This fun game is ideal for anyone who wants to learn multiplication tables in a non-traditional way and make some music at the same time. The great thing about this game is that it can be played with multiple players or with one player, which makes it a great way for students to practice in their own time. Plus, it beats good ol’ math problems by having the students interact with one another so everyone has the chance to test their multiplication skills.

Materials Needed:

One egg carton with 12 slots

Black Marker (Sharpie)

2 different colored medium sized rounded beads

How to design the egg carton:

Take the egg carton and using a black marker, write numbers inside each of the bottom of the slots where the eggs were. There should be 12 slots. Take the beads and place them inside the carton.

Game Instructions:

Have the students stand in a circle. Start the game off by handing one of the students the egg carton with the beads inside. Instruct the students how the game is played (by shaking the egg carton and then opening it up to see where the beads have landed). The students will then multiply the two numbers where the beads have fallen.

Each student who answers correctly is allowed to stay in the game and continue to play. If the student answers the problem incorrectly, they are taken out of the game. The game continues until there are no more remaining players.

Tips:

You can keep track of who answers the most answers correct and give them a special privilege, such as being the head facilitator of the game the next time you decide to play.

To make this game more challenging you can time each person so they are limited on the amount of time they have to come up with the answer. Also, if they cannot come up with the answer within the specific amount of time then they are also taken out of the game.

Teachers can also have the students make their own personalized carton if they see that the students are interested in the game. This way the student can practice this game at home to help them learn the multiplication tables.

Instead of using black markers, you can decorate the egg carton with cute stickers and other adhesive embellishments to make it even more attractive to the students.