Become money-smart! Learn about coins and bills, how to count money, make change like a cashier, and compare prices to find the best deals. Discover the math skills you need for real-world shopping and saving. Let's learn about money! 💵💰
Master real-world money math with hands-on activities!
Learn the value of each U.S. coin!
🖱️ Drag options below to the correct boxes (computer) or click to move (mobile)
Practice counting collections of coins and bills!
Learn to calculate change like a cashier!
Find the better deal by comparing prices!
Drag to sort or use ↑↓ buttons to adjust · Smallest to Biggest
Solve practical shopping scenarios!
Click all correct options
Explore 10 essential knowledge cards about working with money!
The United States uses four main coins! The penny (1 cent) is copper colored. The nickel (5 cents) is the thickest silver coin. The dime (10 cents) is the smallest coin but worth more than a nickel! The quarter (25 cents) is the largest and most valuable common coin. Knowing coin values is essential for handling money. Memorize them - these values never change!
Penny: 1¢ (copper colored, smallest value)
Nickel: 5¢ (silver, thickest coin)
Dime: 10¢ (silver, smallest coin but worth more!)
Quarter: 25¢ (silver, largest coin, most valuable)
100 pennies = 20 nickels = 10 dimes = 4 quarters = $1.00
Size doesn't equal value! The dime is smaller than the penny and nickel but worth more. Always go by the coin's name and design, not its size, to identify value!
Thinking the nickel is worth more than the dime because it's bigger! Size doesn't determine value. Dime = 10¢, Nickel = 5¢, even though the nickel is larger and thicker!
Paying for small items (candy, gum, parking meters), getting change from purchases, saving coins in a piggy bank, buying from vending machines!
Coin sorting! Get real coins (or pictures). Sort them into piles by type. Practice counting each pile: 5 pennies = 5¢, 3 nickels = 15¢, 2 dimes = 20¢, 4 quarters = 100¢ = $1!
U.S. dollar bills come in different denominations (values)! The most common are $1, $5, $10, and $20 bills. Each features a different historical figure's portrait and has unique colors and designs. Unlike coins, all bills are the same physical size, so you must look at the number and design to identify value. Bills are used for larger purchases than coins. Learning bill values is crucial for handling bigger amounts of money!
$1 bill (one dollar): George Washington portrait
$5 bill (five dollars): Abraham Lincoln portrait
$10 bill (ten dollars): Alexander Hamilton portrait
$20 bill (twenty dollars): Andrew Jackson portrait
All bills are the same size but different colors and portraits!
Look at the big number in the corners! Every bill has its value clearly printed in large numbers in all four corners. If you can read numbers, you can identify bill values!
Not checking the value before using a bill! All bills look similar in size. Always look at the number - don't accidentally pay $20 when you meant to pay $1!
Shopping for items over a few dollars, paying for meals, receiving allowance, buying tickets, larger purchases at stores!
Bill identification! Look at real bills (with adult supervision) or pictures. Practice reading the value from the corner numbers. Notice the different colors and portraits for each denomination!
Counting money efficiently means starting with the largest values and working down to smallest! Count bills first (they're worth the most), then quarters (25¢ each), then dimes (10¢ each), then nickels (5¢ each), finally pennies (1¢ each). Group coins of the same type together. Use skip counting: quarters by 25s, dimes by 10s, nickels by 5s, pennies by 1s. Add as you go for a running total. This system prevents mistakes!
Start with largest value: bills first, then quarters, dimes, nickels, pennies
3 quarters (75¢) + 2 dimes (20¢) + 1 nickel (5¢) = 100¢ = $1.00
Group same coins together for easier counting
Count quarters by 25s: 25, 50, 75, 100...
Keep a running total as you count!
The 'largest first' rule makes counting faster and less error-prone! $1 bills are easier to count than 100 pennies. 4 quarters are easier than 25 dimes. Always use the fewest coins/bills possible!
Counting randomly without a system! Mixing up coins leads to errors. Sort first, then count systematically from largest to smallest value. Organization prevents mistakes!
Counting your savings, checking if you have enough to buy something, counting change from a purchase, adding up coins from your piggy bank!
Money counting challenge! Gather various coins and bills. Sort them by type. Count each type. Add up the total. Example: 2 dollars (=$2.00) + 3 quarters (=75¢) + 1 dime (=10¢) = $2.85 total!
Making change means figuring out how much money you should get back after a purchase! The formula is: Change = Amount Paid - Cost. If something costs $3 and you pay with $5, your change is $2. You can subtract, or count up from the cost to what you paid. Cashiers count up: '$3... $4 (that's $1), $5 (that's $2) - here's your $2 change!' Understanding change helps you verify you got the right amount back!
Item costs $3, you pay $5 → Change = $5 - $3 = $2
Item costs $7, you pay $10 → Change = $10 - $7 = $3
Change = Amount Paid - Cost
Count up method: from cost to amount paid
Always check your change for accuracy!
Use the counting up method! From $3 cost to $5 paid: $3→$4 (that's $1) →$5 (that's $2). Count: $1 + $2 = $2 change! This method is how real cashiers make change and helps verify accuracy!
Adding instead of subtracting! Change is NOT cost + paid. It's paid - cost. If an item costs $3 and you pay $5, the change is $2 (not $8!). Always subtract!
Shopping at stores, buying snacks, using vending machines, getting change from purchases, checking if you were given correct change!
Change-making scenarios! Create problems: 'Cost $4, paid $10, change?' 'Cost $7, paid $20, change?' Practice both subtracting and counting up. Both methods should give the same answer!
We use special symbols to show money amounts! The dollar sign ($) indicates dollars. It goes BEFORE the number ($5.00). The cent sign (¢) indicates cents. It goes AFTER the number (75¢). A decimal point separates dollars and cents: $5.75 means 5 dollars and 75 cents. 100 cents equals 1 dollar. Understanding these symbols helps you read prices, write money amounts, and avoid confusion!
Dollar sign ($): shows dollars - $5.00 or $5
Cent sign (¢): shows cents - 75¢
$1.00 = 100¢ (one dollar equals one hundred cents)
Decimal point: $5.75 = 5 dollars and 75 cents
In writing: dollar sign goes BEFORE the amount ($5), cent sign goes AFTER (75¢)
Remember: dollar sign first, cent sign last! It's $5, not 5$. And it's 75¢, not ¢75. The position of the symbol matters and changes the meaning!
Putting the dollar sign after the number (5$ instead of $5) or putting both symbols ($5.75¢ - NO! It's either $5.75 OR 575¢, not both!). One symbol per amount!
Reading price tags in stores, writing checks, recording money amounts in math, reading restaurant menus, understanding advertisements!
Symbol practice! Write these amounts correctly: 'five dollars' ($5.00), 'seventy-five cents' (75¢), 'three dollars and fifty cents' ($3.50). Practice both reading and writing money notation!
Comparing prices means figuring out which item costs less or which is the better deal! Compare the dollar amounts: $3.50 is less than $5.00, so it's cheaper. Sometimes you compare unit prices (price per item): $0.50 per apple is cheaper than $0.75 per apple. Sales and discounts affect price: if something costs $10 but was $15, you save $5! Smart shoppers always compare prices to get the best value for their money!
$3.50 < $5.00 (cheaper option)
$10.99 is almost $11 (good estimation)
Compare unit prices: $0.50 per apple vs $0.75 per apple
Look for sales: '$10 was $15' saves $5!
Smart shopping means comparing before buying!
Round to estimate! $4.99 is basically $5. $10.75 is about $11. Quick estimates help you compare prices mentally without calculating exact differences. Close enough for smart shopping!
Only looking at the dollars, ignoring cents! $3.99 seems like $3, but it's almost $4! Always consider the complete price. Those cents add up, especially when buying multiple items!
Grocery shopping (choosing cheaper brand), comparing toy prices before buying, finding best deals online, deciding which snack to buy with limited money!
Price comparison hunt! Look at flyers or online. Find two similar items with different prices. Which is cheaper? By how much? Calculate: Higher price - Lower price = Savings!
Most prices include both dollars AND cents! We write them together with a decimal point: $5.25 means 5 dollars and 25 cents. The digits to the left of the decimal are dollars, digits to the right are cents. Always use two digits for cents: $3.05 (not $3.5). If there are no cents, you can write $5.00 or just $5. Understanding this notation is essential for reading prices and handling money in the real world!
$5.25 = 5 dollars and 25 cents
$10.50 = 10 dollars and 50 cents (same as 10 dollars and 2 quarters!)
$2.00 = 2 dollars and 0 cents (sometimes written as just $2)
Decimal point separates dollars (left) from cents (right)
Always write two digits for cents: $3.05 not $3.5
Read the decimal point as 'and'! $5.75 = 'five dollars and seventy-five cents.' This mental translation helps you understand exactly what you're paying!
Writing one digit for cents when you need two! $3.5 should be $3.50. Also confusing $3.50 with 350 cents - they're the same amount, but written differently (decimal vs. cent notation)!
Reading prices at stores, understanding bills at restaurants, checking bank account balances, reading receipt totals, understanding paychecks (when you're older)!
Decimal practice! Convert between notations: $2.75 = 2 dollars and 75 cents = 275¢. Practice all three ways of expressing the same amount. They're equivalent!
Skip counting is the fastest way to count coins! For quarters, count by 25s. For dimes, count by 10s. For nickels, count by 5s. For pennies, count by 1s. Start with the most valuable coins and work your way down. This systematic approach is much faster than counting each coin as 'one, two, three...' Skip counting is a crucial money math skill that saves time and prevents errors!
Count quarters by 25s: 25¢, 50¢, 75¢, $1.00, $1.25...
Count dimes by 10s: 10¢, 20¢, 30¢, 40¢...
Count nickels by 5s: 5¢, 10¢, 15¢, 20¢...
Count pennies by 1s: 1¢, 2¢, 3¢, 4¢...
Skip counting makes money counting fast!
Practice skip counting without money first! Count by 25s, 10s, and 5s until it's automatic. Then apply it to counting coins. The skill transfers perfectly and makes money counting effortless!
Counting every coin as just 'one more' instead of by its value! If you have 4 quarters and count '1, 2, 3, 4,' you'll think you have 4¢ instead of $1.00! Always count by the coin's value!
Quickly counting change from purchases, counting coins from your piggy bank, knowing if you have enough money for something, counting tips (when you're older)!
Skip counting races! Time yourself counting 10 quarters (should total $2.50). Count by 25s. Try to beat your time! Then try 10 dimes, 10 nickels. Build speed and accuracy!
Money problems apply math to real-world situations! Addition problems: adding money amounts together (total savings, cost of multiple items). Subtraction problems: spending money, making change, finding differences in prices. Comparison problems: figuring out how much more you need. Money problems make math practical and relevant. They're preparing you for real life! Always read carefully to determine if you should add, subtract, compare, or do other operations!
Addition: 'I have $5, earn $3 more. Total?' → $5 + $3 = $8
Subtraction: 'I have $10, spend $4. How much left?' → $10 - $4 = $6
Comparison: 'Toy costs $15, I have $12. How much more needed?' → $15 - $12 = $3
Real-world problems use money context
Always include $ or ¢ in your answer!
Look for key words! 'Total' and 'altogether' usually mean add. 'Left,' 'change,' and 'remaining' usually mean subtract. 'How much more' means find the difference (subtract). Key words guide you to the right operation!
Forgetting the money symbol in your answer! If you calculate $5 + $3 and write '8,' that's incomplete. Write '$8' to show it's money. The symbol is part of the answer!
Budgeting allowance, figuring out if you can afford something, calculating how much more you need to save, splitting costs with friends, planning purchases!
Create your own money story problems! 'I have $__, I want to buy __, which costs $__. Do I have enough?' Solve your own problems. Make them about things you really want!
Understanding money isn't just about counting - it's about making smart decisions! Saving means keeping money for later instead of spending it all now. A budget is a plan for how you'll use your money. Distinguish between wants (things you'd like) and needs (things you must have). Learning to save, budget, and make wise choices helps you use money well throughout life. These habits start now and last forever!
Saving: putting money aside for future purchases
Spending: using money to buy things now
Budget: planning how to use your money
Want vs. Need: candy is a want, food is a need
Smart money habits start young!
The 'wait a day' rule: if you want to buy something, wait 24 hours. If you still want it the next day, it might be worth buying. Often, you'll realize you don't need it! This prevents impulse purchases!
Spending all your money as soon as you get it! If you spend everything immediately, you'll have nothing when something important comes up. Save at least some of everything you receive!
Saving allowance for a special toy, deciding between two treats when you only have money for one, planning to save for a bigger item, choosing not to buy something so you have money later!
Set a savings goal! 'I want a $20 toy. I get $5 weekly allowance. If I save $3 per week, how many weeks until I can buy it?' (About 7 weeks) Make a plan and track your progress!