WheelWhirl

3 Times Table Wheel – Spin to Practice the 3s

About this 3 times table wheel

Spin this 3 times table wheel and it lands on one fact from the table, from 3 × 1 to 3 × 12. The answer stays hidden until someone presses Reveal, so students say their answer first and the whole class checks it together. Tricycles, triangles and the three lights on a traffic signal make good warm-up questions: how many wheels do 6 tricycles have?

Last updated

New here? See how the wheel works: entries, odds, winners, sound and sharing.

Streaming this wheel on Twitch or YouTube?

Open it in the Streamer Studio with a transparent OBS overlay and chat-powered entries.

Open in Streamer Studio

How to use the 3 times table wheel

  1. 1

    Spin the wheel to pick a 3 times table fact at random.

  2. 2

    Ask a student, a pair or the whole class to answer before anyone presses Reveal.

  3. 3

    Press Reveal to show the answer. Turn on "Remove winner after each spin" to work through all twelve facts without repeats.

Ways to use this wheel

  • Digit-sum detectives: Before anyone presses Reveal, the class adds the digits of the answer they have in mind. If the total is not 3, 6 or 9, they know to think again, and the reveal shows who caught their own mistake.
  • Home practice: Share the link with families so children can spin a few facts each evening.
  • Lesson warm-up: Five spins at the start of class, answers on mini whiteboards, then reveal.

Tricks for the 3 times table

Add up the digits of any answer in the 3 times table and you always get 3, 6 or 9: 3 × 7 = 21 and 2 + 1 = 3; 3 × 8 = 24 and 2 + 4 = 6. That gives students a way to check an answer they are unsure of.

Another route is "double plus one more": 3 × 6 is 6 + 6 + 6, or double 6 (12) plus 6, which is 18. Students who know the 2 times table can build the 3s from it.

The 3s facts that trip students up

The middle facts trip people up most: 3 × 7 = 21, 3 × 8 = 24 and 3 × 9 = 27. Counting in threes up to 36 a few times a week fixes most of these quickly.

All 12 entries on this wheel

  • 3 × 1
  • 3 × 2
  • 3 × 3
  • 3 × 4
  • 3 × 5
  • 3 × 6
  • 3 × 7
  • 3 × 8
  • 3 × 9
  • 3 × 10
  • 3 × 11
  • 3 × 12

Frequently asked questions

Why does the digit trick work for the 3 times table?

Because 10 is one more than 9, a number and the sum of its digits always leave the same remainder when divided by 3. So if a number is in the 3 times table, its digit sum is too.

What is 3 × 7?

3 × 7 = 21. Think of it as 7 + 7 + 7, or double 7 (14) plus one more 7.

Is there a trick for the 3 times table?

Yes. The digits of every answer add up to 3, 6 or 9 (for example 3 × 8 = 24, and 2 + 4 = 6). You can also double the number and add it once more.

What is 3 × 12?

3 × 12 = 36. Work it out as 3 × 10 = 30 plus 3 × 2 = 6.

What is on the 3 Times Table Wheel?

It opens with 12 entries: 3 × 1, 3 × 2, 3 × 3, 3 × 4, 3 × 5 and 7 more. Everything on it is editable, so you can swap in your own list in a few seconds.

What can I use this wheel for?

People use it in a classroom, a tutoring session or a homework routine. Popular ideas include Digit-sum detectives, Home practice and Lesson warm-up. For example, Digit-sum detectives: before anyone presses Reveal, the class adds the digits of the answer they have in mind. If the total is not 3, 6 or 9, they know to think again, and the reveal shows who caught their own mistake.

Related wheels

All Classroom & Education wheels