17 Fun Money Activities for Kids (2024)

Try these 17 money activities for kids to teach them how to differentiate coins and bills.

The other day I discovered my 6-year-old sitting on her bedroom floor with a mound of pennies in front of her.

She sat there and picked up each penny, one by one, and carefully counted them for what felt like forever.

When she was finished, she looked up and said: “I have 108!”. Her face beamed with pride for having collected so many but she was clearly oblivious to how little 108 pennies can buy.

After congratulating her, I got a dollar and explained how she could exchange 100 of her pennies for a bill, but she wouldn’t have it. Her little mind was clearly thinking: “How could 100 pieces of copper be equivalent to one rectangular piece of paper?”

It can be a challenge for little kids to understand the value of money, but as with most knowledge that kids need to acquire, introducing a fun hands-on activitycan help.

The following is a list of a few fun money activities for kids and free resources you can DIY to teach kids the value of coins and dollars.

17 Fun Money Activities for Kids (2)

Money Activities for Kids:

For preschoolers still trying to determine the difference between a penny and a dime or a nickel and a quarter – this coin recognition map can help:

From Mrs. Hodge and Her KindergartenKids

Another way to help kids identify and learnto add up coins is to set up this fun game with card stock and small clothespins:

From Life Over Cs

Play restaurant with your kids – let them “buy” the food they want to eat with pretend money:

From Nothing if Not Intentional

This riddle math game will keep your kids interested while they learn to count up coins:

From Education.com

If your kids are into messy goo (and which kids aren’t?) a fun way to bring up the topic of money and coins is to put a few coins in slime. As your kids push and pull at the slime, you can explain the value of each coin:

From Still Playing School

Create a simple money math tray to let kids figure out the correct combination of coins to solve the problem:

From No Time for Flashcards

Help kids understand how different combinations of coins add up to a dollar with this activity that includes paper copies of coins and dollars:

From Step Into Second Grade

Have fun building an ice cream cone by giving kids scoops of ice creamin different monetary values. After kids have placed all their scoops on the cone, have them add up all the denominations to determine the total cost of the ice cream cone.

From Step Into Second Grade

Quarters can be tricky to count until you get the pattern down. Have your kids use this quarter chart to learn how to count by 25s:

From Frugal Fun 4 Boys

Mix addition and coin knowledge with this fun money exchange game:

From The Education of Ours

Here’s a fun coins money game for kids to help them master the value of different coins. Click on the link and print out the free printables to begin playing:

From Boy Mama Teacher Mama

Teach kids to count coins by writing “prices” on the front of plastic cups. Then have your kids put the correct change in each cup:

From Education.com

Kids can match up coins and dollar amounts with these laminatedpockets and cards:

From Adventures in Tutoring Special Education

And finally, here’s an easy way to let your kids handle “money” without actually giving them real money. Play money you can print at home:

From Kids Activities Blog

Thanks to One Time Through and Play Ideasfor many of the ideas in this post.

The Kids Money Management Toolkit has everything you need (except money!) to begin giving your kids an allowance. In addition to guidance and advice, you’ll also receive Save, Spend, and Share jar labels, a Kids Money Ledger, a Savings Challenge Sheet, a Jobs-for-Hire Sheet, and a Kids Allowance Contract. Click here to learn more.

See related:

The Best Money Games for Kids

19 Fun Counting Games for Kids

28 Children’s Books About Money

What to do next…

1. Subscribe to Self-Sufficient Kids’ email list.

Like what you read here and want to learn more? Every Thursday I’ll send you one parenting tip about raising self-sufficient kids and creating the peaceful relationship you yearn to have with your child. Click here to sign up.

2. Take one of my quizzes!

Find out if you’re raising a self-sufficient kid (click here) or if you’re doing too much for your kids (click here). At the end of each quiz, you’ll be asked to provide your email address to see the results.

3. Get your kids started on chores.

Learn how to get your child started on chores (& keep them motivated + avoid power struggles) by enrolling in my Get Your Kids Successfully Started on Chores course. Click here to learn more and sign up.

About the Author

17 Fun Money Activities for Kids (18)

Kerry Flatley is the owner and author of Self-Sufficient Kids. She has a BA in economics, an MBA, a certificate in financial planning, and has been investing ever since she landed her first job. Kerry also has two girls, ages 13 and 15, who have been receiving allowance – and learning money management – for the past seven years.

17 Fun Money Activities for Kids (2024)

FAQs

What is the money role play activity? ›

Money Role Play

Ask students to work in pairs. Together they should decide on a type of shop. One student becomes the shop keeper while the other is the shopper. Practice asking for items, adding up and giving change.

How to draw a child's attention to money? ›

Your essential financial education checklist
  1. Talk about money regularly with your kids. ...
  2. Start pocket money early. ...
  3. Teach them the difference between needs and wants. ...
  4. Help them set savings goals. ...
  5. Help them make smarter spending decisions. ...
  6. Teach them delayed gratification. ...
  7. Give them opportunities to 'earn' ...
  8. Lead by example.
Jul 4, 2023

How to make teaching money fun? ›

Try these hands-on activities to introduce younger learners to the concept of money, learn bills and coins, and more.
  1. Introduce money basics. ...
  2. Put together money puzzles. ...
  3. Show kids how to keep their money safe. ...
  4. Craft a water bottle piggy bank. ...
  5. Take the Piggy Bank Quiz. ...
  6. Buy some chips to practice counting money.
Mar 11, 2022

How to help kids identify coins? ›

Have your child choose a coin and place it under his paper. Then have him rub over the spot where the coin is with a crayon. When he's done, have him do the other side of the coin. Repeat for the other coins in your currency, and if desired, help your child label the impressions.

What is play fun money? ›

That's where fun money comes in. 💸 Fun money is just what it sounds like — cash for things that make you and your family happy. Your fun money can go toward all sorts of things: a vacation, a night on the town, or buying clothes you don't need but really want.

What is play money game? ›

Play money, toy money, faux paper money or formally ludic money is money that functions as a toy or a token in a game or when playing.

How to make a budget activity for kids? ›

Play budgeting games

Say the beads represent income, then label jars or bowls as different expenses or outgoings. Keep it simple for younger kids 'rent', 'food', 'savings' and 'fun money'. Make them put the right amount into jars for needs, then savings. Then let them add the remainder into the fun money jar.

How do you teach rich kids about money? ›

Use allowances to teach children how to handle wealth. Have them divide their allowance into three equal parts. One-third goes toward their own pleasure, one-third into savings and one-third to charity. This method helps them learn about other uses of money, beyond buying them things.

How to get money ideas for kids? ›

Table of Contents
  1. 25+ Legit Options for Making Money as a Kid.
  2. Lawn Mowing.
  3. Yard Work.
  4. Lemonade Stand.
  5. Babysitting.
  6. Pet Sitting and Walking.
  7. Washing Cars.
  8. Tutoring.

What is the money activity for grade 2? ›

Students roll the die and find the matching coin. To make it more challenging they can also roll the die and name the coin before finding it or they can name the value and count how much they have at the end of x number of rolls. My last dice money activity is to have a large pile of coins and a die.

How to teach math with money? ›

If you are using actual coins, have students count as they touch the coin and drag it into a new pile. If you are using pictures of coins on a worksheet or practice page, have students write in the value of each coin on the picture. Then have them skip count starting with the biggest value.

How to teach hairy money? ›

When you use the Hairy money strategy to count a group of coins, the first step is drawing hairs. Draw hairs on all of the coins. Now we simply count all of the hairs by 5s and count on the bald spots by 1s. This will give us the total amount of all of the coins.

What is the lost coin activity for kids? ›

Let your children take turns hiding a coin and having the other children try to find it. The child who finds the coin gets to keep it if he says the Bible verse. Keep playing until all the children have found a coin.

How to teach the concept of money? ›

How to Teach Preschoolers and Kindergartners About Money
  1. Use a clear jar for their savings. ...
  2. Set an example with your own money habits. ...
  3. Show them stuff costs money. ...
  4. Show them how opportunity cost works. ...
  5. Give commissions, not allowances. ...
  6. Avoid impulse buys. ...
  7. Stress the importance of giving. ...
  8. Teach them contentment.
Jan 9, 2024

What is the role of play money? ›

Understanding monetary value - playing with physical money gives children a greater awareness of the value of money and how different costs are associated with items of different values. Understanding Scenarios – through role play children can also learn more about real life situations involving money.

What role does money play explain how money? ›

It is used as a medium of exchange between individuals and entities. It's also a store of value and a unit of account that can measure the value of other goods. Prior to the invention of money, most economies relied on bartering, where individuals would trade the goods they had directly for those that they needed.

What role did money play? ›

To summarize, money has taken many forms through the ages, but money consistently has three functions: store of value, unit of account, and medium of exchange. Modern economies use fiat money-money that is neither a commodity nor represented or "backed" by a commodity.

How does money play a role in education? ›

Schooling resources that cost money, including smaller class sizes, additional supports, early childhood programs and more competitive teacher compensation (permitting schools and districts to recruit and retain a higher-quality teacher workforce), are positively associated with student outcomes.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Carlyn Walter

Last Updated:

Views: 6640

Rating: 5 / 5 (50 voted)

Reviews: 89% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Carlyn Walter

Birthday: 1996-01-03

Address: Suite 452 40815 Denyse Extensions, Sengermouth, OR 42374

Phone: +8501809515404

Job: Manufacturing Technician

Hobby: Table tennis, Archery, Vacation, Metal detecting, Yo-yoing, Crocheting, Creative writing

Introduction: My name is Carlyn Walter, I am a lively, glamorous, healthy, clean, powerful, calm, combative person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.