At a restaurant, ask them to mentally calculate the 10% or 20% tip before you look at the receipt.
This is a lifesaver for multiplication tables that haven't been memorized yet. It simplifies complex problems into manageable ones. Mental Math Kids Can't Resist!: Tips, Short-cut...
Most kids struggle with numbers that require "carrying" or "borrowing." Friendly numbers make those problems disappear. At a restaurant, ask them to mentally calculate
Take the two-digit number, split the digits, and put their sum in the middle. Example: 35 x 11 Split the 3 and the 5: 3 _ 5 Sandwich the 8 in the middle: 385 Most kids struggle with numbers that require "carrying"
This is how our brains naturally read, so it feels more intuitive than the "stacking" method. 5. Squaring Numbers Ending in 5 This one makes kids look like absolute geniuses. The Trick: To square a number like 25, 35, or 75: The answer always ends in 25.