Check out this Brilliant Way to Help Kids Learn Multiplication Tables

I have to admit that I never really learned all my multiplication tables. I don’t know how that’s possible, but it is. I couldn’t tell you want 7 times 6 is or 8 times 9 (well, maybe that one because I can think through the 9s pretty well, but there are quite a few numbers I’m clueless on).

That’s going to be a real problem for me soon because my daughter is going to start learning them probably sooner than I think. I think this solution from Planning Playtime for using songs to learn multiplication tables will make it easier for both of us.

The idea is to use common kid songs they already know the tune to, replacing the words with the numbers, skip counting style. Example: count by 4s to the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.” There are links to little animated videos on her site for numbers 3 through 9, as well as a printable with the music and numbers you’ll need to teach these songs to your kids (or yourself).

I think I could learn the math facts I missed in school this way, and it would probably help my child as well.

What about you? Have you taught math facts in this way, or do you have another cool method for learning multiplication tables? I’d love to hear about it!

[Photo via Planning Playtime.]

Looking for more resources? Check out these board games for learning Math and Multiplication?

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Make Multiplication Fun with Crafts and Games

The other day I shared some crafts involving fall leaves, but there are a lot of fun leaf-related activities that don’t use real leaves, so I wanted to share some of those, too.

Like these watercolor leaves from The Artful Parent. These are so pretty and would be great to make a garland or decorate the table for Thanksgiving. You could experiment with different kinds of paper, combine watercolors and crayons, use an eyedropper to apply liquid watercolors — there are lots of different ways to play with this one!

Because I’m a knitter of course I love any project that involves yarn, so this fall leaf lacing craft from Our Kid Things is right up my alley. The multicolored yarn they used is a lot of fun, or stick with fall colors. Either way it’s a great fine motor skill activity!

Using leaf shapes to make other crafts is a great way to incorporate leaves into the classroom without having to use actual leaves. For little kids this sensory painting activity from Kids Craft Room would be a lot of fun (I think this would be fun for some older kids and adults, too, to be honest) and makes a fun and easy decoration.

Of course leaf activities don’t just have to be crafts. Check out this great leaf matching game from Made to be a Momma. These leaves are so cute and after you’ve prepped the game you can play it over and over with no prep. Use fewer sets for younger kids and the full set for older ones.

You can also use leaf shapes in all sorts of learning activities, like in this fall leaf number tower activity from Fun Learning for Kids. There are leaves with single numbers on them that kids can use to stack cubes on in one-to-one correspondence, as well as ones that show dots like dice so kids can add up the numbers to build their stacks.

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