Multiplication Bingo - Make the Tedious Task of Practicing Multiplication Tables Fun

Multiplication tables? What a yawn. Why not make learning multiplication tables fun? Multiplication Bingo is a simple game suitable for families and classrooms. Besides turning the tedious exercise of practicing multiplication tables into a joy instead of a drag, it actually introduces children to the concepts of forethought, planning, and strategy. Here's how to build a game and play:

1. Create one bingo card per round for each player. The cards should be five by five square tables with the center squared marked as zero. I have created a free template for the bingo cards on my website; you will find a link to it at the end of this article. If you laminate each card before playing, the cards can be reused to save paper. Players can then mark the cards using dry erase whiteboard markers during play. You can also let individuals decorate the back of the cards before laminating and add to the fun.

2. Create a copy of twenty-eight "playing numbers" on heavy cardstock and cut them into individual pieces. Again, if you laminate each piece, they will last longer. One set of numbers-0 though 13-should be marked with an "X" in the back; another set of numbers-0 through 13-should be marked with a "#" on the back. You will find a link to a free template at the end of this article as well as direction to help you create identical pieces. Once you have assembles your game pieces, play can begin.

3. Pass out the bingo cards and pens.

4. Tell the players which "X" pieces you will be using. For example, if you are working with very young children, you may just want to use 0, 1, and 2, until they get comfortable with those timetables. As players get comfortable, you add new "X" numbers until you are using the complete set each time.

5. Once you have told the players which "X" numbers you will be using, give them time to write numbers in the blank squares on their game card. Players may write any numbers they wish. Players may also reuse the same numbers as many times as they wish. For example, if you are only using 0, 1, and 2, a particularly savvy player might want to assign zero to more than one square. A particularly inexperienced player might use the number nineteen only to learn later that the answer will never come up. You can discuss these choices after the game and create wonderful teaching moments. Note: If you are not using zero at all, the center square can become an automatic free space.

6. Place all of the "call pieces" you will be using face down on a table. Note: You should be using all fourteen pieces marked "#" each time; however, you should only lay out the "X" pieces agreed upon at the start of each round.

7. The caller selects one "X" piece and one "#" piece, then calls out the problem. Any player who has written that answer on their card gets to mark off the spot. Important, if the answer is zero and a player has written more than one zero, they may only mark off one zero per problem and they may not change their minds about which zero to choose as the game progresses. Note: If you are playing in small groups, answers can be checked as you go. However, if you are playing with a large classroom, be sure to keep a record of each problem so the group can validate winning cards at the end of each round.

8. The caller returns both pieces to the table and shuffles them. A new caller selects one "X" piece and one "#" piece, then calls out the next problem. Game continues until one lucky and thoughtful play can call out bingo. Bingos happen when a player has five correct answers in a consecutive row, column, or diagonal.

9. Celebrate the winner and talk about any strategies that helped them to win. For example, I have been able to introduce the concept of prime numbers and factoring to very young children by asking them to tell me why certain answers tend to come up more than others. Tell players what "X" numbers you will be using on the next round and ask them to really think about which numbers they should include and where they should put them on their came cards.

10. Wipe off the bingo cards, write in new numbers, and play again.

Author Info:

For a link to the free game pieces template as well as printable game directions, visit http://www.navigatinglife.org, click on the galley and scroll down to fun stuff. You will find a link to Multiplication Bingo: Free Template there. While you're visiting the site, please feel free to look around and e-mail me with any questions.

Lynn Marie Sager has toured over two-dozen countries and worked on three continents. Author of A River Worth Riding: Fourteen Rules for Navigating Life, Lynn currently lives in California; where she fills her time with private coaching, public speaking, and teaching for the LACCD and Pierce College. She runs the Navigating Life website, where she offers free assistance to readers who wish to incorporate the rules of worthwhile living into their lives. To read more about how you can use these rules to improve your life, visit Lynn's website at http://www.navigatinglife.org