Why do children who hate maths struggle specifically with times tables?

Children who hate maths struggle specifically with times tables for three interconnected reasons: (1) Rote memorisation without pattern understanding — they are asked to memorise facts whose structure they do not understand, making the task feel arbitrary and endless. (2) Performance anxiety — times tables are typically tested in high-pressure situations (speed tests, public recitation) that activate stress responses and suppress memory. (3) Negative association — previous experiences of failure or humiliation around times tables create an emotional aversion that interferes with learning even when the child later tries to engage. Making times tables fun for children who hate maths requires addressing all three: teaching the patterns, reducing performance pressure, and rebuilding positive emotional associations.

How to Make Times Tables Fun for Children Who Hate Maths

Q: How do you make times tables fun for children who hate maths?

To make times tables fun for children who hate maths, use five approaches: (1) Games instead of drills — Times Table Bingo, card games, and dice races replace rote repetition with social play. (2) Stories and patterns — teach each times table as a number story with a visual pattern, not as isolated facts. (3) Songs and rhythm — multiplication set to familiar tunes uses the brain's musical memory to anchor facts. (4) Real-world contexts — shopping, cooking, and sport provide genuine purpose that abstract drill lacks. (5) Self-competition — the Beat Yourself challenge (20 problems, timed, try to beat yesterday) turns times tables from teacher-imposed drill into self-directed progress. Children who hate maths respond most to choice, context, and visible improvement rather than imposed repetition.

Q: What is the best order to teach times tables to make them fun for children who hate maths?

The best order to make times tables fun and accessible for children who hate maths: start with 2s (doubling — intuitive and physical), then 10s (just add a zero — instantly gratifying), then 5s (counting on fingers — already familiar), then 4s (double the 2s — uses what they already know), then 3s (rhythmic counting — accessible with songs), then 6s (use 3s as a bridge), then 9s (the finger trick makes these feel magical), then 8s (double the 4s), then 7s (the hardest — save until confidence is established), then 11s (the digit pattern — feel like a trick), then 12s (useful context, extend 10s and 2s). Each table should be fully comfortable before the next is introduced. This sequence specifically makes times tables more fun for children who hate maths by providing early wins and connecting each new table to an already-known one.

Q: What games make times tables fun for children who hate maths?

The best games that make times tables fun for children who hate maths are: Times Table Bingo (call a product, child marks the multiplication on their card — reverses the usual times table format in a game context), Multiplication War (two players flip cards and multiply — fastest correct answer wins both cards), Dice Race (roll two dice, multiply the numbers, score a point for each correct answer in 60 seconds — personal high score challenge), Times Table Snap (pairs that multiply to a target), Array Building (use blocks to build multiplication arrays physically — makes the concept visual and tactile), and Multiplication Story Problems (embed times tables in a narrative context the child enjoys, like cricket scores or recipe scaling). All of these make times tables fun for children who hate maths by removing the 'drill' feeling through social play, physical activity, or storytelling.

Q: How does the 9 times table trick make times tables fun for children who hate maths?

The 9 times table finger trick makes times tables specifically fun for children who hate maths because it feels like magic rather than memorisation. To use it: hold up all ten fingers. To calculate 9×4, fold down the 4th finger. Count fingers to the left of the folded finger (3) — that is the tens digit. Count fingers to the right (6) — that is the units digit. Answer: 36. This works for 9×1 through 9×10 without fail. Children who have struggled with the 9 times table through rote repetition often gasp when they first see this trick — the combination of physical action, pattern, and reliable magic-like accuracy transforms their relationship with the 9 times table and, often, with mathematics itself.

Q: How long does it take to make times tables fun and automatic for a child who hates maths?

With consistent, fun-based practice (5–10 minutes daily using games and activities rather than drills), a child who hates maths can build automatic knowledge of all times tables up to 12×12 in approximately 3–5 months. The timeline per table: 1–2 weeks to build comfortable fluency with each new times table through daily game-based practice. The full set of 12 tables takes 12–24 weeks depending on the child's starting level and the consistency of practice. Critically, the goal is not speed from day one — building positive associations and genuine enjoyment first (weeks 1–4) produces faster eventual automaticity than starting with speed pressure, which reinforces the maths-hatred in children who already have a negative relationship with numbers.

By ashsharma5@gmail.com / April 21, 2026

How to Make Times Tables Fun for Children Who Hate Maths | MentalMathChampions.com

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Home › Speed Math Tricks › Make Times Tables Fun

✕ Times Tables · Post 41

How to Make Times Tables Fun for Children Who Hate Maths

📖 11 min read🎯 7 TOC sections❓ 6 FAQs🧠 25-Q Quiz

Inside

Teaching order 11 tables

Games included 6 games

The 9× trick Visual demo

Full in 3–5 months

Ashwani Sharma · Mental Math, Abacus & Vedic Math Trainer and Expert|October 12, 2026

⚡ Quick Answer

To make times tables fun for children who hate maths: replace drills with games (Bingo, Multiplication War, Dice Race), teach each table as a pattern and story rather than isolated facts, use the 9× finger trick to create a magic moment, sequence from easiest to hardest (2s, 10s, 5s, 4s, 3s…), and use the Beat Yourself self-competition challenge. The goal is positive emotional association first — automaticity follows naturally.

Times tables are the single most common reason children develop a lasting dislike of mathematics. Not because the content is inherently difficult — but because of how they are typically taught: rote repetition, speed tests under pressure, public recitation, and correction in front of peers. For children who already have a difficult relationship with numbers, this approach is not just ineffective — it actively deepens their maths anxiety. Making times tables fun for children who hate maths requires a completely different approach: one that prioritises positive experience, visible progress, and discovery over compliance and drill.

This guide gives parents and teachers a complete system for making times tables fun — from the optimal teaching sequence to specific games, tricks, and songs that replace the anxiety of standard drill with genuine engagement. It builds on the times tables memory methods from Post 14, the fun activities framework from Post 37, and the maths anxiety guidance from Post 09.

1. Why Children Who Hate Maths Struggle to Make Times Tables Fun

Understanding why children who hate maths find times tables specifically difficult is essential before trying to make them fun. Three interconnected factors create and sustain times table difficulty in maths-averse children.

Rote memorisation without pattern understanding. Standard times tables teaching presents 144 separate facts to memorise (12×12 grid). Without understanding the patterns — that the 4× table is just the 2× table doubled, that 9× digits always sum to 9, that any number times 10 just adds a zero — the task feels arbitrary and endless. Children who hate maths experience this arbitrariness as confirmation that maths is meaningless. Making times tables fun starts with making the patterns visible.

Performance anxiety from speed testing. Times table speed tests — common in primary schools — create exactly the stress response that suppresses memory retrieval. A child who knows 7×8 in a relaxed moment will blank under timed test conditions. Each failed test reinforces the belief “I am bad at maths,” deepening the aversion that makes the next attempt harder. For children who hate maths, speed pressure is the most damaging possible context for times table practice.

How to Make Times Tables Fun by Removing the Sources of Maths Hatred

The three changes that most effectively make times tables fun for children who hate maths: replace speed tests with self-competition (Beat Yourself — where the child competes against yesterday’s personal best, not against a standard or peers); replace isolated fact practice with pattern discovery (the child finds the rule themselves — “Every answer in the 5× table ends in 0 or 5!”); and replace correction with curiosity (when the child gets something wrong, the response is “interesting — what do you think the answer might be?” not the correct fact stated immediately). These three shifts change the emotional context from threat to exploration.

How to Make Times Tables Fun — The Negative Association Problem for Maths-Hating Children

Children who have experienced repeated failure or humiliation around times tables carry a negative emotional association that interferes with learning even when they consciously try to engage. The brain’s threat-detection system (amygdala) has associated “times tables” with danger, triggering a stress response that reduces working memory capacity — precisely the cognitive resource needed for memorisation. Making times tables fun is not just a pedagogical strategy; it is a neurological necessity. Only positive emotional experiences during practice will deactivate the threat response and restore the cognitive capacity needed for genuine learning. The maths anxiety research from Post 09 provides the full context.

2. Best Order to Make Times Tables Fun for Children Who Hate Maths

Sequence matters enormously when trying to make times tables fun for children who hate maths. Starting with the hardest tables (7s, 8s) guarantees early failure and reinforces maths hatred. The optimal sequence gives quick wins first, connects each new table to an already-mastered one, and saves the genuinely difficult tables until confidence is established.

2× table

Doubling — physical and intuitive. First win.

10× table

Add a zero — instant gratification, feels like magic.

5× table

Finger counting — already familiar from skip counting.

4× table

Double the 2× table — uses existing knowledge.

3× table

Rhythmic counting — songs make this accessible.

6× table

Use 3× as a bridge (6×n = 3×n doubled).

9× table

Finger trick — feels like magic, breaks the fear.

8× table

Double the 4× table — halves the memory load.

7× table

Hardest — saved until confidence is established.

11× table

Digit pattern (11×3=33, 11×4=44) — trick-based.

12× table

Extend 10× + 2× — practical and satisfying.

Make Times Tables Fun by Teaching Patterns — Not Isolated Facts

Every times table has a pattern that makes it memorable and fun to discover. The 9× table: every pair of digits in the answers sums to 9 (9, 18, 27, 36, 45 — check: 1+8=9, 2+7=9, 3+6=9, 4+5=9). The 5× table: answers always end in 0 or 5. The 4× table: every answer is even. The 3× table: the digit sum of every answer is divisible by 3. Presenting each times table as a pattern to discover — rather than facts to memorise — transforms the task from arbitrary memorisation to puzzle-solving. Children who hate maths respond far better to discovery challenges than to compliance drills.

Make Times Tables Fun for Maths-Hating Children — The Commutativity Shortcut

One of the most liberating realisations for children who hate maths is that the 12×12 table contains only 66 unique facts (not 144), because 6×7 and 7×6 give the same answer. Once a child knows the first few tables (2×, 5×, 10×), they have already learned many answers to later tables through commutativity. Showing a child who hates maths how much of the grid they already know after just three tables is one of the most powerful ways to make times tables feel fun and achievable rather than overwhelming.

3. Games That Make Times Tables Fun for Children Who Hate Maths

🎲

Times Table Bingo

Bingo cards with products. Caller says the multiplication (7×8). Child marks 56 on their card. Reverses the standard format — child must know the product, not the fact. Fast and social.

🎯 Product recall · Makes times tables fun for reluctant learners

🃏

Multiplication War

Two players each flip a card simultaneously and multiply them. Fastest correct answer wins both cards. No cards = lose. Self-paced, competitive, and requires no equipment beyond a standard deck.

🎯 Speed + accuracy · Makes all times tables fun

🎯

Dice Race

Roll two dice, multiply, score a point for each correct answer in 60 seconds. Child records personal high score and tries to beat it each session. No pressure — only self-competition.

🎯 Self-competition · Fun times tables for maths-haters

🧱

Array Building

Use blocks, coins, or counters to build rectangular arrays. 3×4 is 3 rows of 4. Child builds the array, counts the total, then records the multiplication sentence. Visual and tactile.

🎯 Conceptual understanding · Times table meaning for maths-haters

🛒

Shopping Multiplication

Use a toy or real shop. “3 pens at ₹7 each — how much?” Child must multiply to shop. Real-world stakes make times tables feel purposeful rather than arbitrary for children who hate maths.

🎯 Real-world context · Purpose-driven times tables

🏏

Sport Score Multiplication

Use the child’s favourite sport. Cricket: “4 boundaries (4 runs each) + 2 sixes (6 each) — what’s the total?” The passion for sport makes times table calculation feel exciting rather than academic.

🎯 Passion context · Makes times tables naturally fun

How Games Make Times Tables Fun — The Emotional Mechanism

Games make times tables fun for children who hate maths through the same neurological mechanism that makes any play experience rewarding: dopamine release during competitive, social, and achievement-oriented activities. When times table recall is embedded in a game — where correct answers win cards, score points, or complete a mission — the brain associates multiplication with positive emotion rather than stress. Over weeks of game-based practice, this positive association replaces the anxiety that standard drill has installed. The memory techniques from Post 14 complement these games by providing the structural knowledge that makes game-speed recall possible.

💡 Expert Tip

Ashwani SharmaMental Math, Abacus & Vedic Math Trainer

The One Change That Makes Times Tables Fun for Children Who Hate Maths Overnight

In 20 years of working with children who hate maths, the single most effective change for making times tables fun is deceptively simple: stop correcting wrong answers immediately. When a child who hates maths gives a wrong times table answer, the standard response — “No, it’s 56” — triggers the threat response that has made them hate maths in the first place. The response that makes times tables fun for maths-hating children is: “Interesting — what could we do to check that?” This single shift transforms the emotional context from correction to collaboration. I have seen children who refused to engage with times tables for two years begin voluntarily calculating multiplication facts within two weeks of this one change. When the child is collaborating with you to find an answer rather than being evaluated by you, times tables stop being threatening and start being genuinely fun. The content has not changed — only the emotional context. And in learning, emotional context determines almost everything.

— Ashwani Sharma, MentalMathChampions.com

4. Tricks That Make Times Tables Fun — The 9× Finger Method and More

Mathematical tricks are one of the most powerful tools for making times tables fun for children who hate maths — because a trick that reliably produces the right answer feels like magic, and magic is inherently engaging. The moment a maths-hating child realises they can find any 9× answer with their fingers, their relationship with multiplication changes.

🖐️ The 9× Finger Trick — Visual Demo (9 × 4 = ?)

Hold up 10 fingers. Fold down the 4th finger (for 9×4).
🟢 Green fingers to the LEFT = 3 (tens digit) · 🔵 Blue fingers to the RIGHT = 6 (units digit)

Answer: 9 × 4 = 36 ✓ — Works for every fact from 9×1 to 9×10

More Tricks That Make Times Tables Fun for Children Who Hate Maths

Beyond the 9× finger trick, several patterns make specific times tables fun through discovery. The 11× table up to 11×9: the answer simply repeats the digit (11×3=33, 11×7=77). The 5× table: multiply by 10 and halve (5×8 = 10×8 ÷ 2 = 40). The 4× table: double twice (4×7 = 2×7 doubled = 14 doubled = 28). The 6× table for even numbers: 6×even always ends in the same digit as the even number (6×4=24, 6×6=36, 6×8=48). Each of these is a genuine mathematical pattern that children can discover themselves — the discovery process is what makes times tables fun for children who have only ever experienced them as arbitrary facts to memorise.

Make Times Tables Fun With the 9× Digit Sum Check

After introducing the finger trick, teach the digit-sum check as an extension that further makes the 9× table feel fun and pattern-rich: every answer in the 9× table has digits that sum to 9 (9, 18→1+8=9, 27→2+7=9, 36→3+6=9, 45→4+5=9, 54→5+4=9). This means any time a child calculates a 9× answer, they can self-check it in one second. Self-checking without requiring a teacher is enormously empowering for children who hate maths — it removes the vulnerability of needing someone else to confirm correctness. Self-sufficiency is a major component of making times tables genuinely fun.

5. Songs and Stories That Make Times Tables Fun for Children Who Hate Maths

The musical memory system is one of the brain’s most powerful retention mechanisms — most adults can still recite song lyrics from childhood decades later while struggling to remember content learned the same year from a textbook. Making times tables fun through songs exploits this same musical memory advantage to anchor multiplication facts in a way that pure repetition never achieves for children who hate maths.

How to Make Times Tables Fun Through Song — The Method

The most effective method for using songs to make times tables fun for maths-hating children: take a tune the child already loves (a film song, a nursery rhyme, a sport chant) and put the times table sequence to it. The child writes the lyrics themselves — “2, 4, 6, 8, who do we appreciate? 10, 12, 14, 16, 2s are really great!” This personalisation makes the times table song feel owned rather than imposed. Children who hate maths are far more likely to voluntarily repeat a song they wrote themselves than one presented to them as educational material.

Times Table Stories That Make Times Tables Fun for Maths-Hating Children

Narrative memory is another powerful alternative to rote repetition for making times tables fun. Give each number a character: 7 is always adventurous, 8 is greedy, 6 is friendly. “7 went to visit 8 — 8 was so greedy he wanted everything 7 brought. 7 had 5 bags — 8 took them all. 7×8=56.” Absurd, vivid, character-driven stories anchor facts that pure repetition cannot. Children who hate maths engage naturally with storytelling, making narrative memory one of the most effective approaches for this specific group.

6. 7-Step System — How to Make Times Tables Fun for Children Who Hate Maths

🪜 7-Step System — Making Times Tables Fun for Children Who Hate Maths

Acknowledge the difficulty — and reframe it

Before starting, acknowledge that times tables have been hard and unpleasant. Then reframe: “We are going to approach this completely differently — no speed tests, no corrections, just games and patterns.” For children who hate maths, permission to have a fresh start is itself motivating. Never pretend previous difficulty did not exist.

Start with the 2× table and celebrate the pattern

Begin with the 2× table — doubling. Use physical objects (two groups of any number). Ask the child: “What do you notice about all the answers?” They discover: all even numbers. This pattern discovery — not memorisation — makes the 2× table feel like a puzzle solved rather than a fact drilled. The celebration of their discovery is essential for maths-hating children.

Introduce the 9× finger trick as a “magic moment”

Once the child has comfortable 2× and 10× knowledge, introduce the 9× finger trick as a special discovery — not a lesson. Say: “I want to show you something that might surprise you.” Let them test it on several examples themselves before you explain why it works. The magic moment of self-discovery is one of the most powerful experiences for making times tables fun for children who hate maths.

Add one game per week

Introduce one new times table game per week — Bingo in week 1, Multiplication War in week 2, Dice Race in week 3. Keep each session to 10 minutes. The child should finish each session wanting more — not relieved it is over. Variety prevents boredom; brevity maintains positive association.

Introduce Beat Yourself timing — not against a standard

After 3–4 weeks of game-based practice, introduce timed challenges — but only against the child’s own previous score. 20 problems, time yourself, try to beat yesterday. Never compare to a peer, a national standard, or a grade target. Self-competition makes times table timing feel fun rather than threatening for children who hate maths.

Connect times tables to something the child genuinely loves

Identify one real-world context the child cares about — cricket scores, cooking, Lego building, board game economics — and embed times table practice there. When a child who hates maths calculates 6 wickets × 5 runs = 30 during a match they care about, the multiplication is genuinely purposeful. This single contextual experience can change a child’s relationship with times tables permanently.

Celebrate progress, not perfection

Track improvements in Beat Yourself times, new tables mastered, and games won — not accuracy percentage on a test. A child who hates maths needs to see that they are improving, not that they are still failing a standard. Specific celebration (“You got the 7× table three seconds faster than last week!”) builds the intrinsic motivation that makes times tables genuinely fun over the long term.

7. Tracking Progress — How to Make Times Tables Fun Without Pressuredren

Progress tracking is essential for making times tables fun over time — but the method of tracking must be carefully calibrated for children who hate maths. Standard approaches (weekly accuracy tests, percentage scores, comparisons to national standards) are counterproductive for this group because they reactivate the performance anxiety that created the maths hatred in the first place.

Make Times Tables Fun Through Progress Tracking — The Right Method

The right progress tracking approach for making times tables fun for children who hate maths: use a personal record chart on the wall showing Beat Yourself times. Use table-mastery badges (the child earns a coloured dot on a 12×12 grid each time they complete a table comfortably). Use a “tables I know” list that grows visibly — children who hate maths need to see accumulating evidence that they are succeeding, not accumulating evidence that they are still short of a target. The daily routine framework from Post 05 provides the consistency structure that makes this progress tracking meaningful.

Make Times Tables Fun — The Timeline Expectation for Maths-Hating Children

With consistent, game-based daily practice (10 minutes per day), a child who hates maths can build comfortable fluency with one times table per 1–2 weeks. The full set of 12 tables takes 3–5 months in this approach — compared to years of unsuccessful rote drill. The first 4 weeks are primarily about rebuilding positive emotional association; significant fluency gains emerge from weeks 5–8 onwards as the game-based practice accumulates. Progress in making times tables fun should be measured by the child’s voluntary engagement — a child who hates maths beginning to spontaneously play Dice Race is more meaningful progress than any speed test result.

🧩 Try These Right Now — Make Times Tables Fun

9× Finger Trick: Use your fingers to find 9×7. Hold all 10 fingers up, fold down the 7th.

6 fingers to the LEFT of the folded 7th finger = 6 (tens). 3 fingers to the RIGHT = 3 (units). Answer: 63. ✓ Check: 6+3=9 (digit sum confirms it’s a 9× answer!)

Pattern Discovery: Look at the 5× table: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50. What pattern do you notice?

All answers end in 0 or 5 — alternating! And odd multiples end in 5, even multiples end in 0. This means you can always check a 5× answer in 1 second without calculating. ✓

Commutativity Shortcut: After mastering 2×, 5×, and 10× tables, which entries of the 7× table do you already know?

7×2=14 (from 2× table), 7×5=35 (from 5× table), 7×10=70 (from 10× table). Three of the twelve 7× facts — already known! Plus 7×1=7 (trivial). That’s 4 of 12 before starting the 7× table. ✓

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How do you make times tables fun for children who hate maths? +

To make times tables fun for children who hate maths: replace drills with games (Times Table Bingo, Multiplication War, Dice Race), teach each table as a discoverable pattern rather than isolated facts, use the 9× finger trick as a “magic moment,” follow the optimal teaching sequence (2s, 10s, 5s, 4s, 3s, 6s, 9s, 8s, 7s, 11s, 12s), and use Beat Yourself self-competition instead of speed tests. Most importantly, stop correcting wrong answers immediately — replace correction with collaborative curiosity (“Interesting — how could we check that?”).

Why do children who hate maths struggle to make times tables fun? +

Children who hate maths struggle with times tables for three reasons: rote memorisation without pattern understanding (the task feels arbitrary), performance anxiety from speed tests (stress suppresses memory retrieval), and negative emotional association (previous failure has linked “times tables” with threat). Making times tables fun for maths-hating children requires addressing all three: teach patterns rather than facts, remove speed pressure, and rebuild positive emotional associations through games and discovery.

What is the best order to teach times tables to make them fun for children who hate maths? +

The best sequence for making times tables fun for maths-hating children: 2× (doubling — intuitive), 10× (add a zero — instant win), 5× (finger counting — familiar), 4× (double the 2×), 3× (rhythmic songs), 6× (use 3× as bridge), 9× (finger trick — the magic moment), 8× (double the 4×), 7× (hardest — save until confident), 11× (digit repeat pattern), 12× (extend 10× + 2×). Each table connects to a previously mastered one — making times tables feel cumulative and achievable rather than endless.

What games make times tables fun for children who hate maths? +

The best games to make times tables fun for children who hate maths: Times Table Bingo (product recall in game format), Multiplication War (card flip race), Dice Race (personal high score self-competition), Array Building (physical blocks — makes multiplication visible and tactile), Shopping Multiplication (real-world context), and Sport Score Multiplication (passion context). All replace the drill feeling through social play, physical activity, or storytelling — making times tables genuinely enjoyable for maths-averse children.

How does the 9 times table trick make times tables fun for children who hate maths? +

The 9× finger trick makes times tables fun for maths-hating children because it feels like magic rather than memorisation. Hold up 10 fingers — fold down the Nth finger for 9×N. Count fingers to the left (tens digit) and right (units digit). Works for every 9× fact from 9×1 to 9×10 without fail. Children who have struggled with the 9× table through rote repetition are often genuinely astonished by this — the combination of physical action, reliable accuracy, and pattern discovery transforms their relationship with times tables.

How long does it take to make times tables fun and automatic for a child who hates maths? +

With 10 minutes of daily game-based practice, a child who hates maths can develop fluency in one times table per 1–2 weeks. The full set of 12 tables takes 3–5 months — compared to years of unsuccessful rote drill. The first 4 weeks focus primarily on rebuilding positive emotional associations; significant fluency gains emerge from weeks 5–8. Making times tables fun before focusing on speed is the critical first step — positive association produces faster eventual automaticity than speed pressure for children who already dislike maths.

🧠 Quiz: Making Times Tables Fun for Children Who Hate Maths

Question 1 of 25