The 2x tables and snowmen
Very often one of the easiest ways to help a child remember multiplication questions, including the 2x tables is by grouping.
Laid awake on Christmas Eve, I wondered if snowmen could be used to help a child recall the 2x tables when needed.
To make them more memorable I thought of the idea of making fingerprint snowmen.
Each snowman would be made up of 2 fingerprints. One positioned on top of the other.
This would form his body and head.
Then decorate it with arms, hat, eyes, carrot nose etc.
1 snowman = 2 fingerprints, so therefore
1×2 =2
Now create a second snow man.
You now have
2 snow men = 4 fingerprints.
Therefore
2×2 =4
You could add another snowman to illustrate that 3 snowmen = 6 fingerprints
3×2 = 6.
Or you may feel it is easier to create a line with one snow man and write 1 snowman = 2 fingerprints, so therefore
1×2 =2
next to it.
Then create 2 more snowmen on a separate line. Next to these two, write
2 snow men = 4 fingerprints.
Therefore
2×2 =4.
Repeating this until you reach 12 snowmen = 24 fingerprints, so therefore 12×2= 24.
(Though obviously you may go further if you choose).
Although I’ve done this using just 2 fingerprints per snowman, you could adjust it to 3 and use the same technique to learn the 3x tables.
For more of my favourite tables problems why not try reading these:
A simple times tables confidence boosting game
5 games to learn the times tables
Or you may prefer looking at some of the games we use in our lessons to play at home:
https://www.etsy.com/your/shops/ClaraJamesApproach/tools/listings/898464674
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