FunKey Maths

FunKey Maths We love game-based learning as much as kids do! More about us: https://www.funkeymaths.com/

Check out our Cards for and and our innovative programmes.

19/09/2026

Make times tables stick with Funkey Maths! Maths resources for parents and teachers. Made by teachers.

18/09/2026

What if times tables didn’t just get remembered… but actually clicked?

When children can see patterns, make connections and enjoy the process, confidence starts to grow and learning is far more likely to stick.

Join us for Make Times Tables Stick, a free 45-minute Zoom workshop packed with practical ideas for primary teachers and tutors.

📅 1 October
⏰ 3.45pm
💻 Free via Zoom
🔗 Book through the link in our bio

Some children practise their times tables repeatedly but still struggle to recall individual facts when they need them.T...
15/09/2026

Some children practise their times tables repeatedly but still struggle to recall individual facts when they need them.

That doesn’t necessarily mean they need more testing. They may need a different way to understand, rehearse and remember multiplication.

Former teacher and FunKey Maths founder Maggie Steel has spent years exploring how visual patterns and number relationships can help children make sense of times tables.

In this free online workshop, Maggie will explain why times tables may not be sticking and share practical ideas that teachers and teaching assistants can use with pupils who need more support.

📅 1 October
⏰ 3.45 pm
💻 Free online workshop

It’s for primary teachers, teaching assistants, maths leads, SENDCos and teacher creators who share useful classroom ideas with their communities.

Save this post, send it to a colleague and register through the link in our bio.

13/09/2026

They knew it yesterday. Today it’s gone.

Many primary teachers recognise this pattern: a child can chant a times table but cannot reliably recall an individual multiplication fact or use it in context.

That does not automatically mean the child needs more of exactly the same practice.

Over the next two weeks, we’ll look at practical ways to support children who struggle to retain times tables.

Our free 45-minute online workshop for primary teachers takes place on October 1 at 3.45 pm.

Registration is available through the link in our bio.

We’ve been quiet for a while. Earlier this year, Maggie became seriously unwell and FunKey Maths had to pause while she ...
12/09/2026

We’ve been quiet for a while.

Earlier this year, Maggie became seriously unwell and FunKey Maths had to pause while she recovered.

She is now returning gradually, with a sharper focus on helping primary teachers support children who struggle to retain times tables.

Over the next fortnight we’ll be sharing practical primary maths teaching ideas, classroom demonstrations and honest insight into times tables intervention, leading to a free online workshop for teachers on October 1st.

We’re glad to be back. Follow along if this is a challenge you recognise in your classroom. 💪

Teachers spend hours planning interventions…But one of the most effective ones we’ve seen doesn’t need extra teaching ti...
26/03/2026

Teachers spend hours planning interventions…

But one of the most effective ones we’ve seen doesn’t need extra teaching time.

It uses something schools already have:

👉 older pupils.

When structured properly, peer mentoring:
• builds confidence in both children
• improves maths outcomes
• completely changes attitudes to maths

We’ve seen pupils who wouldn’t put their hand up suddenly explaining maths to someone else.

That shift is huge.

And the best part?

It takes pressure off teachers too.

If you’re looking for a maths intervention that actually sticks, this is well worth exploring.

👉 Comment “MENTOR” or click the link in bio and we’ll send you more details.

15/03/2026

Two 7-year-olds.

One simple task: show 3 groups of 7 and 7 groups of 3 using 1p coins.
Easy… right? 🤔

What happens next is a funny disagreement about whose coins show 3 sevens and whose show 7 threes. It’s a great question!

👉 Which way do you look at an array?
Vertically?
Horizontally?

For children just getting to grips with multiplication, arrays can be surprisingly ambiguous. One arrangement can be described in two different ways depending on how you scan it.

This little moment perfectly captures something many teachers see in the classroom: arrays make sense once multiplication is secure, but for beginners they can sometimes cause confusion.

💬 What do you think?
Do you share concerns about introducing arrays as the first representation of multiplication? If so, what do you use instead?
Or do you find they work well with younger learners?

Watch the 7 year olds debate it… and tell us:
Which way do you see the array?

15/03/2026

Two 7-year-olds just explained the connection between
2, 7 and 14
using 1p coins. 🪙
No instructions.
No one telling them the answer.
Just a FunKey Maths card on the table showing the factors… and time to think.
Watch them:
✨ explore the connections
✨ explain their ideas
✨ work as a team
Also… please can we talk about what a great little teacher she is?! 😄
Proof that when children are given time and something concrete, they can discover powerful mathematical connections for themselves.

03/03/2026

She got it wrong.
But then she tried again, and I love that! 💛
And then she did it once more — just for fun!

This is what real learning looks like.

Our counting masks make step counting playful — and they’re colour-coded to match our FunKey Times Table cards, helping children to make connections.

Teachers & parents — I’ve made the 2s, 5s and 10s masks available as a FREE download.

Comment “MASK” and I’ll DM you the link 💛

The step-counting PowerPoints from our viral video are available for whole-class teaching (link in bio).

27/02/2026

Have you ever tried using a Counting Stick to teach a times table….. for me it was CHAOS 😅

Numbers upside down.
In the wrong place.
Dropped mid-count.
Children confused.
Me completely tangled.

I was a PGCE student and the legendary Jill Mansergh had just taught my whole PGCE class the 17× table in FIVE minutes. It was so powerful and I was ready and raring.

But when it came to managing the physical stick while teaching? Not so simple.

So, I created a digital version for teachers like me.

✨ All the benefits of the Counting Stick
✨ Strong visual structure
✨ Whole-class engagement

And NONE of the juggling.

With the digital version teachers can focus on the maths — not the stick.

Sometimes the best resources come from classroom disasters 💛

Want to use this in your classroom? Comment ‘YES’ to receive a DM link to our SHOP! The Step Counting PowerPoints will save you hours and your students will love them!😃

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