Times Tables Tricks for Kids: Learn Tables 2–12 the Easy Way

Most children don't struggle with times tables because they're "bad at maths". They struggle because they were asked to memorise 121 separate facts by chanting them, with nothing to hold them together. Then one blank moment in a class test turns tables into something to dread.

The good news is that tables are full of patterns. Once a child sees them, the 121 facts shrink to a handful of tricky ones, and the rest can be worked out in a second or two until recall becomes automatic. This guide covers a simple trick for every table from 2 to 12, the order to learn them in, which tables children are usually expected to know at each age, and a 10-minute daily routine you can run at home.

Which times tables should my child know, and when?

Expectations depend on the school system, but the broad path is the same: understand what multiplication means first, then build quick recall one family of tables at a time.

1. Ages 5–6 (Class 1 / Year 1): counting in 2s, 5s and 10s, and seeing multiplication as equal groups ("3 groups of 2"). No memorising yet.
2. Ages 6–7 (Class 2 / Year 2): in the English national curriculum, children learn the 2, 5 and 10 times tables in Year 2. Many CBSE and state-board schools introduce multiplication as repeated addition around Class 2.
3. Ages 7–8 (Class 3 / Year 3): the 3, 4 and 8 times tables are added in Year 3. In Indian schools, tables up to 10 are commonly expected around Class 3 to 4.
4. Ages 8–9 (Class 4 / Year 4): all tables up to 12 × 12. In England, Year 4 pupils take the Multiplication Tables Check in June: 25 on-screen questions with 6 seconds for each.
5. Ages 9–13 (Class 5 and up): fast recall is assumed for fractions, long multiplication and division. Many Indian schools and families also aim for tables up to 20.

If your child is older and still unsure of tables, that is very common and fixable. Start at the beginning of the order below rather than with the table that's causing trouble.

The secret: your child already knows more than half

Before any tricks, show your child that 3 × 7 and 7 × 3 give the same answer. Draw 3 rows of 7 dots, then turn the page sideways: it is now 7 rows of 3. This one idea cuts the work roughly in half.

Then learn tables in this order: 10, 2, 5, 11, 4, 9, 3, 6, 8, 12 and 7. By the time your child reaches the 7 times table, they already know almost every fact in it from the other tables. Only 7 × 7 = 49 is new.

Times tables tricks, table by table

10 times table: the digits move one place

Multiplying by 10 makes every digit move one place to the left, so 6 becomes 60. Children often hear "just add a zero", but explain it with place value. That way the rule still makes sense later with decimals, where adding a zero doesn't work.

2 times table: just double

The 2 times table is doubling. If your child knows 6 + 6, they know 2 × 6. Practise doubles with everyday things: two hands of fingers, pairs of socks, wheels on two bicycles.

5 times table: half of the 10s

Every answer ends in 5 or 0, and each one is half of the 10 times answer. For 5 × 8, find 10 × 8 = 80, then halve it to get 40. Clock faces are great practice: the minute hand moves 5 minutes per number.

11 times table: repeat the digit (up to 9)

11 × 3 = 33, 11 × 7 = 77. For 11 × 11 and 11 × 12, split the 1 and the 2 apart and put their sum in the middle: 11 × 12 is 1, (1 + 2), 2 = 132. Kids love this one, so it is a confidence builder early on.

4 times table: double, then double again

4 × 7 is double 7 (14), then double again (28). Once your child can double, the 4 times table needs no separate memorising.

9 times table: one group less than 10

9 × 6 is 10 × 6 minus one 6: 60 − 6 = 54. Then point out the patterns. The tens digit is one less than the number you multiply by (9 × 6 starts with 5), and the two digits always add up to 9 (5 + 4 = 9). Many children also learn the finger trick for 9s. It works, but treat it as a backup, not the main method, because it doesn't build number sense.

3 times table: count in 3s and check the digits

Count in 3s with a rhythm (clap on every third number). A handy check: the digits of any answer in the 3 times table add up to 3, 6 or 9 (for 3 × 8 = 24, 2 + 4 = 6).

6 times table: 5 times plus one more

6 × 7 is 5 × 7 (35) plus one more 7, so 42. There's also a neat pattern with even numbers: 6 × 2 = 12, 6 × 4 = 24, 6 × 6 = 36, 6 × 8 = 48. The answer ends in the number you multiplied by.

8 times table: double three times

8 × 6: double 6 is 12, double again is 24, double again is 48. If your child knows the 4 times table, 8 is simply double the 4s answer.

12 times table: 10s plus 2s

This is the usual answer to "is there a trick for the 12 times table?" Split 12 into 10 and 2. For 12 × 7, do 10 × 7 = 70 and 2 × 7 = 14, then add them to get 84.

7 times table: the last one standing

By now, your child knows 7 × 2, 7 × 3, 7 × 4 and so on from the other tables. That leaves 7 × 7 = 49 as the only truly new fact. For 7 × 8, try "5, 6, 7, 8": 56 = 7 × 8.

What about tables 13 to 20?

Once 2 to 12 are quick, bigger tables are about splitting, not memorising. For 14 × 6, split 14 into 10 and 4: 10 × 6 = 60 and 4 × 6 = 24, so 60 + 24 = 84. For 19 × 4, use 20 × 4 = 80, then take away one 4 to get 76. These are the same mental moves covered in our guide to mental maths tricks every kid should know by age 10.

A 10-minute daily times tables routine

Short and daily beats long and weekly. Ten minutes after school or before dinner is enough. Spend about a week on each table, in the order above.

1. Warm-up (2 minutes): say a few facts your child already knows well. Starting with success matters.
2. Today's trick (3 minutes): work through the trick for this week's table with objects, dots or a number line, not just words.
3. Quick-fire mix (3 minutes): ask facts out of order, mixing this week's table with earlier ones. The free Younglabs maths tables practice game works well here.
4. Turn it around (1 minute): ask the division version. If 6 × 8 = 48, what is 48 ÷ 8?
5. Note the sticky facts (1 minute): write down the 2 or 3 facts that were slow today and start tomorrow's warm-up with them.

Every weekend, do a 5-minute mixed review of all the tables learned so far. Coming back to facts after a gap is what makes them stick. Our article on why kids forget maths concepts quickly explains why spaced revision works better than cramming.

Mistakes to avoid when teaching tables

1. Chanting only. Reciting "7 ones are 7, 7 twos are 14" helps rhythm, but children who only chant have to run the whole table to find 7 × 8. Ask facts out of order too.
2. Racing too early. Speed comes after understanding. Timing a child who is still working facts out can create anxiety. If tables already cause tears, read how to reduce the fear of maths in children.
3. Too many tables at once. One new table a week, with daily review, is plenty.
4. Ignoring slips. When a child who knows 6 × 7 writes 48, it is often a recall slip under pressure, not a gap in understanding. See why silly mistakes in maths happen and how to reduce them.

When your child might need more support

Some children need more than a home routine. That might be because they are still counting on fingers for every fact in Class 4 or Year 4 and above, freeze in timed tests, or say "I'm just bad at maths". The fix is usually to go back to the foundations, number sense, place value and what multiplication actually means, and build up again with a patient teacher.

Younglabs runs live online maths classes for children, with small steps and plenty of practice so tables and calculation feel manageable. You can book a free maths class to see where your child is and what to work on next.

Times tables FAQs