🧠✨ 5 Mental Math Tricks That’ll Make You Faster Than a Calculator!

Ten is the friendliest number in the world. Everyone loves ten. It’s round, it’s simple, and it makes addition way easier.

Here’s how it works:

Let’s say you’re adding 8 + 6.

Your brain might go, “Oh no… too hard!” 😵‍💫

But wait — we can make a ten!

👉 Take 2 from the 6 and add it to 8.

That gives you 10.

Now you have 10 + 4 = 14.

Ta-da! 🎉

Why it works: Our brains like working with tens because they’re easy to count by — like steps on a staircase.

Parent tip: Practice this with toys, candies, or cereal pieces. “You have 8, I’ll give you 2 more. How many now?”

This one’s sneaky smart. When two numbers are almost the same, just double one and adjust a little.

Example:

49 + 51

Both are close to 50, right? So, instead of doing it the long way:

👉 Double 50: that’s 100.

Done. No calculator, no drama. 😎

Another one:

23 + 22 → double 22: that’s 44, then add 1 more → 45.

Why it works: Numbers love balance! If they’re close, you can use symmetry to save time.

Parent tip: Try this during grocery shopping: “If one apple costs 49 cents and another 51, how much for both?”

Big numbers? Don’t panic — chop them up!

Example:

27 + 36

Split them into tens and ones:

👉 (20 + 30) + (7 + 6)

= 50 + 13 = 63.

Easier, right? It’s like building Lego blocks — you put the big pieces first, then fill in the gaps. 🧱

Why it works: Your brain loves patterns. Breaking things apart helps you see structure instead of chaos.

Parent tip: Try this while cooking! “We need 27 grams of sugar and 36 grams of flour. How much total?”

This one’s for multiplication and estimation pros! You round a number to make it friendly, calculate fast, and then fix your answer.

Example:

198 × 5

That’s annoying to multiply, right? But what if we round?

👉 200 × 5 = 1000

Now fix it: you added 2 too much × 5 → subtract 10.

✅ 1000 - 10 = 990.

You did that in your head, like a math ninja. 🥷💨

Why it works: Rounding makes big, ugly numbers smooth and simple to play with.

Parent tip: Use it for prices: “If something costs €19.80 and you buy 5 of them, about how much will it be?”

This is a classic — and it feels like magic when you get it right.

If one number is even, half it and double the other. The result stays the same!

Example:

25 × 16

Half 16 → 8, double 25 → 50.

Now it’s 50 × 8 = 400.

Mind. Blown. 🤯

Why it works: When you half one number and double the other, the total stays equal — like balancing a seesaw. ⚖️

Parent tip: Turn it into a riddle:

“If 4 × 6 = 24, what’s 2 × 12? Still 24! Cool, right?”