Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Christmas Times Tables Practice: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 3
- ForYear 3
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Christmas Times Tables Practice is a free printable maths worksheet for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8). Children work out how many presents each sleigh carries, using the 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 10 times tables to fill in a table. It needs only a pencil. Page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas, a stretch idea and the answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children complete a table with three columns: Sleighs, Presents on each and Total presents. The first two columns set up the story and children fill in the last column. Each row is a times table fact in a Christmas setting, so children picture equal groups of presents on sleighs instead of facing a bare sum. They say each table aloud as they go, which helps the facts stick.
- Sleighs
- Presents on each
- Total presents
Making times tables stick
Count in steps
Say the table aloud as a chant, one step at a time. Count in 2s, then 5s, then 10s. Use your fingers or tap the table to keep the rhythm. Saying the numbers aloud helps the pattern stay in the memory.
Draw equal groups
Draw a sleigh, then dots for the presents on it. Repeat for each sleigh. Counting the dots in groups shows what multiplication means and gives children a way to check their answer.
Use doubling
Some tables are linked. The 4 times table is double the 2 times table. The 8 times table is double the 4 times table. Children who know one table can use it to build the next.
Link fives and tens
The 5 times table is half of the 10 times table. If a child knows their 10s, they can halve to find a 5s fact. It is a handy check when they are unsure.
Why times tables matter in Year 3
In the National Curriculum for England, children meet the 2, 5 and 10 times tables in Year 2. In Year 3 they add the 3, 4 and 8 times tables and keep using the earlier ones. Knowing these facts quickly frees up thinking, so children can put their effort into harder problems such as division, fractions and measures. Short, regular practice works better than one long session.
A story gives each fact a meaning. Several sleighs with the same number of presents on each make a clear picture of equal groups, which is what multiplication describes. When children see a times table fact as groups of the same size, they are less likely to guess. They can also check by drawing, counting in steps or using counters.
Skills and curriculum link
- Times tables
- Multiplying
- Equal groups
- Problem solving
- Checking answers
This sheet supports the area below. It is matched to the published England framework. Please check it against your own school plan.
| Framework | Subject or area | Strand | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Curriculum (England) | Maths | Multiplication and division | Year 3 |
What children will be able to do
- I can practise my 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 10 times tables.
- I can use them to solve a story problem.
- I can check my answers.
Handy ideas about times tables
- Order does not matterMultiplying two numbers gives the same answer whichever way round you write them. This means children have fewer separate facts to learn than they first think.
- Equal groupsMultiplication is a quick way to add the same number again and again. Each sleigh is one group, and the presents on it are the size of the group.
- DoublingThe 4 times table is double the 2 times table. The 8 times table is double the 4 times table. Doubling is a strong way to build one table from another.
- Fives and tensThe 5 times table is half of the 10 times table. Answers in the 5s end in 0 or 5. Answers in the 10s always end in 0.
Key words
- MultiplyFind the total when you have equal groups. It is a quick way to add the same number again and again.
- Times tableA list of the answers you get when you multiply a number by 1, 2, 3 and so on.
- ProductThe answer to a multiplication.
- Equal groupsGroups that all have the same number of things in them.
- TotalThe whole amount when you put everything together.
- MultipleA number you land on when you count in steps of a times table.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the story and the column headings together. Ask your child to say what each column tells you.
- Your child fills in the last column. Ask them to say the times table out loud as they go.
- Check against page 2. Ask, "How did you work that out?" Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- Come back to the sheet another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Use counters or draw dots in groups to check each answer. Draw a sleigh, put the right number of dots on it, then repeat for each sleigh. Count the dots in steps, saying the table aloud. Work on a few rows at a time.
To stretch confident children
Swap the columns. Give the total and one other number, and ask for the missing one. For example, you know how many presents there are and how many are on each sleigh, so how many sleighs are there? This links multiplying and dividing.
Make it a game
Time a minute and see how many facts they can recall without the sheet. Say a fact from one of the tables, such as 5 times 3, and your child answers. Try to beat the score next time.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child adds the two numbers instead of multiplying them.
Try thisAsk, "How many sleighs? How many presents on each?" Draw the sleighs with dots on each one, then count in equal steps to see why adding the two numbers does not work.
Watch forA child loses their place when counting in steps and ends up one step out.
Try thisUse counters or a finger for each sleigh. Write each step down as they say it, so they can see how many steps they have taken.
Watch forA child mixes up facts in the 3, 4 or 8 times tables.
Try thisUse links between tables. Double a 2s fact to get a 4s fact, or double a 4s fact to get an 8s fact. Check it by drawing equal groups.
Talk about it
- Which times table do you find easiest, and why?
- How did you work out the story problem?
- What trick helps you remember one table?
- Can you spot a pattern in the answers to the 5 times table?
- How could you check an answer without using the sheet?
- Which table is double another table?
Take it off the page
Present stacks
Use small building blocks or folded paper squares as presents. Make equal stacks on a tray, then count them in steps. Say the times table fact each time.
Skip counting hop
Chalk or tape numbers on the floor. Hop along in 2s, 5s or 10s, saying each number aloud. Try the 3s, 4s and 8s when the first tables feel easy.
Draw your own sleighs
Draw sleighs with the same number of presents on each. Write the times table fact under the picture, then swap with a friend to check.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first go, then let them lead. Ask them to say the table aloud as they fill in the last column. Praise the effort and the thinking, not only the right answers. Short bursts work better than long sessions.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. The learning focus is multiplication and division in Year 3, and page 2 has support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider maths plan. It pairs well with counting games, outdoor play and everyday talk about groups and sharing. Print it again for brothers and sisters, or return to it a few weeks later for revision.
Where this fits in the times tables journey
Before this sheet, children learn to count in equal steps and to see multiplication as equal groups. In Year 2 they work with the 2, 5 and 10 times tables. Those facts are the starting point here, so confident children may find the early tables a quick warm up.
After this sheet, children learn more tables and use them for harder work. In Year 4 they know all the tables up to 12 times 12. They use these facts for division, fractions and problem solving. Fact Family Triangle Cards are a good next step, because they link multiplying and dividing.
Check it worked
Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- Which times table do you find easiest, and why?
- How did you work out the story problem?
- What trick helps you remember one table?
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Christmas Times Tables Practice for?
It is written for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8), in Key Stage 2. It also works as revision for older children who need to strengthen their times tables, or as a stretch for confident Year 2 children.
- Which times tables does it cover?
It covers the 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 10 times tables. Children use them in a Christmas story about presents on sleighs, so each fact has a clear picture behind it.
- Does the sheet include answers?
Yes. Page 2 is for the grown up and has the answers, as well as notes on how to use the sheet, help for children who find it hard and a stretch idea.
- What if my child finds it hard?
Use counters or draw dots in groups to check each answer. Draw a sleigh, add the presents, then count in steps while saying the times table aloud. Try a few rows at a time and return to the rest later.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it works well for quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. Children read, think and write by hand, and say the tables aloud.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 helps with support and stretch.
- Do I need to print in colour?
No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself.
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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.