That’s what we are up to these days. Times tables. What better way to practice them than playing it as a game?
I don’t know the source but Adi came up with this easy peasy game that we play when we get even 2 minutes break between the chores.
Take 1 set of playing cards and separate the numbers from non-numbers (Ace/King/Queen/Jack).
We need only the number cards for this game.
Divide the number cards between the two players.
As player 1 says “Go” both players have to take out the first card from their stack and place it on the floor.
Whoever says the answer for the multiply of the two numbers on the floor earns the two cards.
The game repeats until one of the player is left with no cards.
From 1 set of cards each player will get around 18 cards each and the game will get over in less than 5 minutes.
Isn’t practicing 25+ multiplication numbers in less than 5 minutes cool? that too in a fun way without getting onto each other’s nerves?
The keep the game lively you shouldn’t let the kid say all answers. You should also win some cards by pretending to answer them. May be you can answer the 2s, 5s and 10s tables and leave the difficult ones to them. Remember to pretend and keep a sad face when you fail to answer 
We play it like the rapid fire rounds in Quiz. This enables the kid to say the answers faster.
This game will help to practice 2s to 10s times tables.
Other multiplication tricks:
1. I have noticed that kids learn 2, 5 and 10 times table pretty faster so I taught Adi to do 7×6 as 7×5 and then add 7 to the answer. Anytime you get two numbers to multiply, first get to the nearest 5 or 10 and then add up the remaining.
2. Look at this video for 9 tables trick
3. The other trick for 9 tables is that the digits in tens place increase by one and the digits in ones place decrease by one. See its like 09, 18, 27,36, 45, 56…
4. For tables greater than 10, its easier to first do the 10s table and then add it up to the remaining number.
For ex: 14*4 can be done as (10*4)+(4*4) = 40+16 = 56
got it?
Hope this helps someone someday..
Happy learning !!!!!
Jan 05, 2013 @ 02:31:27
Wow that’s an innovative way of learning tables
We play the Rama-Krishna game with kids here. You go on counting numbers and when u get 3 or its multiples – u say Rama instead of saying the number. If you are playing with 2 numbers, say 3 and 5, then all multiples of 5 will be Krishna, and multiples of both 3 and 5 will be Ramakrishna 
Jan 05, 2013 @ 02:32:16
And I am first
It helps to be having work online on weekends too 
Jan 05, 2013 @ 14:57:48
claiming first on my blog is too much for me Swaru..
don’t make me feel so big 
Jan 05, 2013 @ 14:54:58
that’s cool.. I will try this game with Adi. This game will be more fun if we have more people right? I remember playing this by sitting in a circular fashion. We place our palms upside down on lap, the person next to us has to slap on our palm as they say the number. the circle gets closer and closer as people go out of the game..
Jan 05, 2013 @ 07:20:01
Wow Ani! This is awesome.you know what? I need to learn my multiplication numbers first before i teach him! So thanks for those tricks!!
Jan 05, 2013 @ 14:58:48
you have loads of time LLT.. I think multiplication starts only form 2nd or 3rd grade so chill but better start learning.. I will have Adi test you when we meet
Jan 05, 2013 @ 09:13:42
That will definitely come in handy when needed. I love your school menus as well. Thank you! I love the way you connect with your Adi.God bless!
Jan 05, 2013 @ 15:00:39
hey welcome here and thanks.. hope this will help you someday.. Happy new year to you and your family..
Jan 05, 2013 @ 10:56:09
Now that is a good way to learn tables .. our maths teacher use to beat us if we did not know
Jan 05, 2013 @ 15:03:33
hmm.. beating was our generation na? I remember getting nicely form my tamil teacher and principal. tamil teacher used that strong stick from tree and principal will always visit the class with 10 wooden scales. she will stack them as 3 while beating and all 10 will be broken by the time she leaves..
Jan 05, 2013 @ 12:57:16
I am bookmarking this post and will come back to read it again. v. interesting.
Jan 05, 2013 @ 15:04:02
hope it helps you
Jan 06, 2013 @ 22:58:42
Wow! for a mathematical dud like me, this comes God sent..bookmarking..thank you
Jan 07, 2013 @ 08:39:17
hope it helps you
all credit for the game goes to Adi.. I don’t know from where she learned it..
Jan 06, 2013 @ 22:58:46
Wow.. This is such an easy way to teach multiplication to kids. I have been racking my brains out to teach my girl multiplication. I am going try this now.. Thanx and m book marking it..
Jan 07, 2013 @ 08:40:09
that’s cool.. let me know if it works out and also share any other learning tips if you have.. all the best..
Jan 08, 2013 @ 06:49:54
Wow! Bookmarking this
BTW have you heard about abacus? I have heard that it is a very good tool that helps faster calculations. Maybe you can try that with Adi too.
Jan 08, 2013 @ 12:01:20
yes, one of our relative runs a franchise under abacus and she is a teacher too.. we are not enrolling her into anything special for academics yet..
t of people here send their kids to Kumon which is more or less like abacus..