Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Jungle Times Tables Trek: Free Printable Game for Year 2
- ForYear 2
- StageKey Stage 1
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Jungle Times Tables Trek is a free printable dice game for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7). Children race through the jungle, rolling the dice, moving their counter and reading each square aloud. Along the way they practise the 5 times table and counting in 5s. It needs only a dice, a counter each and a printer.
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. It is two A4 pages. Page 1 is the game for children. Page 2 is for the grown up, with notes on how to use the sheet, help for children who find it hard and a stretch idea. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
This is a board game, not a worksheet. Each player has a counter and takes turns to roll the dice and move along the jungle trek. Children read the squares aloud as they go, which gives them regular practice at saying 5 times table facts. Because it is a race, there is a real reason to keep playing. Everyone joins in, so children also practise taking turns and listening to each other.
Getting ready to play
Gather your pieces
You need one dice and a counter for each player. Coins, buttons, small bricks or tiny toys all work well as counters. Give each player a different one so it is easy to see whose is whose.
Read the rules together
Read the rules out loud before you start, so everyone plays the same game. Ask the youngest player to explain them back to you. That quickly shows what needs clearing up.
Set the jungle scene
Talk about the jungle for a moment before you begin. Ask what the explorers might see or hear on their trek. A little story makes the game feel like an adventure.
Share the jobs
Take turns being the person who reads or checks. Listening to a friend say a fact is useful practice too, and it keeps everyone paying attention.
Why play a game to learn times tables?
Times tables stick best when children meet them again and again in short, enjoyable bursts. In Year 2, the National Curriculum asks children to recall and use multiplication and division facts for the 2, 5 and 10 times tables. A board game gives plenty of repetition without feeling like a test. Every turn is another chance to hear a fact, say it aloud and think about it.
The 5 times table is a friendly place to start because counting in 5s is already familiar to many children. Moving a counter along a path gives numbers a place and an order. Taking turns also gives children time to listen to each other, which helps them hear the pattern. Saying facts aloud, rather than writing them, makes practice feel light.
Skills and curriculum link
- 5 times table
- Counting in 5s
- Taking turns
- Reading numbers aloud
- Listening to others
Helping with the 5 times table
- Count in stepsSay the 5s in order, out loud, a few times before you play. Counting steadily and rhythmically helps the pattern settle in the ear.
- Use a handOne hand has five fingers. Holding up hands one at a time shows children that counting in 5s means counting groups of fingers.
- Move as you countClap, tap or step on each number you say. Moving to the beat makes the pattern easier to remember.
- Look at a clock faceEach number on a clock stands for a step of five minutes. If your child can tell the time, this link makes the 5s feel familiar.
Key words
- Times tableA set of facts made by counting in equal groups of one number.
- MultiplyTo find the total when you have equal groups of the same size.
- MultipleA number you say when you count in steps of another number.
- Count in 5sCount forwards in jumps of five.
- RecallTo remember a fact quickly without working it out.
- TurnYour go in a game, before the next player has theirs.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for the child. Keep page 2 for the grown up.
- Collect a dice and a counter each. Take turns to roll and move.
- Read the squares aloud as you land on them. Talk about each choice the first time you play.
- Check against the notes on page 2.
- Come back to it another day. Repeating a familiar game builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Say the times table together first: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30. Tap a finger or clap for each number. Then play a practice round where the grown up reads each square aloud and the child joins in. Play for real once it feels comfortable.
To stretch confident children
Say the matching 10 times table fact on squares 10, 20 and 30 too. Ask your child to say what they notice about the two tables. Talk about how the 5s and 10s are connected. Let them explain their ideas in their own words.
Make it a game
Race the clock to see who can reach 30 in the fewest rolls. Play several rounds and keep a tally of each player's rolls. Try to beat your own best score. Keep each round short and cheerful.
Talk about it
- Which 5 times table fact do you find easiest to remember? Why do you think that is?
- What do you notice when you count in 5s? Can you hear a pattern?
- If you had to teach a younger child the 5s, what would you say first?
- Where else do we count in 5s, perhaps on a clock or with coins?
- How could we make the game a bit harder, or a bit easier?
- Which part of the trek was your favourite, and why?
Take it off the page
Hand print counting
Draw round hands on paper and cut them out. Lay them in a row and count the fingers in 5s as you point to each hand.
Chalk hopscotch in 5s
Draw a path outside and write numbers in 5s in the squares. Hop along and say each number out loud as you land.
Shop with 5p coins
Set up a pretend shop with toy 5p coins. Count out coins in 5s to pay for each item.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit with your child for the first go and let them lead. Read the squares aloud together. Keep rounds short and playful, and stop while it is still fun. Two quick games beat one long one.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, a plenary, an early finisher task, a supply teacher resource, a homework task or a table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider maths plan. It pairs well with books, outdoor play and everyday counting. You can print it again for brothers and sisters, or for revision a few weeks later.
Where this fits in maths
Before this game, children count forwards in steps, including steps of 2, 5 and 10, and work with equal groups. Counting in 5s on a number line, with coins or on a clock helps. Children who can already do this usually find the 5 times table a natural next step.
After this, children can practise the 2 and 10 times tables, which the Year 2 curriculum also covers, and link multiplication facts to division. In Key Stage 2 they go on to the 3, 4 and 8 times tables and beyond. Secure 5s make the later tables easier.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Jungle Times Tables Trek for?
It is written for Year 2, which is ages 6 to 7, in Key Stage 1. Younger children who count in 5s with confidence can join in too. Older children can use it for quick recall practice or a fun warm up.
- What do I need to play?
You need a dice and a counter for each player, plus the printed page 1. Coins, buttons or small bricks make good counters. Take turns to roll and move, and read the squares aloud as you land on them.
- Which part of the curriculum does it support?
It supports recalling the 5 times table, which is part of the Year 2 multiplication and division strand of the National Curriculum for England. It also builds counting in 5s. It supports classroom learning and does not replace it.
- What if my child finds it hard?
Say the times table together first: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30. Tap or clap on each number. Play a practice round with the grown up reading the squares aloud, then try again. Short, relaxed rounds work best.
- How can I make it more challenging?
Say the matching 10 times table fact on squares 10, 20 and 30 too. You can also race the clock to see who can reach 30 in the fewest rolls. Try to beat your own best score.
- Is it free, and do I need colour?
Yes, it is free to print for home and classroom use. No, you do not need colour. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper, so it is cheap and quick to produce.
- Can teachers and home educators use it?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. Home educators and tutors can use it alone or within a wider plan. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and you can reuse it.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.