Speed! - Multiplication - The Right Age to Begin

When little ones start playing Speed! they usually look at the bead chain pictures in the middle of the cards or count to figure out what card to play next. It doesn't take them long to speed up because they want to win.  If kids can count and have an attention span long enough to learn a few rules of play they are old enough to play Speed! For some this happens around 4 or 5 years old.

My daughter wanted to play at 4 years old because her siblings were playing. I didn't think she was ready, but she had an excellent attention span so I let her try. Surprisingly enough she did well. At five years old she has mastered Two and Three Speed and can now easily skip count by both numbers. She is starting to understand the concept of multiplication, and her head is already filled with the answers.

The competitive nature of Speed! really appeals to kids starting around age 7 or 8 and continuing through adulthood. My son is nine and loves playing Speed! It makes him feel independent because he is playing a grown-up game. He uses skip counting to figure out multiplication. He doesn't need a calculator or cheat sheet and can use this skill to work higher level problems.