Fact Family Houses File Folder Game

Elementary File Folder GamesMathPrintables

Fact families are an excellent teaching tool to use once you start introducing your child to the concepts of addition and subtraction.

It may take them a little bit from the start to fully understand the initial concepts, but once they do, the introduction of fact families can often help them connect the idea of adding numbers together with the idea of subtracting numbers from one another and that’s when you start to see everything click.

Now, you could practice these fact families on a whiteboard or even with some worksheets, but we wanted to find a way to make it a little bit more fun and the fact family houses file folder game was born!

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With these fact family houses, you’ll use three different numbers to create the family of four facts that will live in your house.

Assembling the Fact Family Game

Now, this game couldn’t be easier to put together.  Seriously.

First, you’ll gather up the supplies:

• A manila file folder
• Clear contact paper
• Scissors
• Laminator
• Velcro dots
• The fact family houses printable (below)

To start, you’ll cut out the two pieces of the house that your fact families will live in and the numbered circles that you start with to create your fact family.

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Run the numbered circles through your laminator for durability and stick a Velcro dot to the back of each one.  It doesn’t matter if you use the hook or the loop side of the Velcro on these dots as long as you use the same side of the Velcro (either hook or loop) for all of the circles.

Next, you’ll attach your fact family house to the inside of your folder using some clear contact paper.

To ensure that your folder will still close when you’re done putting the game together, line the two pieces of the house up to the fold line without actually covering it.  This will leave a small gap between the pieces but will ensure that your newly put together game doesn’t get ruined every time you close the folder.

Finally, use a little more contact paper to attach the cover of your game to the front of your folder and then add Velcro dots (the opposite of those that you used on the circles) to the three circles at the top of the house.

Using the Fact Family Game

This game includes numbers up to 20 so that you can pick, choose, and practice your fact families to 20.

When your game is put together, choose three numbered circles for the top of the house that your child can use to create a fact family.

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Here are a few to get you started!

• 7, 13, and 20
• 2, 10, and 12
• 4, 5, and 9
• 6, 13, and 19
• 5, 8, and 13

Give your child a dry erase marker and have them figure out the four math facts they can create using the given numbers.

Once they’ve mastered those, try coming up with a few of your own for more practice.