Games are such an effective tool for practicing skills in the classroom. Students are so engaged when playing games and we remember more of what we learn when we are having fun.
I worked hard to incorporate games into my classroom on a very regular basis. My students played vocabulary games on Fridays and they would play math fact games during math centers during the week.
I want to share several of my students’ favorite multiplication and division games!
Multiplication and Division Game for Math Centers
1. Crash
This game is great for a center. Students can play with a small group or with a partner.
For this game, put math fact cards and pop cards into a container. Students take turns pulling one card out of the container. If they pull a math fact card, they must solve for the fact. If they answer correctly, they keep the card. If they are wrong, it goes back in the container. If they draw a pop card, they must put all of their cards back in the container. The winner is the person with the most fact cards when playing time is over.
I love that anyone can end up winning this game. Your lower learners can win if their partner draws a pop card right before playing time ends!
2. Multiplication Battle
Students will play this game with a partner. All that students will need to play this game is a deck of playing cards. Take all of the face cards out.
Students will deal all of the cards so that they each have half of the deck. They will keep their pile face down. Both players will flip their top cards at the same time. The first person to correctly multiply the two flipped numbers will keep both cards and put them at the bottom of their pile. If both students answer the math fact at the same time, they will each flip another card. The first person to correctly answer the new problem will keep all four of the cards.
The winner is the person with the most cards when playing time is complete.
Warning- you will want to talk to students about their volume (especially if you are using this game in a center. When they are trying to be fast, they tend to get loud. Spend a little time practicing the appropriate volume.
3. Board Games
Using simple board games is my very favorite way for my students to practice math facts!
You will need to collect some game boards. You will want games that students already know how to play. I suggest Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, Connect Four, Trouble, Checkers, etc. These games can typically be found at second-hand stores. The other thing that you will need are sets of multiplication flash cards.
To play, students will take turns. flipping over a flashcard. If they answer the fact correctly, they get to take the usual turn on the game board. So if you are using Candy Land, the student would get to draw a game card and move to that place on the game board.
If a student gets the fact incorrect, they don’t get a turn to play on the game board.
The winner is the first person to win the board game according to the game’s rules.
4. Jenga as a Multiplication and Division Game
This is another great game to use in math centers.
Take a Jenga game and write multiplication facts on each of the blocks. Students will play the game according to the Jenga rules. The only difference is that when a person pulls out a block, they must answer the math fact before placing it on the top of the tower.
The winners are the players who do NOT knock down the tower.
5. Roll Four in a Row Multiplication and Division Game
This is another great multiplication game to play in math centers! All you need is one of the game boards laminated for each student, two dice, and a dry erase marker for each player.
Players will take turns rolling both dice. They will add the two numbers rolled and then multiply by the number on the top of the game board. The player will find and color the product in the game board grid.
Students can only color in one number per turn, even though the product will appear more than once on their board. If that product is no longer available on their board, they don’t get to color anything and it is their partner’s turn.
The winner is the first person with four squares colored in a row.
You can give each student the same board or you can differentiate by giving students different boards based on the facts that they need the most practice with.
Note: This game goes up to x12!
6. Escape Games
These games are always a favorite of my students. They love earning ribbons, unlocking locks, and solving math fact problems to make it through the game. All you need is the Google Slides game and a device for students to play on.
The games can be played either individually or in small groups. There are varying levels in my games that will slowly increase in difficulty to help those students proceed throughout the math facts.
I start with basic multiplication facts, then move forward to multiplying by multiples of 10, multiplication word problems, basic division facts, division word problems, multi-step word problems, and more.
My students especially enjoy the games that are designed to look like a holiday during that month!
7. Secret Picture Tiles
My students always love these as well because they are having to put together pictures based on their answers to multiplication and division problems.
These can be used to differentiate based on where your students are at in their multiplication and division journey. There are basic multiplication facts, multiplying by multiples of 10, basic division facts, dividing by multiples of 10 and mixed multiplication and division pages.
The themed images make it even more enjoyable for students and they really enjoy trying to figure out what the picture is as they are solving the problems.
Multiplication and Division Game for the Whole Class
8. Class Relay Race
This is a fun whole group game that requires almost no prep. It is the perfect activity for that extra 10 minutes that you need to fill last minute. All you need is the class whiteboard and whiteboard markers.
Before you start the game, divide the whiteboard into two spaces. Write a dozen (or so) multiplication facts on each side of the whiteboard. Divide your class into two teams.
Students will form two single-file lines. When you say “go” the first person runs up to the board and answers ONE of the math facts on their side of the board. Then they run back and give the marker to the next person in line. That person can then run up to the board and answer any one of the facts.
The winning team is the team that correctly answers all of their team’s multiplication facts first.
9. Multiplication and Division Bingo
This game is perfect to play as a whole group.
Each student will need a bingo board. Students will fill each box in with a multiplication fact. You can let them choose any facts or you can set rules. Maybe the facts need to be x6, x7, x8, or x9. It’s up to you!
You will call out products. I just use flashcards and tell the students the product without showing them the fact. This makes prep easier. If a student has a fact that equals the product you called out, they can cover the fact or color it in. If they have multiple facts with the product, they can only color in one of them!
The first person to get a complete row covered is the winner.
10. Math Game Show Games
This is another fun whole group multiplication and division game. It is fun to surprise students with an engaging game on a Friday afternoon!
For this game, you will need a jeopardy-style game like I have linked below that has categories across the top. Some category options would be facts, area models, word problems, or any other that apply to strategies you have taught your students.
Then you’ll need to come up with 3-5 questions for each category that students can choose the value for their team to answer. Usually, I make questions progressively more difficult as the point values increase.