Free times tables game, and how to make your own

A maths game your child helped design

You'll describe the game to a free AI assistant, paste what it writes into a file, and open it in your browser. Your child chooses the theme, the character and the rewards.

• A quick-fire times tables game that runs in any web browser, on a laptop or a tablet
• A choice of which tables to practise, from 2 to 12
• A 60-second challenge mode and a relaxed practice mode with no clock
• Big number buttons for small fingers, plus keyboard typing
• Streaks, stars and a best score that's remembered
• A "practise these" list of the sums your child got wrong
• Your child's own theme, characters and rewards

Good for: parents helping with times tables homework (including the UK Year 4 multiplication check), home-educating families, and teachers who want a game set to this week's tables.

What you need

Build it in six steps

1. Ask for the game

   Copy this prompt into your AI assistant:

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   I don't know how to code. Please make me a times tables game for a child, that runs in a web browser.
   
   Requirements:
   - ONE single HTML file (HTML, CSS and JavaScript together), no external libraries, no internet needed. I will save it and double-click it.
   - Before playing, let me tick which times tables to include (2 to 12). Remember my choice.
   - A 60-second round. Show one question at a time in very large text, like "7 × 8 = ?".
   - Big, chunky number buttons (0 to 9, delete, and Enter) so it works on a tablet, plus normal keyboard typing.
   - When the answer is right, flash green and go straight to the next question. When it's wrong, show the correct answer for one second, kindly, then move on.
   - Show the score and a countdown bar at the top.
   - At the end, show the score, a "Play again" button and a list of the questions that were answered wrongly.
   - Bright, friendly, uncluttered design with rounded shapes. Nothing scary or flashing too fast.
   
   Please give me the complete file in one code block, then tell me in simple steps how to save and open it.

   Copy the code, paste it into your text editor, and save it as times-tables.html. Double-click it and play a round. You've just made a maths game.

2. Add streaks, stars and a best score

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   That works, thank you. Please add:
   - A streak counter that goes up with each right answer in a row, with a little celebration every 5 in a row (stars or confetti made with CSS, no images).
   - Up to three stars at the end of a round, based on the score.
   - A best score saved in localStorage, with a "New best!" message when it's beaten.
   
   Send me the complete updated file.

   Always ask for the complete file. Replace everything in times-tables.html, save, and refresh the tab (F5 or Cmd+R).

3. Add a gentle practice mode

   Some children freeze when there's a clock. A practice mode takes the pressure off.

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   Please add a "Practice" mode next to the 60-second challenge. In practice mode:
   - There's no timer.
   - If my child gets a question wrong, it comes back again a few questions later until they get it right.
   - Show a friendly progress bar for 20 questions instead of a countdown.
   
   Also add a "Practise my tricky ones" button on the end screen that starts a practice round using only the questions they got wrong.
   
   Send me the complete updated file.

4. Add sounds

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   Please add short, cheerful sounds made with the Web Audio API (so no sound files are needed): a "ding" for a right answer, a soft low "bloop" for a wrong one, and a little tune at the end of a round. Add a big mute button and remember the setting.
   
   Send me the complete updated file.

   Note: browsers only play sound after you've tapped something on the page, so the first sound comes after you press Play.

5. Let your child design the theme

   This is the bit children love. Ask them what the game should look like, and fill in the brackets with their ideas.

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   My child would like the game to be themed around [their idea, e.g. space / dinosaurs / football / unicorns / the ocean].
   
   Please restyle the game to match: colours, a title like "[their title, e.g. Rocket Times Tables]", and a simple character drawn with CSS or emoji that reacts to answers (happy for right, encouraging for wrong). As the score grows, show progress in a way that fits the theme, for example a rocket climbing higher or a dinosaur walking across the screen.
   
   Keep all the buttons big and the questions easy to read. Send me the complete updated file.

6. Track progress over time

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   Please add a "My progress" screen that shows, for each times table from 2 to 12, how many questions have been answered and the percentage right, as a simple coloured bar (red under 60%, amber 60 to 85%, green above 85%). Save it in localStorage on this device only. Add a "Reset progress" button that asks "Are you sure?" first.
   
   Send me the complete updated file.

   Tip: to put the game on a tablet, use free hosting and add the page to the home screen. It then opens like an app.

Quick fixes

On my tablet the number buttons are too small and the page scrolls. Please make the whole game fit the screen without scrolling, with the number pad taking up the bottom half on small screens, and each button at least 64 pixels tall. Send me the complete file.

Twist it into something else

Once the game works, change the first prompt to practise anything:

No adverts, no logins, just their tables

Most free maths game sites are packed with adverts, pop-ups and "upgrade" buttons, and many want a login. Yours has none of that, it works offline, and it practises exactly the tables your child needs this week. Even better, making it together shows your child how the apps they use every day are put together, and that they can have ideas worth building.

What to build next