Probably an old one! For speedy recall of multiplication tables, two children stand up opposite each other and the teacher calls out a random table (or the ones they have been focussing on) and the child to answer first is the winner.

If the children are well matched they tend to shout them out at exactly the same time and the round can go on for about a dozen or so questions.

The winner gets to pretend to squirt the loser.

Another addition is, if a child stays in for, say, 6 questions they earn a housepoint (or equivalent award).

Its good fun and uses up the last ten minutes of the lesson (a good plenary to write in those planning boxes!)