4 Times Table
Ready to Pack a Perfect Picnic?
You’re making small sandwiches for a picnic! Each friend gets 4 sandwiches to eat. If 2 friends join, multiply 2 by 4—yay!
That’s 8 sandwiches for a tasty day!
The 4 Times Table for Kids
Multiplying by 4 means double‑double—double a number, then double it again. This pattern helps kids link the 4 table to the 2 table they already know.
Examples
- 🚗 Car Wheels: In a toy garage there are 4 miniature cars. Each car has 4 wheels, so 4 × 4 reveals 16 little wheels ready to zoom.
- 🌳 Seasonal Tree Photos: A photographer snaps one photo of a tall oak in each of the 4 seasons. That’s 4 seasons × 1 tree = 4 lovely photos showing spring through winter.
- 🧩 Puzzle Spares: Four puzzle boxes each include 3 spare pieces in case any get lost. Calculating 4 × 3 tells you there are 12 extra pieces waiting in the box.
- 🥞 Pancake Breakfast: You stack pancakes on 4 plates and place 5 fluffy pancakes on each plate. Multiplying 4 × 5 serves up 20 pancakes for a hungry crew.
Hacks & Tricks
- 🔀 Double‑Double Shortcut: 4 × 7 → double 7 = 14, double 14 = 28.
- 🏃 Skip‑Jump Count: Hop 0, 4, 8, 12 … on a number line.
- 🎮 Gamepad ‘X’: The X has 4 arms—think sets of four.
- 📐 Square Numbers: 4, 16, 36 … spot squares along the way.
FAQ
Q: What’s the quickest way to work out 4 × any number?
Double the number, then double it again—it’s faster than memorising every fact.
Q: Why are 4s useful in computing?
Data often moves in 4‑byte ‘nibbles’ and screen resolutions use multiples of 4.
Q: How can I make practising 4s fun?
Play ‘four‑corners tag’ where each corner represents 4, 8, 12 or 16 and kids dash to the answer.
Q: How do 4s connect to fractions?
Many everyday fractions (¼ pizza, ½ hour) pivot on multiples of 4.
📄 Printable Resources
