Interactive Times Tables Games

Mastering the multiplication tables is as essential as it is challenging. This fact is eased somewhat by the existence of games that aid in the rote memorization of number combinations. Many of them are available freely online and can be practiced while at home to give your child an extra edge at school.

Winston's Detective Agency

In Winston's Detective Agency, your child follows the story of Winston as he tries to unravel the mystery of a missing turtle shell. Along the way, Winston will meet a large cast of characters and be forced to use deductive reasoning to solve the case. Although it might at first seem like an adventure game, the heart of the gameplay mechanic is mathematics. While interrogating witnesses and digging for clues, Winston must correctly answer a slew of multiplication problems. You have the ability to set the difficulty level based on your child's aptitude. At more challenging levels, your child will be forced to answer dozens of arithmetic challenges, many involving numbers over 10.

Number Invaders

While Winston's Detective Agency emphasizes careful thought and calculation, Number Invaders forces your child to act fast. Inspired by the classic arcade game Space Invaders, Number Invaders places your child in the cockpit of a fighter jet. A horde of invading numbers is descending from the top of the screen. In order to fight them off, your child must quickly perform multiplications that appear on screen and then shoot the correct answer at the invading horde. With quick reflexes and fast thinking, it's possible for your child to protect Earth from imminent, numerical destruction.

Buzzy's Time Table Challenge

In Buzzy's Time Table Challenge, your child must fill out a time table as quickly as possible. The game won't end if he takes too long or if he answers a question incorrectly---that's not the point of the Time Table Challenge. The point is to set a benchmark. Just as sprinters see how quickly they can run 100 yards, your child can see how quickly he can fill out a multiplication table. Although it lacks the thrill of Number Invaders and the plot of Winston's Detective Agency, the Time Table Challenge makes up for that by being a useful and playful tool in your child's mathematical development.