Read on to find some money math ideas for preschool, kindergarten, and first grade – featuring coins.
Money math ideas
1 – Sorting – Sort the Coins
Sorting coins is a great activity for young preschoolers. Just set out some coins and sorting trays.
2- Matching, Coin Identification –
Coins in Cloud Dough
Bury coins in any sort of sensory material, and let your kids dig for them. When they discover the coins, help them name them.
3 – Counting, Coin Identification, Adding –
Play Grocery Store
I confess that we’ve never had a lot of success when playing grocery with any kind of structure. This time I printed price tags (see the picture), and the kids had fun taping them to real foods from our pantry. However, when it came time to shop and pay for the items, only my first grader had the patience to find the value of each item and pay for it.
Digging among all the coins was tiresome for my preschoolers. Another way to play would be to put a number on each item and pay only with pennies. Or you could not use price tags at all and just let kids have fun using real money.
4 – Graphing – Graphing Coins
Print my free coin graph HERE and use it with your child. Give him a small handful of coins and have him line up the coins in each row. Depending on your child’s ability, ask questions like these:
a) Which coin do you have the most of?
b) Which coin do you have the fewest of?
c) How many quarters do you have?
d) How many more dimes than pennies do you have?
e) How many nickels and dimes do you have altogether?
5 – Counting, Subitizing —
Roll & Stack
I got this idea from a fabulous money post at PreKinders. Have your child roll the die, identify the number on the die (subitizing is when they can look at the dots and know the number without counting them) and add to a stack of coins. How many coins can he stack before the tower falls?
6 – Addition, Subitizing –
Roll & Fill the Bank
My Five rolled two dice, added the numbers together, and put that number of coins in the bank. Since the glass decorative piggy banks are usually not for playing with, he had a lot of fun with this.
7 – Patterns – Coin Pattern Strips
My older preschooler and first grader enjoyed these coin pattern strips. You’ll find some simple ABAB patterns and also some more challenging ones. (Oops – I just noticed that the bottom one in the picture is upside down!) Of course you could just make the patterns with real coins and have your child finish them, or let your child create the patterns himself. Get our pattern strips HERE.
8 – Coin Identification, Counting –
Collecting Coins Game
This game was a huge hit with my first grader and older preschooler. They played it countless times. Learn more about it and from this post.
Get your free coin game!
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David Horlick
Great blog post! I love the idea of using coins for educational activities for preschoolers and young children. It’s a hands-on and interactive way for them to learn about counting, money recognition and values, and also promotes fine motor skills with handling the coins. I particularly like the sorting activity and the coin rubbings. These activities are easy to set up and can provide hours of educational fun for kids. Thanks for sharing!
Alecia Perry
Thanks my 2nd grader will love this!!
Anna G
You’re welcome, Alecia!
Susan Udeogu
Good job keep it up and remain bless
Anna G
Thank you for the encouragement, Susan!
Cynthia
Thank you so much for sharing this.
Anna G
You’re welcome, Cynthia!
Jyothi
It’s really amazing to help kids at home reinforcing what they are learning at school…I’m glad I found your website
Jasmine Gupta
Great ideas-combining play and learning simultaneously. Thanks Anna.
Judi
As a teacher of 25 years I have found teaching money is a difficult lesson which has gotten more difficult, since young children do not come in contact with real money as much as they once did. One activity I have used with my students as well as my own kids is to make a game board that is one big circle (much like the one you have) with amounts reflective of the coins we are practicing and two spots that say time to shop. The bank is established with real money and the store is created from all those Happy Meal Toys or little trinkets that come home from a birthday party Players work their way around the board landing on spaces, if they land on the $.25 and can ask the bank for a quarter they are given the quarter. When they land on the space that says time to shop, it is time to shop for all those items that hold your child’s attention for a minute. You can make the prices of the items coin values or prices that require combining coin values. The lure of “shopping” for something they play with keeps the attention going longer than other activities I have done.
Anna Geiger
Love this idea, Judi! It may be something I have to try when my kids are old enough to count and spend money. I remember when I was in grade school we had one day a year that was a “store.” We all brought toys from home to sell to each other (although we ended up keeping them). This was SO much fun for everyone and always eagerly anticipated.
Kim Vij @ The Educators' Spin On It
This are so many fun and playful ways to learn about coins with kids, it’s the most viewed post in the after school linky party this week!
Anna Geiger
I’m glad so many people came to see it! Thanks for stopping by, Kim. 🙂
Natalie PlanetSmartyPants
Wonderful ideas! Thanks for co-hosting After School Link Up!