Multiplication Practice that Kids Actually Enjoy

 I've been teaching third grade for seven years now. Each year that I introduce multiplication, there is a magic feeling in the air. All of my eight-year-old babies straighten up and glow with confidence. They are ecstatic at the thought of doing "big-kid" math. They are chomping at the bit to learn their facts, and learn them well. 

Fast forward to December. The newness of multiplication has warn off. What was once thrilling fact practice, is now a burden. Instead of cheers when I say the words "multiplication facts", there are groans. Keeping the students excited about multiplication can be a difficult task when Christmas is in the air. 

To help with the winter blues, I've compiled my top 4 favorite multiplication activities that students will actually enjoy when the standard fact practice starts to get boring. Best of all, they are little to no-prep for the teacher! 

1. Multiplication Scavenger Hunt

One of the best ways to keep students engaged is to get them UP and OUT. When they are required to move, the buy-in is SO great! 

My multiplication scavenger hunt has students buzzing around the room, or their home if you're remote learning. Each factor is an item they must count before they can solve a multiplication problem. 

This activity keeps students engaged, moving, and learning! 

🌟 Click here to check out my Multiplication Scavenger Hunt Resources 🌟

2. Skip-Counting Jump Rope

Sometimes when students feel run-down and bored, all they need is a little fresh air. One of the easiest no-prep activities you can do is to skip-count while exercising. 

Doing this activity is easy: (1) Pick a movement. Some of my student favorites include jump rope, jumping jacks, squats, and side-stretches. (2) Repeat the movement by skip-counting until you reach 100 (or close to it). If we are working on our 8's facts that week, then we will skip count by 8's until we reach 96. 

3. Write Your Own Word Problems

Word problems not only require students to know their multiplication facts, but they also require comprehension. One of my favorite ways to get students excited about practice word problems is to help them create their own! 

My Create Your Own Word Problem resource is a great starting point for doing this. It shows students where to insert names, items, and descriptions, while helping them create a quality word problem for them to practice with. Similar to mad libs, it is very easy to use, and best of all... NO PREP! 

🌟 Click here to check out my Create Your Own Word Problems Resources 🌟

4. Multiplication War

If you have competitive students in your room, you can bet that they will LOVE multiplication war. All you need is a deck of playing cards. 

Students play by separating the deck of cards into two piles, one for each of them. Both students will pull two cards from their own pile. Then, they will multiply their two cards together. Whichever student has the highest factor, gets to keep all 4 cards. Play continues this way until one student has all of the cards. 

Beware: This game is addicting! 

If your sweet little muffins are growing bored of their multiplication facts, use any of these no-prep strategies to spark their interest again and keep them growing!