When I started doing pre-algebra I would spend much more time making up stories about battles between the positive and negative numbers than doing the problems- the winner was determined in the answer. It was not a very successful approach to learning the mechanics of mathematics.
My math homework always morphed into number story time.
And now a semi-math rant:
Math needs to get more interesting.
Kids are fully capable of talking about math - and theorizing about it.
I know because I unintentionally started a conversation about whether or not one was a number with some of my students. I said something like, "some ancient mathematicians did not consider one to be a number." And boom some kids attempted to understand why they would say that - "yeah wait one is really different than the other counting numbers. One fits into all of the numbers." These kids challenged some others who said things like, "no but when you learn to count you start with one so one is a number". Suddenly a discussion about the number two developed from nowhere - "two is also a weird number..."
Anyway someday I want to try teaching Euclid to elementary students.
