Students can play this online game (at www.arcademicskillbuilders.com) by Academic Skill Builders privately or publicly. They can play alone or with up to three other players. Players receive problems such as -5 x 4 and must select correct answers from four possible choices. When the game ends, the players are ranked. Players receive scores and view missed problems.
This online game by XP Math (at xpmath.com) allows students 60 seconds to answer a series of multiplication problems. It keeps a running score and shows the number of remaining minutes. At the end of the round, students receive their scores and can review the problems they missed.
This online game by Sheppard Software (at sheppardsoftware.com) has a twist that makes students think analytically. Several balls, containing problems such as 2 x 6 and -8 x 5, float on the screen. Players must click on the balls in ascending order of their products.
This mental math game works best with an entire class. Create a set of integer multiplication cards. Distribute a card to each student; make sure that all the cards are used. An example card would read, "I have -45. Who has 6 x -2?" The person holding the "I have -12" card responds and then reads his question, "Who has -8 x -9?" The series continues until it loops back to the first card reader.
Purchase sets of dice containing positive and negative numbers at a teacher supply store. Players roll two dice and record the products. The winner is the person with the highest total at the end of 10 rounds. Students can challenge one another's answers by checking them on a calculator.
Give each team a deck of cards. Either take out face cards or assign them numbers: jack, 11; queen, 12; king, 13. Red cards are positive numbers and black cards are negative numbers. The dealer distributes all the cards. Cards are kept face down. Players turn over their top two cards and multiply them. The player with the greatest total picks up his opponents' cards. The winner is the player who accumulates the most cards.