Launching Our First Times Table App 🚀

A Simple Solution for Quick Time Table Practice

In September, when Char returned to school for Year Four and began preparing for her 11-plus exam, we noticed that she was doing reasonably well with her times tables, but there was room for improvement in terms of speed. She could answer the questions, but it took her a bit of thinking time. Naturally, I wanted to help her practice more efficiently and get quicker at solving these questions.

We looked at several options and discovered that practicing times tables in a game-like format was much more engaging. We found a times table card game that turned practice into a fun challenge. Char and I would take turns answering times table questions within a time limit, adding penalties for wrong answers and keeping score to see who could get the most correct answers. This method was not only fun, but it also kept her interested in practicing regularly.

However, the physical cards were a bit of a hassle to shuffle and deal with, and while writing out questions on paper worked as well, it didn’t quite capture the same level of fun. That’s when we had the idea to create a simple app that would simulate this times table card game.

After a lot of discussion, Char and I decided to build two apps: one that’s quick and simple to use, and another that’s more fun and engaging. I would take the lead in designing the first one, which we’re calling ⚡️ Quick Times Table , and she would lead the design of the more fun version (the current name is 👹 Monster Times Table ).

Quick Times Table

Quick Times Table is a no-frills app, designed for parents and children who want to squeeze in a quick practice session when they have a few minutes to spare. With just a couple of taps, users can select the times table they want to practice and set how many questions they’d like to answer. Once the practice is done, the app shows the results, and that’s it—no extra features, just a fast and easy way to practice.

We’ve just submitted the app to the App Store and are excited to see how it will be received. Moving forward, we plan to add features that will make the app more useful, such as progress tracking and drills for practicing any wrong answers. Our goal is to keep the app simple (i.e. no monsters 👹), but effective in helping children improve their times tables.

This the the Yue&Char Games’ first app project. We hope to build something useful for day to day parenting life. Let me know if you’d like to make any changes or additions!