Children learn best when all of their senses are engaged. A multisensory approach in education is a proven way to enhance learning and cement concepts. Hands-on math education teaches multiplication in a way no textbook ever could. By engaging the senses, children experience concepts in a more concrete way, making subjects that feel abstract, such as multiplication, become relatable and far less intimidating.
15 Multisensory Multiplication Games and Hacks
Give these ideas a try in your homeschool to help your children thrive with their times tables.
🧰 1. Build Equations with Blocks
Children's play blocks make excellent manipulatives. Build a visual example of the equation being solved. Children benefit from the tactile experience of physically handling the numbers as well as the visual benefit of seeing the quantity. ShillerLearning does this with decimal material (base ten blocks), number cards, the operator set, and later number tiles, similar to the Montessori Stamp Game.
🧰 2. Draw Out the Equation
For the equation 4 x 6, have the student draw a 4 by 6 grid of stars, circles, or flowers to visualize the equation and count the total. You may use the ShillerLearning Graph Sheet or Blank Number Grid for this activity.
🧰 3. Dots or Stickers
Similar to drawing. Using BINGO daubers or small stickers, children create a visual representation of the equation. Colorful and tactile, this approach is especially engaging for younger learners.
🧰 4. Multiplication Songs
Check out the ShillerLearning Math Songs Vol. I and Math Songs Vol. II for songs including "Multiples of Four," "Count by Fives," and "Powers of Ten." Children love to sing and dance to these songs, and the melodies help facts stick.
🧰 5. Base Ten Decimal Materials
The blue manipulatives in Math Kit I provide students with a concrete way to build physical representations of numbers, equations, and value. These are among the most powerful tools for making multiplication tangible.
🧰 6. Use Art
Children with a creative streak benefit greatly from incorporating art. Give them a chance to create a beautiful multiplication table, or turn equations into pictures. Art-based approaches engage different neural pathways and make facts more memorable.
🧰 7. Tap Numbers with Fingers
The student taps one finger for each number. When working on counting by 3s, for example, they tap harder for each multiple of three. Simple, quiet, and surprisingly effective for kinesthetic learners.
🧰 8. Jump It Out
Similar to tapping. Children jump for each number and do a jumping jack on each multiple. Movement reinforces the rhythm of skip counting and makes the lesson genuinely fun.
🧰 9. Money
Using cash is an excellent way to give children a hands-on, real-life experience with multiplication. Allow them to figure out change at the grocery store, sort and count coins, and explore other everyday money situations.
🧰 10. Ball Toss
Say an equation and toss a ball to your student. They toss it back after answering. Occasionally give a wrong answer to see if your student catches it. You can also write numbers on the ball and have students multiply the two numbers their thumbs land on when they catch it.
🧰 11. Food
Use small snacks as manipulatives. Students build out the equation with their favorite treat and eat the answer after solving it. A delicious incentive that makes math memorable.
🧰 12. Multiplication Tables
Providing a student with a blank multiplication table to fill out has surprising benefits. Some children may need to fill out a table dozens of times alongside other techniques. Additional grids are available in your customer downloads.
🧰 13. Number Tiles
Number tiles are another hallmark of ShillerLearning's materials, used similarly to the Montessori Stamp Game. Students use them to build equations as they transition from base ten materials. Instead of unit cubes, they use "1" tiles; instead of ten rods, "10" tiles; instead of hundred flats, "100" tiles; instead of thousand cubes, "1000" tiles. This is the final bridge from concrete to abstract work.
🧰 14. Card Games
Divide a deck of cards evenly between two players. Each player flips two cards and multiplies the numbers shown. The player with the higher product takes both sets of cards. Play continues until someone runs out of cards or for a set amount of time.
🧰 15. Dominoes
Dominoes already have two numbers on each piece. Multiply them together. You can also adapt the standard dominoes game so that players may place a piece whose product matches one already on the board.
Cooking: The Ultimate Multiplication Activity
Following a recipe is an excellent way to work on multiplication skills. From measuring ingredients and adjusting quantities to scaling a recipe up or down and calculating serving sizes, cooking together is one of the most natural and enjoyable ways to practice math as a family.
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Tools to Make Multiplication Click
Math Songs Vol. I
Educational Music for Math
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Multiplication Flashcards
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