Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Team Relay Maths Race: Free Printable Game for Year 4
- ForYear 4
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Team Relay Maths Race is a free printable maths game for Year 4 (ages 8 to 9). Teams take turns, and each runner solves one question before the next runner goes. The cards cover times tables, division facts and mental adding and subtracting. It is screen free, needs only pencils, and works for 6 to 30 players.
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. Page 1 is the game. Page 2 is for the grown-up and has notes on how to use the sheet, help for children who find it hard, a stretch idea and the answers. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children play in teams. The sheet has cards to cut out and use. Each card holds one question, and each runner solves one. The questions mix times tables, division facts, and addition and subtraction with bigger numbers. Children work mentally and use a pencil to record their answer. The team effort adds a reason to be quick and a reason to be careful, because teammates can help check.
- 6 x 7
- 56 divided by 8
- 345 + 128
- 9 x 12
- 500 - 275
- 8 x 8
- 72 divided by 9
- 1000 - 1
- 25 + 38
- 11 x 7
- 81 divided by 9
- 40 + 17
A worked example
13 x 4
This question uses different numbers from the sheet. It shows two ways to work out a harder fact in your head.
Method 1: split the bigger number- Split 13 into 10 and 3.
- Multiply each part by 4. 10 x 4 = 40 and 3 x 4 = 12.
- Add the two parts. 40 + 12 = 52.
- Multiplying by 4 is the same as doubling, then doubling again.
- Double 13 to get 26.
- Double 26 to get 52.
Setting up your race
Cut out the cards
Cut the cards out before you start and put them in a pile for each team. Keeping them face down means runners do not see the question until their turn.
Make fair teams
Aim for teams of a similar size. If the numbers do not divide evenly, let one child take a second turn on a team that is short.
Mark a start line and a card table
Choose a place for each team to wait and a place where the cards sit. Make sure the path between them is clear of bags and chairs.
Choose a checker
Pick one child or adult to read the answers from page 2. Swap the job each round so everyone gets a go.
Why practise tables as a team?
In Year 4, children are expected to know their multiplication tables up to 12 x 12 and the matching division facts. Knowing them without stopping to work them out frees up thinking for harder problems later, such as long multiplication, fractions and area. Short, regular practice is the best way to build that recall, and a game makes the practice feel less like a test.
A relay adds movement and a team goal. Children are not racing only against the clock. They are also thinking about the people waiting behind them. Teammates can cheer, help check and spot a slip. This builds a kind of reasoning out loud that helps children understand why an answer is right, as well as what the answer is.
Adults should check the space before play. Clear bags and chairs from the route. Children should walk, not run, if the floor is slippery or the space is tight.
Skills and curriculum link
- Times tables recall
- Division facts
- Mental addition and subtraction
- Teamwork
- 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 4 |
What children will be able to do
- I can recall times tables facts quickly.
- I can do mental calculations in a race.
- I can help my team by checking answers.
Number facts that make it easier
- Multiplication and division are linkedEvery times table fact gives you division facts too. If 3 x 5 = 15, then 15 divided by 3 = 5 and 15 divided by 5 = 3. Learn them in families.
- Order does not matter4 x 5 gives the same answer as 5 x 4. If one way round feels hard, try the other.
- Split big numbers into partsFor addition and subtraction, split numbers into hundreds, tens and ones. Work with one part at a time, then put the parts back together.
- Count up to find a gapTo find the difference between two numbers, count up from the smaller one. Jump to the next ten or hundred, then on to the larger number.
Key words
- MultiplyFind the total of equal groups. 3 groups of 5 is 3 x 5.
- DivideShare an amount into equal groups, or find how many equal groups fit.
- ProductThe answer when you multiply two numbers.
- TotalThe answer when you add. It is also called the sum.
- Mental calculationWorking out an answer in your head, with or without jotting down a note.
- RelayA race where team members take turns, and each one does their part before the next starts.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for the children. Keep page 2 for the grown-up. It has the answers.
- Read the rules aloud together so everyone plays the same game. Cut out the cards and make the teams.
- Play a practice round first. Talk about how each runner worked out their answer.
- Play the game. Each runner solves one question. The checker uses page 2 to confirm the answers.
- Come back to the game another day. Repeating a familiar game builds confidence and speed.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Start with only the times tables cards, as the notes on page 2 suggest. Let the runner say the fact aloud before writing. A times table grid or counters can help for a first go. Take them away once the facts feel more secure.
To stretch confident children
Check each answer before the next runner goes. The checker must explain why the answer is right, using a different method. They might use a related fact, doubling, or counting up. Wrong answers go back to the team to fix.
Make it a game
Add your own question cards. Write them on blank paper using the tables your group is learning. Each team makes a few cards for another team to solve. Swap them over and see how quickly the new cards get answered.
Talk about it
- Which times table facts do you know best?
- How did you work out one you were less sure of?
- What trick helps you remember a hard fact?
- How can a team member help without giving away the answer?
- Which card felt easy, and which felt hard? Why?
- If you made a card for another team, what would you write?
Take it off the page
Tables on the move
Call out a times table fact and ask your child to say the answer as they step, hop or clap. Slow and steady is better than fast and wrong.
Shop and change
Set up a pretend shop with price labels. Ask your child to add up what a customer owes, then work out the change from a larger amount.
Fact family houses
Draw a simple house with a roof. Write three numbers that go together in a times table fact on it. Add the two multiplication and two division facts they make.
Who it is for
Parents
Read the rules aloud and play a practice round with your child first. With fewer players, try two teams of one or two, or let one child race against the checker. Keep the mood light and celebrate effort.
Teachers
Use it as a starter, a plenary, an early finisher task, a supply cover activity or a table game. It needs no preparation beyond printing and cutting. Page 2 has support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Print once and use again for brothers and sisters or for revision. It pairs well with outdoor play, everyday number talk and other times tables games. Add your own cards to match what your child is working on.
Where this fits
Before this game, children in Key Stage 2 build up their times tables step by step. They start with the 2, 5 and 10 tables, then learn the 3, 4 and 8 tables, and then the harder ones. They also practise adding and subtracting in their head.
After Year 4, the same facts help with multiplying larger numbers, finding fractions of amounts, and working out area. A quick recall of tables makes all of these easier and less tiring.
Check it worked
Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- Which times table facts do you know best?
- How did you work out one you were less sure of?
- What trick helps you remember a hard fact?
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Team Relay Maths Race for?
It is written for Year 4 (ages 8 to 9) in Key Stage 2. Younger children can join in with the times tables cards. Older children can take on the stretch idea on page 2.
- How many players do I need?
The sheet is for 6 to 30 players, so it suits a family gathering, a small group or a whole class. Players are split into teams, and each runner solves one question.
- What do I need to play?
You need the printed sheet, pencils and some space to move. The game has cards to cut out. Everything else is on the page, and the grown-up keeps page 2 for the answers.
- What will children practise?
They practise times tables and mental calculation. The cards also include division facts and addition and subtraction. Children get practice in teamwork too, because teammates help one another and check answers.
- What if it feels too hard?
Use only the times tables cards. Let the child say the fact aloud before writing, and use a times table grid or counters for a first go. Build up to the rest of the cards later.
- Is it safe to play indoors?
Yes, with a little care. Clear the route first. Children should walk, not run, if the floor is slippery or the space is tight. The game works just as well at a walking pace.
- Is it free, and do I need colour?
Yes, it is free to print for home and classroom use. No colour is needed. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper, and you can print again for revision.
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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.