Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Mixed Times Tables to 12 x 12: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 4
- ForYear 4
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Mixed Times Tables to 12 x 12 is a free printable maths worksheet for Year 4 (ages 8 to 9). Children answer 24 multiplication facts from across the tables, with three mixed facts in each row. It takes about 10 minutes, needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown-up notes, help ideas, a stretch task 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 write the answer to each multiplication fact in the space beside it. There are 24 facts in eight rows, three to a row. The tables run up to 12 x 12 and the facts come in a random order, so children cannot chant their way along a single table. They have to recall each fact. Record the score out of 24 and try again a week later.
- 7 x 8 = ___ 9 x 6 = ___ 12 x 4 = ___
- 11 x 9 = ___ 6 x 7 = ___ 8 x 8 = ___
- 12 x 12 = ___ 4 x 9 = ___ 3 x 11 = ___
- 9 x 9 = ___ 12 x 6 = ___ 7 x 7 = ___
- 8 x 11 = ___ 5 x 12 = ___ 6 x 6 = ___
- 12 x 3 = ___ 9 x 7 = ___ 11 x 11 = ___
- 4 x 8 = ___ 10 x 12 = ___ 6 x 8 = ___
- 12 x 8 = ___ 7 x 12 = ___ 9 x 12 = ___
How to build fast recall
Start with the facts you know
Before the timer starts, run a pencil down the sheet and tick the facts that feel easy. This gives a confident start and shows which facts need practice.
Use what you know to find what you do not
Many facts link to each other. Swapping the order of the numbers gives the same answer. A fact from a nearby table, plus or minus one group, can unlock a tricky one.
Practise little and often
Five minutes on a few tricky facts beats one long session. Pick three facts, say them aloud, cover the answers and test again later in the day.
Time it, then beat your own score
Use a clock and compare today's score with last week's. The challenge is against yourself, not against anyone else.
Why mixed times tables matter in Year 4
In the National Curriculum for England, children are expected to recall multiplication and division facts up to 12 x 12 by the end of Year 4. Near the end of the year, children in England also take an online multiplication tables check. Fluent recall frees up thinking for harder work later, such as fractions, area and written methods.
Learning one table at a time is a good start, but real maths rarely arrives in tidy order. Mixed practice asks children to pull each fact from memory without a pattern to lean on. It shows which facts are secure and which are still shaky. That makes it much easier to decide what to practise next.
Skills and curriculum link
- Times tables recall
- Multiplication facts to 12 x 12
- Speed and fluency
- Self checking
- Tracking progress
Ideas that make facts easier to recall
- Swap the orderMultiplication gives the same answer whichever number comes first. Knowing a fact one way round means knowing it the other way too.
- Double and double againSome tables are linked by doubling. If you know one table well, you can double its answers to reach another.
- Build from a friendly factMultiplying by 10 is quick, so use it as a starting point. Then add or take away groups to reach a nearby fact.
- Spot the square numbersA number multiplied by itself makes a square number. Learn these as a small set. They give you anchor facts to build from.
Key words
- MultiplyFind the total when you have a number of equal groups.
- Times tableA list of the facts you get by multiplying a number by 1, 2, 3 and so on.
- ProductThe answer to a multiplication.
- FactorA number you multiply with another number to make a product.
- MultipleA number that appears in a times table. 10 is a multiple of 5.
- RecallRemember a fact straight away, without working it out.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Work through the first row together. Talk about how your child finds each answer. Some will just know it. Others will use a nearby fact.
- Set a clock for about 10 minutes and let your child answer as many facts as they can on their own.
- Check with page 2 and record the score out of 24. Tick the facts that were secure and circle the ones to practise.
- Try again after a week and compare scores. Celebrate any improvement, however small.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Use a times table square for the first row, then cover it up for the next. Tick the facts your child already knows and practise only the others. Pick three tricky facts a day, say them aloud and test again later.
To stretch confident children
Beat the clock by trying all 24 facts in 5 minutes. Then ask your child to write the matching division fact for any three of their answers. This shows that multiplication and division are linked.
Make it a game
Roll two dice and multiply the numbers. Double the answer and add it to your running total. Race a partner to be the first to reach 100. Check each other's multiplying as you play.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child adds the two numbers instead of multiplying them.
Try thisSay the fact as groups: "six groups of seven". Draw a quick array of dots to show that multiplying means equal groups, not adding two numbers.
Watch forA child gives an answer from a neighbouring fact, one group too many or too few.
Try thisAsk which table the fact belongs to. Count on or back by one group from a fact they know, then check the answer is sensible.
Watch forA child rushes and misreads the question, answering a different fact.
Try thisSlow down for the first row. Ask them to point to each fact and say it aloud before writing the answer.
Talk about it
- Which facts did you know straight away? Why do you think those ones stuck?
- Which fact is the trickiest for you? How could you work it out if you forgot it?
- Can you find a fact that gives the same answer when you swap the numbers?
- Which table do you find easiest, and which is hardest? Why?
- How could a fact you know help you with one you do not?
- What score would you like next time, and what will you practise to reach it?
Take it off the page
Fact cards
Write facts on one side of small cards and answers on the other. Sort them into two piles, known and not yet. Practise the second pile each day.
Dice and counters
Roll two dice and lay out counters in equal groups to show the fact. Count the total, then say the full multiplication sentence aloud.
Table walk
Chalk numbers from 1 to 12 on the ground. Call out a fact and jump to a number to start counting on in groups. Say each step aloud as you go.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit with your child for the first row, then let them work alone. Keep sessions short and calm. Praise effort and the methods they use, not only the score. Try again after a week.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, a plenary, an early finisher task or homework. It needs no preparation beyond printing. The score out of 24 gives a quick check on recall, and page 2 has support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider maths plan and use it for tracking progress over several weeks. It works well for siblings of different ages and for short revision sessions alongside games and everyday talk.
Where this fits in your child's learning
Before this sheet, children learn to see multiplication as equal groups and arrays. They practise the 2, 5 and 10 tables in Key Stage 1, then add the 3, 4 and 8 tables in Year 3. By Year 4 they are ready to bring all the tables together.
After this, secure recall supports multiplying larger numbers, finding factors and multiples, and working with fractions and area. In Year 5 and Year 6 children use these facts in written methods, where quick recall saves a lot of effort.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Mixed Times Tables to 12 x 12 for?
It is written for Year 4, ages 8 to 9, in Key Stage 2. It also works as revision for older children and as a challenge for confident younger ones who already know several tables.
- What will children practise?
They practise recalling multiplication facts up to 12 x 12 in a random order. Because the facts are mixed, children cannot rely on a pattern and have to remember each one.
- How long does it take?
It takes about 10 minutes. Time it with a clock, record the score out of 24 and try again after a week to see how recall has improved.
- What if it feels too hard?
Start with a times table square for the first row, then cover it up. Tick the facts your child already knows and practise only the rest, a few at a time.
- Are the answers included?
Yes. Page 2 is for the grown-up and contains the answers, along with notes on how to use the sheet, help for children who find it hard, and a stretch idea.
- Is it suitable for classroom use?
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 supports mixed ability groups.
- Is it free, and do I need colour printing?
Yes, it is free to print for home and classroom use. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper, so you do not need colour. You can print it again for siblings or revision.
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.