Does your child dread maths? Do they freeze up when asked a quick question like “What’s 7 × 8?” or “What’s half of 36?”
You are not alone. Millions of parents and teachers across the UK watch bright, capable children lose confidence simply because nobody showed them the shortcuts.
The good news is this: there are easy maths tricks that children aged 6 to 11 can genuinely learn in a single day. Not vague tips — real techniques that make numbers feel less scary and a lot more manageable.
In this article, you will discover step-by-step tricks for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and more. We will also show you how the Hit the Button game helps children practise these skills at speed, building the kind of fluency that makes maths feel almost effortless.
Whether you are a parent looking for a quick win at home, or a teacher wanting fresh ideas for KS1 and KS2 learners, this guide has you covered.
Let us get started.
What Are Easy Maths Tricks?
Maths tricks are clever mental strategies that make calculations faster and easier — without needing a calculator or working everything out the long way.
Think of them like shortcuts on a map. You can still reach the destination, but you get there in half the time.
For example, instead of counting on fingers to work out 9 × 6, a child can use the “9 times table hand trick” and get the answer in two seconds. Instead of struggling with adding large numbers, they can round up and adjust — a technique even adults use without thinking about it.
These tricks are not about cheating or avoiding real maths. They are about building number sense — the ability to look at numbers and understand how they relate to each other. That is exactly what the UK curriculum wants children to develop at KS1 and KS2.
Why These Tricks Matter for Your Child
Curriculum Relevance
The KS1 and KS2 national curriculum in England places a strong emphasis on mental calculation strategies. By the end of Year 4, children are expected to pass the Multiplication Tables Check (MTC), recalling all times tables up to 12 × 12.
Knowing tricks and shortcuts is not separate from the curriculum — it is the curriculum.
Real-Life Importance
Quick mental maths is useful every single day. Working out change at a shop, halving a recipe, splitting something equally between friends — these all require fast mental calculation. Children who struggle with basic maths often avoid situations that require it, which quietly chips away at their confidence.
Cognitive Benefits
Research consistently shows that when children automate basic maths facts, they free up working memory for more complex thinking. In simple terms: if a child does not have to think about 6 × 7, they can focus their brain on harder parts of a problem. Tricks speed up that automation process significantly.
Step-by-Step Learning Guide: 5 Tricks Kids Can Learn Today
Step 1 — The Rounding Trick for Addition
What it is: Instead of adding numbers directly, round one number up to the nearest 10, add, then subtract the difference.
Example: 47 + 38 → Round 38 to 40 → 47 + 40 = 87 → 87 − 2 = 85
Why it works: Adding to a round number is almost always easier. The brain processes 40 far more quickly than 38.
Mini tip: Practise rounding to 10 first. Once children can do that automatically, this trick becomes very fast.
Step 2 — The 9 Times Table Hand Trick
What it is: Hold both hands in front of you, fingers spread. To multiply any number by 9, fold down that numbered finger and count the fingers on each side.
Example: 9 × 4 → Fold down the 4th finger → 3 fingers on the left, 6 on the right → Answer: 36
Why it works: The 9 times table has a pattern: the digits always add up to 9 (9, 18, 27, 36…). The hand trick makes this pattern physical and memorable.
Mini tip: After using the trick a few times, ask children to notice the digit pattern themselves. This moves them from trick to understanding.
Step 3 — Doubling and Halving for Multiplication
What it is: If a multiplication feels hard, double one number and halve the other. The answer stays the same.
Example: 16 × 5 → Halve 16 to get 8 → Double 5 to get 10 → 8 × 10 = 80
Why it works: Multiplying by 10 is almost always the easiest thing a child can do. This trick turns awkward calculations into simple ones.
Mini tip: This works especially well with × 5, × 50, and × 25. Ask children to spot when one number is close to 5 or 25.
Step 4 — The Split (Partitioning) Method for Subtraction
What it is: Split the number being subtracted into its tens and units, then subtract in two stages.
Example: 83 − 47 → Subtract 40 first → 83 − 40 = 43 → Then subtract 7 → 43 − 7 = 36
Why it works: Children can hold smaller steps in their head more easily than one large jump. It reduces errors and builds confidence.
Mini tip: Encourage children to say each step out loud. Talking through maths dramatically reduces mistakes.
Step 5 — Multiplying by 10, 100, 1000
What it is: When multiplying by 10, move every digit one place to the left (not “add a zero”). By 100, move two places. By 1000, three places.
Example: 34 × 10 = 340 34 × 100 = 3,400
Why it works: Understanding place value rather than just “adding a zero” prevents errors with decimals later (e.g., 3.4 × 10 = 34, not 3.40).
Mini tip: Use a place value chart when first teaching this. Seeing the digits physically move makes the concept click.
Easy Tricks and Shortcuts Worth Memorising
The ×11 shortcut for 2-digit numbers: For any 2-digit number multiplied by 11, add the two digits together and place the result in the middle. Example: 23 × 11 → 2 + 3 = 5 → Answer: 253 (If the middle sum exceeds 9, carry the 1 — e.g., 39 × 11 → 3 + 9 = 12 → 429)
Square numbers pattern: All square numbers end in 0, 1, 4, 5, 6, or 9. They never end in 2, 3, 7, or 8. A useful checking trick.
The 5 times table shortcut: Multiplying by 5 is the same as dividing by 2 and multiplying by 10. Example: 18 × 5 → 18 ÷ 2 = 9 → 9 × 10 = 90
Consecutive number addition: Adding consecutive numbers (e.g., 1 to 10)? Multiply the count by the middle number. Example: 1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9+10 → 10 numbers, middle is 5.5 → 10 × 5.5 = 55
Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
1. Adding a zero instead of understanding place value Children write 3.4 × 10 = 3.40. Fix: Use a place value grid and focus on moving digits, not adding zeros.
2. Forgetting to adjust after rounding They round 38 to 40, add correctly, then forget to subtract the 2. Fix: Write the adjustment down every time until it becomes habit.
3. Confusing doubling with multiplying by 10 Some children double when they mean × 10. Fix: Make explicit comparisons — “Doubling 6 gives 12. Multiplying 6 by 10 gives 60. Not the same.”
4. Mixing up the 6 × 7 and 7 × 8 times tables These two are statistically the most commonly confused. Fix: Create a specific mnemonic or story. “6 times 7 is 42 — six sevens went to 42nd Street.”
5. Skipping the checking step Children get an answer and assume it is right. Fix: Teach the habit of estimating first (roughly what should the answer be?) then checking if the real answer is close.
6. Rushing through without understanding Tricks become meaningless if applied blindly. Fix: Always ask “why does this work?” even briefly. One sentence of understanding beats ten memorised steps.
7. Practising the same facts repeatedly instead of mixing Children know 3 × 4 in order but not when it pops up randomly. Fix: Always practise in mixed order, not sequential — this is called interleaved practice and is far more effective.
Fun Practice Methods at Home and in Class
Whiteboard races: Write a calculation on the board and have children hold up mini whiteboards with answers. Fast, fun, and immediately shows who needs more support.
Maths at mealtimes: Call out a times table question while cooking or eating. Keep it light and celebrate quick answers.
Beat your score: Give children 20 questions. Time them. Next session, they try to beat their own time. Personal improvement is highly motivating.
Card games: Use a standard deck (remove picture cards). Flip two cards and multiply them. First correct answer wins the pair.
Real-life challenges: “We need 6 bags with 8 apples each — how many apples?” Contextual maths sticks far better than abstract drills.
Practise These Tricks Using Hit the Button
One of the most effective ways to build maths fluency is speed practice — and that is exactly what Hit the Button is designed for.
Hit the Button is an interactive maths game used by thousands of primary schools across the UK. Children are shown a question on screen and must press the correct answer before time runs out. It covers times tables, number bonds, doubling and halving, division facts, and more.
Why Hit the Button works so well:
- It turns repetitive practice into a game, removing the boredom factor completely
- The time pressure builds the automaticity children need for the MTC and classroom fluency
- Children can track their scores and try to improve, which creates a genuine motivation loop
- It covers all the key areas: Hit the Button times tables, Hit the Button number bonds, and Hit the Button hit the button maths challenges across KS1 and KS2
The game is particularly powerful when used after learning a trick. If a child has just learned the 9 times table hand trick, jumping onto the Hit the Button game immediately cements that knowledge under time pressure — turning a short-term trick into a long-term memory.
Try it as a 5-minute daily warm-up at school, or a quick after-school session at home. Even three minutes a day makes a measurable difference within two weeks.
Practice Questions
Try these questions using the tricks above. Answers are listed at the end.
- 46 + 37 = ?
- 9 × 7 = ?
- 24 × 5 = ?
- 83 − 56 = ?
- 63 × 10 = ?
- 23 × 11 = ?
- 18 × 5 = ?
- 72 − 38 = ?
- 9 × 8 = ?
- 15 × 4 = ?
- 47 + 29 = ?
- 7 × 11 = ?
Answers:
- 83 | 2. 63 | 3. 120 | 4. 27 | 5. 630 | 6. 253 | 7. 90 | 8. 34 | 9. 72 | 10. 60 | 11. 76 | 12. 77
Expert Tips for Parents and Teachers
Start with the tricks that overlap with the curriculum. Times tables and number bonds appear in nearly every maths lesson from Year 2 onwards. Prioritise these first.
Little and often beats long sessions. Five minutes of daily practice is more effective than a 45-minute session once a week. The brain consolidates learning through repeated short exposures — this is called spaced practice.
Praise effort, not just answers. When a child tries the doubling-and-halving trick even if they get it wrong, acknowledge the strategy. “Great thinking — let us check the steps” builds more resilience than “wrong, try again.”
Use the Hit the Button maths game as a diagnostic tool. Watch which question types your child answers slowly or skips. Those are the exact facts that need more focused attention.
Create a low-stakes environment. Children learn maths tricks best when they do not feel judged. Frame mistakes as “useful data” — “Brilliant, now we know which one to practise.”
Mix tricks deliberately. Once a child knows two or three tricks, give them mixed problems that require choosing the right approach. This higher-level thinking is what really cements understanding.
Advanced Insight: Why Tricks Work Better Than Repetition Alone
Most traditional maths practice relies on rote repetition — saying the times tables over and over until they stick. It works eventually, but it is slow and deeply boring for most children.
Maths tricks work faster because they engage working memory and pattern recognition simultaneously. When a child uses the rounding trick, they are not just retrieving a fact — they are actively manipulating numbers in their head. This mental effort creates stronger, more durable memory traces.
Cognitive science calls this elaborative encoding — attaching meaning or process to something you want to remember makes it stick far better than passive repetition.
There is also the concept of interleaved practice mentioned earlier. Most children practise their 3 times table, then their 4 times table, separately. But research shows that mixing them up — even when it feels harder — leads to significantly better long-term retention. Tools like Hit the Button naturally encourage this by presenting questions in random order, which makes the game harder but the learning stickier.
The children who excel at mental maths are rarely the ones who memorised the most — they are the ones who were taught how numbers work and given the right tools to practise. That combination of conceptual understanding and fast, mixed practice is what you are building with everything in this article.
Frequently Asked Questions
What age are these maths tricks suitable for? Most of the tricks in this article are suitable for children aged 6 to 11 (KS1 and KS2). Simpler ones like the 9 times table hand trick and doubling work well from around age 7. The partitioning and rounding tricks are ideal for Years 3 to 6.
Is Hit the Button free to use? Hit the Button is widely available online and used in primary schools across the UK. Many versions are free to access for home use as well. Search for “Hit the Button maths” or visit the game directly to get started.
How long should my child practise each day? Five to ten minutes of focused practice is ideal for most primary-age children. Short, consistent sessions are more effective than longer irregular ones. Using the Hit the Button game for five minutes daily is a very achievable and powerful routine.
Do these tricks replace learning proper methods? No — they complement them. Tricks build speed and confidence, while written methods build accuracy and understanding for more complex problems. Both are important and work best together.
My child keeps forgetting their times tables. What should I do? Focus on one table at a time and use it across multiple formats — written, verbal, and interactive (like Hit the Button times tables). Make sure practice is mixed rather than sequential. If a specific fact keeps slipping, create a memorable story or rhyme around it.
What is the difference between Hit the Button and other maths games? Hit the Button is specifically designed for speed and fluency practice, which is what the UK primary curriculum and the Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check require. Many other games focus on concept learning. Hit the Button fills the fluency gap that traditional classroom teaching often cannot cover alone.
Are mental maths tricks used in schools? Yes. The national curriculum explicitly requires children to develop mental calculation strategies from KS1 onwards. Many of the tricks in this article directly reflect the approaches taught in classrooms across England.
Conclusion: One Day Can Change Everything
Maths confidence is not a talent some children are born with. It is a skill built through the right strategies and consistent practice.
The tricks in this article — rounding, doubling and halving, the 9 times table hand trick, partitioning, and multiplying by powers of 10 — can genuinely be learned in a single day. More importantly, they can be practised until they become automatic, which is where the real benefit lies.
Start small. Pick one trick today. Practise it with your child or student for five minutes. Then try the Hit the Button game to test it under pressure.
Come back tomorrow and add another. Within a week, you will see a noticeable difference in speed and confidence.
You can also explore related areas like number bonds, division facts, and fractions as your child grows in confidence. Every small skill builds on the last.
Maths does not have to feel hard. With the right tricks and the right tools, it can feel like a game — because sometimes, it literally is.