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Topmarks Maths

Topmarks Hit the Button times table questions maths mission

A practical mini-mission using times table questions to practise inverse thinking through questions, examples and child-friendly challenges.

Quick answer

Topmarks Hit the Button is a fun online maths game where you practice times table questions, including inverse thinking – working out how many groups or how many items are in each group.

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will understand how to use times tables to solve problems where you know the total and need to find how many groups or how many items are in each group. You will be able to solve inverse multiplication and division problems. Success signs:
  • You can solve a multiplication problem like 3 x 4 = 12
  • You can work out how many groups there are in a total, like 12 ÷ 3 = 4
  • You can solve real-life problems using times tables
  • You can use the game to practice your times tables and inverse thinking

Why this matters

Inverse thinking is super useful in maths and everyday life. It helps you work out how many groups there are or how many items are in each group when you know the total. For example, if you have 12 sweets and want to share them equally among 3 friends, you need to work out how many sweets each friend gets. That’s inverse thinking! It’s also helpful when you're shopping, cooking, or playing games where you need to split things fairly.

How it works

Inverse thinking means working backwards from the answer to find one of the parts. In times tables, it's like:
  • You know the total (like 12)
  • You know one part (like 3 groups)
  • You need to find the other part (how many sweets in each group)
We can solve this using multiplication or division. For example:
  1. 3 x 4 = 12 (this is multiplication)
  2. 12 ÷ 3 = 4 (this is division – inverse of multiplication)

Examples you can see

Let’s imagine you have 12 apples and want to put them into bags with 3 apples in each bag. How many bags do you need?
  • We know the total: 12 apples
  • We know how many in each group: 3 apples per bag
  • We need to find how many bags: 12 ÷ 3 = 4 bags
Here's a table to show this in a different way:
Total Apples Apples per Bag Number of Bags
12 3 4
12 4 3
12 6 2
Another example: You have 24 cookies and want to share them equally among 6 friends. How many cookies does each friend get?
  • 24 ÷ 6 = 4 cookies each
You can also think of this as: 6 x 4 = 24 cookies in total.

Try it as a mini adventure

Adventure: The Cookie Swap Challenge You are a cookie baker and you have 24 cookies to pack into boxes. Each box can hold 4 cookies.
  1. First time: How many boxes do you need? 24 ÷ 4 = 6 boxes
  2. Second time: If you have 6 boxes, how many cookies go in each box? 24 ÷ 6 = 4 cookies
  3. Third time: You decide to pack 3 cookies in each box. How many boxes do you need? 24 ÷ 3 = 8 boxes
  4. Fourth time: You have 8 boxes and each holds 3 cookies. How many cookies do you have in total? 8 x 3 = 24 cookies

Common mistakes

  • Mistake: Thinking that 12 ÷ 3 = 9 instead of 4.
    Why it happens: Mixing up the operation or confusing division with subtraction.
    Fix: Use your times tables! If 3 x 4 = 12, then 12 ÷ 3 = 4.
  • Mistake: Forgetting that 0 ÷ 5 = 0.
    Why it happens: Not understanding that zero divided by any number is zero.
    Fix: Remember: if you have zero cookies and 5 friends, each friend gets zero cookies.
  • Mistake: Thinking 12 ÷ 4 = 3 and 12 ÷ 3 = 4 are the same.
    Why it happens: Confusing which number is the group size and which is the total.
    Fix: Always check if you're finding how many groups or how many items in each group.

Parent and carer guide

Parents and carers can help by:
  • Playing Topmarks Hit the Button together and focusing on inverse thinking
  • Using real-life examples like sharing snacks or arranging toys into groups
  • Practising division and multiplication together, like "If we have 18 crayons and 3 boxes, how many crayons go in each box?"
  • Encouraging children to explain their thinking, like "How did you work that out?"
  • Not worrying if they make mistakes – it's part of learning!

Practice questions

  1. 15 ÷ 3 = ?
  2. 20 ÷ 4 = ?
  3. 18 ÷ 6 = ?
  4. 24 ÷ 8 = ?
  5. 12 ÷ 2 = ?
  6. 10 ÷ 5 = ?
  7. 30 ÷ 6 = ?
  8. 25 ÷ 5 = ?
  9. 16 ÷ 4 = ?
  10. 21 ÷ 3 = ?
Answers:
  1. 5
  2. 5
  3. 3
  4. 3
  5. 6
  6. 2
  7. 5
  8. 5
  9. 4
  10. 7

FAQ

What is Topmarks Hit the Button?

Topmarks Hit the Button is an online maths game that helps children practice times tables and other mental maths skills quickly and funnily.

How does it help with inverse thinking?

It helps by giving you multiplication and division questions where you have to work backwards to find the missing number – a key part of inverse thinking.

Why is inverse thinking important?

It helps you solve real-life problems like sharing things fairly, working out how many items are in each group, and understanding how multiplication and division are connected.

Can I use this at home?

Yes! You can play the game at home and use everyday examples to practice inverse thinking with your child.

What times tables should I focus on?

Start with the 2s, 5s, and 10s, then move on to 3s, 4s, and 6s. The more you practice, the faster you’ll get!