correctly first wins.
With a bit of creativity, you can make it a tournament or a team competition and turn it into a lively event.
Adults, why not join in and take on the challenge together with the kids?
OCTatakiPC game
OCTataki is a simple yet surprisingly addictive arithmetic game where, instead of moles, you whack cute little octopuses to solve problems—much like Whac-A-Mole.
Since an octopus is called an “octopus” in English, the title makes sense, and it already gives off a charming, hard-to-dislike vibe.
In OCTataki, you can choose not only multiplication tables but also addition and subtraction.
As mentioned, the gameplay is very straightforward: a math problem appears, and you click the number written on the octopus that pops up randomly on the screen with the correct answer.
For multiplication, you can select specific times tables.
There are three modes: clear 10 questions to finish, a time attack to see how many octopuses you can whack in one minute, and an endless mode where you keep solving problems.
Besides boosting calculation speed, it seems like it could train your dynamic visual acuity too!
multiplication times tablesApp
These days, most children are familiar with smartphones and tablets, and using such tools for learning can be considered a valid option.
The app game “Multiplication Tables” is a simple educational game aimed at lower elementary school students, allowing them to learn the times tables in a game format.
It’s a free, lightweight game, supports multiple languages, and is easy to pick up, so it seems useful even for a quick pastime.
Multiplication Table Perfect Game Bookbook
Learning through games on smartphone apps is great, but many parents may feel it’s still a bit early to give a smartphone to a young child.
In those cases, traditional picture books and gamebooks can be really helpful.
This “Kuku Perfect Gamebook” series is a set of gamebooks that goes up to Volume 5, with each book covering specific times tables so children can learn multiplication step by step.
Although it was published in the 1990s and is an older series, the fundamentals of multiplication don’t change, and because it’s a gamebook, kids can enjoy it as a story while they learn.
Your children are sure to love it!
Arithmetic MastersPC game
With a title that sounds like a full-fledged RPG, Arithmetic Masters is a wonderful game that perfectly meets the wishes of kids who want to study while having fun! You pick a charming, appealing character and battle opponents by solving calculation problems—including multiplication tables—in a simple format that’s easy to understand.
That simplicity makes it an excellent way to get started with studying.
There’s also a fun mechanic where “consecutive correct points” accumulate as you keep answering correctly; once you reach 15 points, you trigger a special action like a healing spell or a finishing move, which helps motivate kids to keep going.
The creator of the game vouches that repeated play improved their own calculation accuracy and speed, so be sure to give Arithmetic Masters a try this summer!
In conclusion
We introduced some fun games to help you learn the times tables—did any of them catch your eye? They’re all easy to try, so give them a go with your friends or family! I’m hoping your child will master the times tables perfectly…!