About
Built by Justin Holladay
Math teacher. Game designer. The person behind MathFileFolderGames.
Hi, I’m Justin. I teach math in Alberta, and I’ve spent years making hands-on games teachers can put on a table without adding another screen.
Math games are most valuable when they create conversation. The game gets students doing the math, but the real learning happens when someone asks, “Why did you do that?” or “How do you know?” That might be a teacher, a parent, or another student. A low-prep game paired with a short lesson and good math talk can do far more than simply putting another activity on a screen.
That is the work I have been doing by hand for years: pick a game from the collection, write a short intro, add a few Math Talk prompts, and send it to teachers in the newsletter. Find a Math Game takes that same workflow and makes it searchable.
You describe what your class needs. You choose a verified game. You generate a lesson you can edit and print. Official Rules still come from the source. I don’t let a language model invent them.
A little background
B.Ed. and B.A.S. in Mathematics/Science, University of Lethbridge
Weekly game ideas sent to teachers through the MathFileFolderGames newsletter
What guides the work
Hands-on first
Games should put math on the table, not add another screen.
Math talk matters
Games should create opportunities for students to explain strategies, justify reasoning, compare thinking, and talk with teachers, parents, or peers.
AI helps the teacher
AI may help draft editable lesson supports, but it does not write or rewrite verified Official Rules, original printables, or verified standards source data.
The newsletter connection
The weekly MathFileFolderGames email is still at the heart of this work. I’ve been sharing hands-on game ideas with teachers there for years. Find a Math Game grows naturally from that same teacher-to-teacher routine: one useful game, a short lesson, and better math conversations.