Rainbow Skies for Teachers

Most of us were taught that play is what kids get once the real work is done. Liz reckons that's backwards. Play can be the learning itself, and for kids aged 7 to 11 it's often the quickest way in.
Liz is the founder of Playful Learning Games, and in this chat she walks us through games you can run tomorrow with a deck of cards, a handful of dice and a stack of post-it notes. No laminating, no budget, no prep. She also takes on every pushback we've all made. No time. No space. It'll be chaos… it actually turns out play tends to settle a class rather than wind it up!
In this episode, we cover:
Why play works best as the learning itself, not a reward at the end of the lesson
The honest answer to "I don't have the time, the space or the resources"
How play-based math sits alongside curriculum pressure and test prep
Games using only a deck of cards or dice 
Fun Place Value games you can try with your class
Teaching fractions with paper plates and Play-Doh
Why running the same game all week is what makes your expectations stick
What's the topic your class switches off for every single year? Tell us over on Instagram and we'll see if we can dig up a game for it.
Rainbows ahead,
Alisha and Ashleigh
Enjoying the Podcast?
If you're loving Rainbow Skies for Teachers, we'd be so grateful if you could subscribe, leave a review and share this episode with a teacher friend. Your support helps us reach more educators and continue inspiring teachers around the world.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Connect with Liz on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok
Playful Learning Games website: www.playfullearninggames.co.uk
2 Weeks 2 Learn website and Instagram
Rainbow Sky’s UNO Math Games.

About Today's Guest
Liz is the founder of Playful Learning Games, which provides printable games and resources to support the teaching of English and math for 6 to 11 year olds, through play. She believes we should all learn through play, no matter our age.
About the Podcaster: Ashleigh Smith
Ashleigh Smith is an experienced primary educator, former school leader and Co-Founder of Rainbow Sky Creations. With almost 20 years in education, Ashleigh has taught in Australia and internationally in Dubai, UAE. Today, she draws on her classroom and leadership experience to create practical, engaging resources that save teachers time and make learning meaningful and fun. A passionate cheerleader for teachers, Ashleigh is all about helping educators work smarter, not harder. She also co-hosts the Rainbow Skies for Teachers podcast, sharing practical ideas, strategies and encouragement with primary teachers around the world. Connect with her on Instagram or LinkedIn.
Let's hear from you! Text us!

In a world of screens and devices, handwriting can feel a bit old-school. But the research keeps landing on the same thing: when students physically write, they process, organise and remember more. In this episode we’re making the case for keeping the pencil in your math lessons, and showing you exactly how.
We get into why writing by hand builds stronger brain connections (there’s a fascinating Norwegian study on this), why explaining your thinking matters far more than just landing the right answer, and how short bursts of writing beat long, draining sessions. Then we hand you five simple strategies you can bring into your classroom this week, no fancy prep required.
In this episode, we cover:
The research behind why handwriting boosts learning and recall
Getting students to explain their reasoning, not just write the answer
Low-key ways to build the written-explanation habit
Swapping multiple choice for written responses through investigations and problem-solving
Speedy number booklets for quick, ten-minute written practice that builds stamina and confidence
The “My favourite No” and “Second-Chance Strategy” for spotting and fixing mistakes 
Hands-on games with a recording element, yes, even your favourite UNO activities
Are you team pencil or team screen in your math lessons? Come share how you balance the two, we love hearing what actually works in your classroom.
Rainbows ahead,
Alisha and Ashleigh
Enjoying the Podcast?
If you’re loving Rainbow Skies for Teachers, we’d be so grateful if you could subscribe, leave a review and share this episode with a teacher friend. Your support helps us reach more educators and continue inspiring teachers around the world.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
The handwriting and math blog post 
Speedy Number booklets 
UNO card game math activities 

About Rainbow Sky Creations
Ashleigh Smith and Alisha Hughes are experienced primary educators and the co-founders of Rainbow Sky Creations. With more than 30 years of combined classroom experience teaching in Australia and internationally, they create practical, engaging resources that help primary teachers save time and make learning meaningful and fun. Together, they also host the Rainbow Skies for Teachers podcast, sharing classroom ideas, teacher tips and real-world strategies with educators around the world. Connect with us on Instagram or LinkedIn.
Let's hear from you! Text us!

Ask a room full of grade 3 and 4 teachers what their students are stuck on, and times tables come up every single time. It’s one of the most requested topics from our listener surveys, so we knew it was time to sit down and talk about it (again!).
In this episode we’re sharing the simple, low-prep games we actually love for building multiplication fact fluency, the kind you can slot into ten minutes a day without piling more onto your plate. We also get honest about our own tricky facts (sevens were Ash’s nemesis, and eight times eight still trips Alisha up), because fluency was never about being perfect. It’s about practice that sticks. If your students freeze the second they have to recall a fact, this one’s for you.
In this episode, we cover:
Why ten minutes of daily practice beats the occasional big push, and how habit stacking makes it stick
Flip It and Times It, our card game for targeting specific times tables
Spin and Multiply, a game that differentiates in seconds so every student practises at their own level
Dots and Boxes, a strategy favourite that builds mathematical thinking, sportsmanship and social skills
Chatterbox / fortune tellers that are self-correcting, fun to make, and easy to send home
Speedy Numbers, a timed activity for building automaticity and tracking personal progress
A little sneak peek at what’s coming next (hello, division)
Don't forget this is just the beginning… We are working on our multiplication and division fluency pathway. Join the waitlist if you want a hassle-free, done-for-you programme that will get your students automatic in their multiplication and division recall.
Rainbows ahead,
Alisha and Ashleigh
Enjoying the Podcast?
If you’re loving Rainbow Skies for Teachers, we’d be so grateful if you could subscribe, leave a review and share this episode with a teacher friend. Your support helps us reach more educators and continue inspiring teachers around the world.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Flip It and Times It, free version is linked here 
Spin and Multiply 
Dots and Boxes 
Multiplication Chatterboxes
Speedy Numbers - Multiplication
Our new multiplication fluency program - JOIN THE WAITLIST HERE
About Rainbow Sky Creations
Ashleigh Smith and Alisha Hughes are experienced primary educators and the co-founders of Rainbow Sky Creations. With more than 30 years of combined classroom experience teaching in Australia and internationally, they create practical, engaging resources that help primary teachers save time and make learning meaningful and fun. Together, they also host the Rainbow Skies for Teachers podcast, sharing classroom ideas, teacher tips and real-world strategies with educators around the world. Connect with us on Instagram or LinkedIn.
Let's hear from you! Text us!

What do our students really think about the way we teach?
We spend so much time planning lessons, building relationships and trying to create classrooms where every child can thrive. But sometimes, the best thing we can do is simply ask a kid what they think. So, that’s exactly what we did!
In this episode, we’re handing the mic to 11-year-old Monte to get his completely unfiltered take on what makes a great teacher, what makes learning actually fun and what teachers might not realise about the students sitting in front of them each day.
And let’s just say… he has thoughts!
Monte shares why trust matters so much, why some kids won’t ask for help even when they’re completely stuck, and the simple things teachers can do from day one to help students feel safe, liked and believed in.
We also chat about what makes a lesson memorable (spoiler: worksheets aren’t high on Monte’s list), why kids need opportunities to move, play and learn outside, and how the timing of different types of lessons can make a difference to how students engage.
Then, we put Monte through a rapid-fire round covering everything from partner work and reading aloud to maths games, choosing seats, hard questions and what teachers should STOP and START doing in their classrooms.
This episode is a fun reminder that while we’re busy thinking about curriculum, assessment and everything else on our never-ending teacher to-do lists, our students are experiencing school from a completely different perspective.
And sometimes, their insights are exactly what we need to hear.
In this episode, we chat about:
What an 11-year-old thinks makes a truly great teacher
Why feeling liked, trusted and believed in matters to students
What makes lessons genuinely fun and engaging
Why some students don’t ask for help when they’re struggling
The classroom activities kids would choose over worksheets
Monte’s rapid-fire classroom likes, dislikes and teacher recommendations
If there’s one takeaway from this conversation, it’s that relationships matter. When our students know we like them, believe in them and are there to support them when things get hard, we’re creating the conditions they need to take risks and learn.
And perhaps we can throw in a few more maths games while we’re at it!
Rainbows ahead,
Alisha and Ashleigh
Enjoying the Podcast?
If you’re loving Rainbow Skies for Teachers, we’d be so grateful if you could subscribe, leave a review and share this episode with a teacher friend. Your support helps us reach more educators and continue inspiring teachers around the world.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Check out Monte’s favourite UNO Math Games
Find Halloween Inspired Math Resources here
Listen to our Episode about Outdoor Learning here
About Today’s Guest
Monte is a Grade 5 student, sports lover and maths fan who, like many kids his age, has his ups and downs when it comes to loving school!
As the eldest of three children and the only boy in the family, Monte loves surfing, bike riding, sport and pretty much anything that gets him outdoors. He also has a special connection to Rainbow Sky Creations because it all began when his mum was on maternity leave with him, making Monte the little inspiration behind where it all started.
Over the years, Monte has been an unofficial Rainbow Sky product tester, trying out countless games, sharing his ideas and suggesting clever tweaks to maths activities to make them even better for students in classrooms around the world.
About the Podcaster: Ashleigh Smith
Ashleigh Smith is an experienced primary educator, former school leader and Co-Founder of Rainbow Sky Creations. With almost 20 years in education, Ashleigh has taught in Australia and internationally in Dubai, UAE. Today, she draws on her classroom and leadership experience to create practical, engaging resources that save teachers time and make learning meaningful and fun. A passionate cheerleader for teachers, Ashleigh is all about helping educators work smarter, not harder. She also co-hosts the Rainbow Skies for Teachers podcast, sharing practical ideas, strategies and encouragement with primary teachers around the world. Connect with her on Instagram or LinkedIn.

APPLE PODCAST | SPOTIFY | AMAZON
Let's hear from you! Text us!

Ever handed out a “math game” that was really just a worksheet with a dice on top? You’re not alone, and this episode will change how you choose games from now on.
This week Ashleigh sits down with James Russo, a maths education researcher from Monash who spends his days in real primary classrooms testing what actually works. James unpacks the difference between a genuine math game and a gamified worksheet, why the maths has to be baked into the game rather than bolted on top, and the small teacher moves that turn a bit of fun into real mathematical thinking. If you love a good classroom game but sometimes wonder whether your students are actually learning from it, this one’s for you. 
In this episode, we cover:
What separates a real math game from a gamified worksheet, and why it matters
3 things every good math game needs
How to pause a game for a quick mathematical investigation
Using “beat the teacher” and pair play to harness competition without the chaos
Why your energy as the teacher is the secret ingredient to engagement
What’s the one math game your class begs to play? Come tell us over on Instagram, we’re always hunting for new favourites to try.
Rainbows ahead,
Alisha and Ashleigh
Enjoying the Podcast?
If you’re loving Rainbow Skies for Teachers, we’d be so grateful if you could subscribe, leave a review and share this episode with a teacher friend. Your support helps us reach more educators and continue inspiring teachers around the world.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
James’s free math games: surfmaths.com/games
Email James: james.russo@monash.edu
Rainbow Sky Creations UNO Math games
About Today’s Guest
James Russo is a mathematics education researcher and teacher educator with a strong interest in how mathematical games support meaningful learning in classrooms. He’s a Senior Lecturer in Mathematics Education at Monash University and spends a lot of time in primary classrooms working alongside teachers, trying out ideas, tinkering with tasks and games, and exploring how small design choices shape students’ mathematical thinking. James has written extensively for teacher audiences and is a former editor of Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom and Prime Number. He’s known for hands-on, classroom-focused presentations drawn straight from everyday teaching practice.
About the Podcaster: Ashleigh Smith
Ashleigh Smith is an experienced primary educator, former school leader and Co-Founder of Rainbow Sky Creations. With almost 20 years in education, Ashleigh has taught in Australia and internationally in Dubai, UAE. Today, she draws on her classroom and leadership experience to create practical, engaging resources that save teachers time and make learning meaningful and fun. A passionate cheerleader for teachers, Ashleigh is all about helping educators work smarter, not harder. She also co-hosts the Rainbow Skies for Teachers podcast, sharing practical ideas, strategies and encouragement with primary teachers around the world. Connect with her on Instagram or LinkedIn.

APPLE PODCAST | SPOTIFY | AMAZON
Let's hear from you! Text us!