Multiplication and Division: Share, Group and Grow a Garden
Learn multiplication and division with equal groups, sharing, grouping and arrays, then help Dotty the ladybird fill baskets and feed bunnies.
- Ages 5–8
- About 25 min
- Easy start
- Calculation
Learn multiplication and division with equal groups, sharing, grouping and arrays, then help Dotty the ladybird fill baskets and feed bunnies.
Multiplication and Division: Share, Group and Grow a Garden is a free interactive game that teaches children aged 5–8 how multiplying and dividing work, using equal groups, sharing, grouping and arrays.
Guided step by step by Dotty the ladybird, children put carrots into baskets, share strawberries fairly between hungry bunnies, pack eggs into boxes and plant flowers in rows. Each action builds a number sentence on screen, so they see how 3 groups of 2 becomes 3 × 2 = 6, and how sharing 6 between 3 becomes 6 ÷ 3 = 2.
Along the way they count in 2s, 4s, 5s and 10s, turn an array round to discover that multiplication can be done in any order, and meet fact families. It matches the Year 2 maths curriculum. A final 8-question garden challenge checks what they have learned.
Multiplication is a quick way of adding equal groups. If there are 3 baskets with 2 carrots in each, you can add 2 + 2 + 2, or write 3 × 2 = 6. The groups must be the same size for multiplication to work.
Both are ways of dividing. In sharing, you know how many people there are and give each one the same amount, like 6 strawberries between 3 bunnies. In grouping, you know the size of each group and count how many groups you can make, like eggs in boxes of 2.
An array is a set of objects arranged in equal rows and columns. It helps children see multiplication: 3 rows of 4 flowers makes 12, written 3 × 4 = 12. Turning the array round shows 4 × 3 = 12 too.
The game is designed for children aged 5 to 8 and matches the Year 2 (KS1) maths curriculum in England. Younger children can play with an adult, and older children can use it to refresh the basics before learning times tables.
It has five guided activities, covering equal groups, sharing, grouping, arrays and the × and ÷ signs, plus an 8-question challenge. Playing everything takes about 25 minutes, and progress is saved so children can continue later.
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