Money Learning Activities Washington DC

Store play 

One of the best ways to teach children about money is to set up a store and play shopping.

What you need

• You can use real money, play money or even money your child has made.
• Toy cash registers are a great learning toy, but you can just as well use a shoe box to hold the money. 
• Low tables or chairs to put the 'products on'
• Household items to sell
• Pencils and paper

What to do

• Give your child a pocket book or purse to keep money in.
• The possibilities for the type of store are endless - grocery, shoe, toy, book etc.
• Use low tables, chairs and boxes to set up shop. Make pricing labels together.
• Take turns at being the cashier and the customer - model counting out money, giving change, adding up etc.

Money Games

What you'll need

What to do

1. Ask your child to gather some change in his or her hand without looking at what it is.
2. For young children, you can start with pennies and nickels.
3. Ask your child to tell you how much money and how many coins there are.
4. Take turns at guessing which coins are being held. For example, "I have 10 cents and 2 coins. What coins do I have?" (2 nickels).

1. Cut out grocery store coupons and tell how much money is saved with coins.
2. For example, if you save 20 cents on detergent, say 2 dimes.
3. Ask your child what could be purchased using the savings from the coupon. A pack of gum? A pencil?
4. How much money could be saved with 3, 4, or 5 coupons?
5. How could that money be counted out in coins and bills?
6. What could be purchased with those savings? A pack of notebook paper? A magazine?
7. How much money could be saved with coupons for a week's worth of groceries?
8. How would that money be counted out? What could be purchased with those savings? A book? A movie ticket?