Using movement to teach kids how to add and subtract equations is a fun idea to help them remember math skills. It also helps kids retain information in the long-term. For a simple equation such as x+2=5, use students to visually represent portions of the equation, i.e., one child represents the "+" sign, another the "=" and finally the "-" sign--then have children be "x," the number "2," then "5," then maneuver the student performers accordingly. Get the ball rolling by setting up the equation incorrectly, then giving added credit to those children who notice your mistake.
You can use shapes and figures to help teach kids how to add and subtract equations. This process often works for more complex math, as well. Educators sometimes use cutouts to represent figures to demonstrate commutative or associative features of addition. One practice is to have kids use colored construction paper circles or squares to represent numbers--an equation such as 3 squares + 3 circles may equal 3 circles + 3 squares, for example. This practice may help students prepare for later mathematical concepts such as the distributive property, too.
If you are teaching kids how to add and subtract equations in a classroom setting, you can break them apart into teams. Each team may attempt to answer an equation and then try to teach that particular equation to the rest of the class. It doesn't necessarily entail they get the answer right at first, only that they began to use their own problem-solving skills initially. Weekly "math offs" allow students to plan their strategies in order to win against other classroom opponents.
Using cash is a creative way to teach kids about how to understand proportions and ratios--it is also an idea to get and keep their attention, too. Kids are often confused by fractions or how they even relate proportionally, for example. A 2-to-1 ratio is proportionally the same as a 4-to-2 ratio, but in currency terms this could be relayed as "For every two dollars John has, Jane has one dollar," or "for every four dollars Tina has, Bob earns two dollars," for example.