Help Kids Learn Multiplication with These Strategy Mats

There are a lot of different ways to think about how groups of numbers work together when you’re learning multiplication. You can think of them as groups, as numbers being added together, as an array and more.

Childhood 101 has a great printable multiplication strategies mat that helps kids visualize how multiplication works in different ways, including:

equal groups
array
repeated addition
skip counting

It also has a place for them to write the full multiplication sentence.

Print out the mat and laminate it or stick it in a plastic sleeve so you can write different multiplication problems on it for your kids to work through, or grab her multiplication cards printable along with her multiplication bingo game. This is a great way to reinforce math facts and make it a little more fun for kids.

Do you have any tips for teaching multiplication? I think we’re going to work on it this summer!

[Photo: Childhood 101.] Looking for more resources? Check out these board games for learning Math and Multiplication?

When it’s hot outside it’s fun to do any kinds of activities that involve ice, water or anything cold. Check out my water and ice activities here, and read on for sensory and science experiments using and inspired by ice cream, and maybe grab a sweet treat after you’re finished.

In the Playroom has a bunch of ice cream inspired STEM challenges that would be great for older kids. These include things like designing an ice cream cone holder that will hold cones upright, making the highest stack of “scoops” (using cotton balls) and making a cover that can keep ice cream from melting so quickly. The challenges and printable pages kids can use as they work on their experiments individually or in teams are included in a free download.

This ice cream water table from Happy Toddler Playtime doesn’t use real ice cream, but you could try chilling the shaving cream for the fake ice cream base (though cans of shaving cream should not be frozen). Or just throw some ice cubes in there while you play.

You could also make fluffy ice cream slime (not edible) with this recipe from STEAMsational Family and use that in a sensory tray or table if you like.

Happy Toddler Playtime also has an ice cream cone volcano idea, which is the classic baking soda and vinegar project with an ice cream twist.

Turn building an ice cream cone into a lesson about sharing with this idea from Extremely Good Parenting. Read the book Should I Share My Ice Cream? and then make paper into an ice cream ball you can share with someone else (or just make for fun).

Learn about states of matter and sequencing with a melting Popsicle experiment (you could also do with ice cream) from Mrs. Jones’ Creation Station. This is a good one if you have a sunny spot on the playground or in the yard where kids can observe and time the melting of a frozen treat, ideally while eating their own. There’s also a free printable for kids to record their observations if they didn’t get too sticky.

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