How to quickly learn addition facts with a math facts game

Ages ago when I was a teacher I made loads and loads of file folder games.  I would sit and watch Deep Space Nine on DVD and color all of those silly games, and then take them down to the teacher supply store and laminate them.  This huge stockpile of games has finally paid off in our homeschool math lessons, I was able to pull them out.

Where our math facts game came from

I started rummaging through my old teaching stuff and found this great game from Instant File Folder Games (affiliate link).  I highly recommend this book for some fun early elementary math games.  Future Ticia speaking now, sadly there are not really any GOOD books like this for upper elementary that I’ve found.  Much sadness.

How we used the math facts game

Before playing the game I set them to figuring out all of the ways they could make nine using two addends.  I put out the nine for them to build on, and they happily set to it.

Eventually they had a small handful of equations that added up to 9.  Or, the boys did.  Princess on the other hand, sat there insisting she wasn’t able to do it until I showed her how it was done.  She’s going to be one I have to figure out what to do.  She’s capable but second guesses herself way too often.

Eventually we got down to playing the game.  It’s quite simple, you take off two numbers that add up to 9 and go around until all of the numbers have been taken.  The person with the most numbers wins.  YEAH!

I’m trying to think of some other fun ones like this, any theme suggestions for making it?