Once you've taught kids to count money in fun ways, keep practicing those skills with creative counting money activities. From fun lessons about saving money to money-based board games, kids of all ages can have fun becoming financial wizards.
Printable Counting Money Activity Worksheets
While money worksheets for children are a great learning tool, counting money worksheets can also feature fun activities. Kids from preschool through second grade can try these original printable counting money worksheets to explore coins and bills. Click on the image of the activity you want to try, then download and print. Check out the troubleshooting guide if you have problems getting the worksheets.
Color By Coins Activity Worksheet
Instead of a color-by-number, kids get to color in a picture using coins with this Color By Coins worksheet. Kids will need to match the coin sizes to the circle sizes on the worksheet to complete the image.
- You'll need pennies, dimes, nickels, quarters, and dollar coins to use the worksheet.
- When the picture is finished, have kids count up how much money it "cost" to make the image.
- You can also have kids count how much of each type of coin was used.
Money Find and Count
Kids will need to scour dozens of images of coins and bills on this hidden picture Money Find and Count worksheet. Students should follow the directions on the worksheet and use different colors to circle coins and bills that add up to each amount listed. You can use a new copy of the worksheet for other activities like creating a list of items you want kids to find, then having them add up the total when they're done.
Make Money Leis
Use one-dollar bills to make simple money origami leis. All you need is ribbon or string and dollar bills. Kids of all ages can help with the simple accordion-folding technique and tying basic knots, but this activity is best for kids in 1st or 2nd grade. Money leis make great gifts or you could use them as a unique money saving storage option.
Have a Money Scavenger Hunt
If you need interactive money activities, a simple money scavenger hunt is easy to throw together.
- For younger kids, use only coins like pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters.
- For older kids you can vary the coins and bills used.
- Set the hunt up in advance by hiding money in plain sight around one room.
- Give kids a list of items they should find, like 10 pennies and four dimes for little kids or four different coins that add up to $0.41.
- Set a time limit and see how many list items they can find.
Play Piggy Bank Balance
Kids who love money games can play a simple game of Piggy Bank Balance with another child or an adult. This game is ideal for kids in 1st grade and up because it requires writing. The object of the game is to get both piggy banks to have the same amount of money in them at the same time.
- You'll need a bunch of coins, one die, a piece of paper and pencil, and two piggy banks to play.
- Each player gets one empty piggy bank and half a sheet of paper.
- On a turn, the player rolls the die.
- The player must put the same number of coins as the die shows in either their piggy bank or their opponent's. They can choose any coins they want.
- If the player puts the coins in their own bank, they write the money amount, not the number of coins, on their paper.
- If the player puts the coins in their opponent's bank, they write the money amount on their opponent's paper.
- If there was already an amount written on the paper, the player simply adds their coin total to the previous total to get a new piggy bank total.
- If a player is able to match the total amount of money in both piggy banks on their turn, they win.
Do a Coin Mosaic Project
You might not be ready to tile your entire kitchen floor in pennies, but you can do similar mosaic tile pattern crafts with coins on a smaller scale.
- Give your child free rein to choose something like a garden stepping stone or serving tray they permanently line with coins.
- All you need is some standard grout to keep the coins in place.
- Kids can count how much money they use for the project as they create it or when it's done.
Paint and Hide Money Rocks
Take your money counting fun to the public when you join the painted rock craze. Collect flat rocks that resemble the shapes of coins and dollars. Paint each rock so it looks just like a real coin or bill.
- Choose an amount of money, you'd like to "donate" to the community in the form of painted rocks.
- If you're only painting coin rocks, aim for a lower dollar amount like $5.
- If you're painting dollar bill rocks, you could set your goal higher like $100.
- Add a note on the back of the rocks, using glue to keep them attached, with a note about how finders can share their money rock finds on social media.
- Add up all the money rocks listed as found to see if the community found the total amount you hid.
Make Your Own Piggy Bank
Simple piggy bank craft projects make it easy for kids to keep track of their own money. Before you add any money to the DIY piggy bank, have kids write down a guess about how much money can fit in the bank. Once it's full, add up the total to see how close they were to their initial prediction.
Make Faded Coin Art
Create cool faded coin art using the sun and some coins.
- Set coins on top of colored construction paper and leave them out in the sun for at least a full day.
- The part of the paper that's under the coins won't fade while the rest of the paper does, leaving a cool pattern or picture on your page.
- When the artwork is finished, bag up the coins that were used to make it and number the bag and the image with a matching number.
- If the child makes several of these pictures using different coins, you can come back later and use them as a guessing game where kids try to match the coin amounts from the bags to the image made from them.
Play The Spinning Coins Game
Kids love simple toys that have a competition element to them, like Beyblades, for example. Play 10 rounds in The Spinning Coins game to see who ends up with the most money. You can have two or three players per game. In each round, each player chooses one coin and sets it on its edge, then spins it. The coin that stays spinning the longest wins, and its owner gets to keep all coins from the round.
Play Which Is More?
Incorporate science and logical reasoning into one money counting activity by playing Which Is More? You can do this either by weight or by cost. If you go by weight, you'll need a scale.
- Have kids choose random household objects or toys.
- Put together a group of coins and have the child guess which will weigh more, the object they chose or the group of coins you made.
- If you go by cost, you'll need a pre-made list of how much small items kids are familiar with cost at a local store.
- You would ask something like, "Which is worth more, this handful of coins or a Snickers candy bar?"
Have Fun With Money
You can use everyday experiences like grocery shopping or products like kids' wallets to help children practice counting money, but there are lots of other creative activities they can try too. Look for ways to make money fun and interesting by exploring different types of money and how to incorporate money into unexpected activities like arts and crafts projects.
