Multiplication by 3 Games for Kids
Practice multiplication by 3 with free MathHero adventure games for kids, right in your browser: 3, 6, 9 and on up to 30. No account, no download, no ads.
- 3 × 1 to 3 × 10
- Grade 3 · ages 8-9
- Free in the browser
- No account, no download
- No ads
- Phone, tablet and computer
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- Step-by-step learning programs that build the times tables one table at a time
- Custom Practice: any times tables from ×1 to ×12, or a mix like only ×3 and ×6
- Typed answers or multiple choice, in Easy, Medium or Hard mode
Free at 5 levels a day, with no ads.
How to Learn the 3 Times Table
To learn the 3 times table, start from the multiplication facts your child already knows, learn the new ones with a strategy, then practice until the answers come from memory. Most children reach the 3s already knowing the 2s, 5s and 10s, and those facts work both ways: 3 × 2 is 2 × 3, 3 × 5 is 5 × 3 and 3 × 10 is 10 × 3. Add 3 × 1 = 3, and four of the ten facts are done. Six are new: 3 × 3, 3 × 4, 3 × 6, 3 × 7, 3 × 8 and 3 × 9.
Double and add one more group
Three groups are two groups plus one more group. Most children already know how to double, so a 3s fact becomes a double plus one more group. For 3 × 7:
- Double 7: 2 × 7 = 14. That is two rows of 7.
- Add one more group of 7: 14 + 7 = 21.
The same steps work for every fact. 3 × 4 = 8 + 4 = 12, 3 × 8 = 16 + 8 = 24 and 3 × 9 = 18 + 9 = 27. For 3 × 9 you can also take one 3 away from 30: 30 − 3 = 27.
Count in threes
Counting in threes, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, shows how the table grows. Saying it out loud a few times makes the order familiar. Treat it as a step: counting up to 3 × 9 every time is slow, and the goal is recall.
The digit sums cycle 3, 6, 9
Add the digits of each answer and the results go 3, 6, 9, then 3, 6, 9 again. 3, 6 and 9 are already a single digit. 12 gives 1 + 2 = 3, 15 gives 1 + 5 = 6, 18 gives 1 + 8 = 9, and 21 gives 2 + 1 = 3. It is a check, not a way to find the answer: 12 and 21 both add up to 3, so the cycle will not tell those two facts apart.
Triangles and tricycles
A triangle has 3 sides and a tricycle has 3 wheels, so groups of 3 are easy to picture. Four tricycles have 12 wheels, six triangles have 18 sides and eight triangles have 24 sides.
Common mistakes
- 21 or 27 for 3 × 8. Counting in threes, it is easy to lose a count and land on the fact before or after. 3 × 7 = 21 and 3 × 9 = 27, so 3 × 8 is the step between them. To check, double 8 and add 8: 16 + 8 = 24.
- 18 and 27 swapped. 3 × 6 = 18 and 3 × 9 = 27, and 6 and 9 are easy to mix while counting. 3 × 6 is a double of 6 plus 6 more: 12 + 6 = 18. 3 × 9 is one 3 less than 30: 30 − 3 = 27.
- Adding instead of multiplying. 3 × 4 means four groups of 3, which is 12. Adding the 3 and the 4 gives 7, and 7 is not a multiple of 3. To check, double 4 and add 4: 8 + 4 = 12.
For the methods your child's class is probably using, see our guide on how to teach multiplication. Curious where times tables come from? Read who invented times tables.
| Fact | Answer | Quick way |
|---|---|---|
| 3 × 1 | 3 | one 3 |
| 3 × 2 | 6 | double 3 |
| 3 × 3 | 9 | 6 + 3 |
| 3 × 4 | 12 | 8 + 4 |
| 3 × 5 | 15 | half of 30 |
| 3 × 6 | 18 | 12 + 6 |
| 3 × 7 | 21 | 14 + 7 |
| 3 × 8 | 24 | 16 + 8 |
| 3 × 9 | 27 | 18 + 9 |
| 3 × 10 | 30 | 3 tens |
| 3 × 11 | 33 | 30 + 3 |
| 3 × 12 | 36 | 30 + 6 |
Highlighted: the six new facts, 3 × 3, 3 × 4, 3 × 6, 3 × 7, 3 × 8 and 3 × 9. The games on this page practice 3 × 1 to 3 × 10. 3 × 11 and 3 × 12 complete the table up to 12, which schools in England expect by Year 4.
What Grade Learns the 3 Times Table?
The 3 times table is a 3rd grade skill in the US, usually learned at ages 8-9. Common Core standard 3.OA.C.7 expects children to know all one-digit multiplication facts, up to 9 × 9, from memory by the end of grade 3. In England, the 3, 4 and 8 times tables are a Year 3 objective, usually at ages 7-8, and all tables up to 12 are in the Year 4 multiplication tables check.
- Age
- 8-9
- US grade
- Grade 3
- Standard
- Common Core 3.OA.C.7
- England
- Year 3
What Parents Say About MathHero
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“my son has been frustrated at his speed at multiplication and division. I downloaded this to help build his skills.”
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Multiplication by 3 Games: Common Questions
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