Teaching children about money is an important life skill. Recognising and understanding the value of coins are essential concepts that children will use throughout their lives. While it may seem like a simple topic, teaching money to children can be a challenging task. However, with the right approach and some fun learning activities, they can quickly begin to recognise coins and their value! Here are ten engaging money activities to get you started:
1. Magnifying Glass Coin Recognition
Children can look at the front and back of each coin using a magnifying glass. They can carefully examine the designs, numbers and shapes. This can help them better differentiate between different types of coins and to understand the value of each one. Additionally, examining coins with a magnifying glass can be a great way to practice observation skills!
2. Coin Rubbing
Coin rubbing activities are a creative way to make art while learning about coins. Children place a coin underneath a piece of paper and then use a crayon or pencil to rub the coin's design onto the paper. It's a simple and inexpensive activity that can be done at home or in the classroom, and it's a great way to encourage creativity and learning!
3. Money Splat
Scatter coins or coin flashcards out on the floor and give each child who's playing a fly swatter. Call out the value of a coin and see who can be the first to splat that coin with a fly swatter!
4. Bingo Dabber Coins
Bingo dabbers are a fun way to help children learn to recognise the different coins. With this bingo dabber activity, children have to search for and dab the correct coins using a bingo dabber or crayon. Leave out a selection of real coins to help them with the activity.
5. Coin Hunt
Why not try a coin hunt as a fun money activity? Hide coins around the house or classroom and ask children to search for them. Once they find a coin, ask them if they can identify it and its value. You might ask them to draw and label each coin that they find.
6. Money Manipulatives
Use cubes, counters or buttons to represent each coin’s value visually, starting with the 1p, 2p, 5p and 10p coins. For the 1p coin, the child will put out one cube or counter. For the 2p, 5p and 10p, explain that although there is just one coin, the value is greater than one. Children should put out the correct number of manipulatives to show this.
7. Money Sorting Mat
A money sorting mat is an excellent tool to help children categorise coins based on their value. Children simply move the coins into the correct section of the mat. You could challenge them further by asking them to sort all of the coins before a timer runs out! In the No Worksheets Allowed shop, you'll find time-saving money-sorting mats.
8. Cut and Stick Money
Cut-and-stick money activities are a great way to match the coins with their values. Children can look at pictures of different coins on a chart and then cut and stick their corresponding values. They could also sort the coins from smallest to greatest value.
9. Money Spinner
Use a circle of card, pens, a split pin and a paper clip to create a spinner. Label the sections of the spinner with the different coin values which your class are working on. Then play a game where the children spin the spinner and choose the coin that matches the value on which the spinner landed. A great way to teach about coin values, while also having some fun together!
10. Play Shop
In this activity, children can practice making the exact total with just one coin. Use a range of toys and label them with price tags: 1p, 2p, 5p, 10, 20p, 50p, £1 and £2. Encourage children to use only one coin to pay for a toy. For example, if a toy costs 2 pence, they use a 2p coin to pay for it.
So, there you have it, 10 fun and engaging ways to teach children about coin recognition and value. Hopefully, they'll bring your little learners on in leaps and bounds! I’d love to hear your money activity ideas too – feel free to add them to the comments below!
What Next?
Head over to the shop where you'll find a variety of engaging money activities.
Check out this blog post about teaching addition to 4-6 year olds.