Counting money games
Updated · By Edulist · 4 sources
Add quarters, up to $1.00. Count the coins and bills, then type the total (85 for 85¢, 1.25 for $1.25).
- quarter 25¢
- dime 10¢
- nickel 5¢
- penny 1¢
Explore money skills programs
See all math programs →Compare listed prices and grade ranges. Save favorites on this device; directory inclusion does not imply funding approval. Confirm current prices and availability with the provider.
How to use it
- Pick a game
Count the money (type the total), Make the amount (tap coins and bills into a purse), Make change (give back the right change), or Compare (which group has more).
- Pick a level
Level 1: pennies, nickels and dimes up to 50¢. Level 2: add quarters, up to $1. Level 3: dollar bills and coins up to $5. Level 4: bills up to $20 and making change from $10 or $20.
- Play Practice, Quiz or Challenge
Practice has no timer and unlimited tries. Quiz is 10 questions, timed. Challenge is 60 seconds, one try each, with multiple choice for speed.
- Type amounts your way
Type 85 for 85¢ and 1.25 for $1.25. Turn off Values on coins to practice recognizing coins by size and color, the way they look in real life.
Printables to go with it
Four counting money games
Counting money combines several skills at once: knowing which coin is which, knowing what each is worth, skip counting by 5s, 10s and 25s, and adding on. Each game practices a different piece.
| Game | What your child does | Skill |
|---|---|---|
| Count the money | Counts a group of coins (and bills at Levels 3 and 4) and types the total | Coin values; counting on |
| Make the amount | Taps coins and bills into a purse to make exactly $0.67 or $3.40 | Building an amount; choosing coins |
| Make change | Gives back change: it costs 63¢, you pay $1.00 | Counting up; subtraction in context |
| Compare | Looks at two groups and picks the one worth more, or Same | Totals; seeing that fewer coins can be worth more |
The four levels
| Level | Money | Amounts | Typical grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennies, nickels, dimes | 5¢ to 50¢; coins sorted largest first | Kindergarten and 1st |
| 2 | Adds quarters | 15¢ to $1.00 | 1st and 2nd |
| 3 | Adds $1 bills | $1.01 to $5.00 | 2nd |
| 4 | Adds $5, $10 and $20 bills | Up to $20; change from $10 or $20 | 3rd and 4th |
At Level 1, coins are laid out from the biggest value to the smallest, the order children are taught to count in. From Level 2 on, they come mixed, and sorting them is part of the job. Turn off Values on coins to practice recognizing coins without the number printed on them.
US coins at a glance
| Coin | Value | Diameter | Color | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penny | 1¢ | 19.05 mm | Copper | Smooth |
| Nickel | 5¢ | 21.21 mm | Silver | Smooth |
| Dime | 10¢ | 17.91 mm | Silver | Ridged (reeded) |
| Quarter | 25¢ | 24.26 mm | Silver | Ridged (reeded) |
Sizes are from the United States Mint's coin specifications. The tricky pair for children is the penny and the dime: the dime is the smallest coin but worth ten pennies. The nickel is bigger than the dime but worth less. Our coins are drawn at these real relative sizes, so the game teaches the same visual cues children need with real coins: size, color and the ridged edge.
How to count money: count on from the biggest
The standard method, and the one the game's hints use:
- Sort the coins and bills from the largest value to the smallest.
- Count the biggest first, skip counting: quarters by 25 (25, 50, 75), dimes by 10, nickels by 5.
- Count on as you move to smaller coins. For 2 quarters, 1 dime, 1 nickel and 1 penny: 25, 50, 60, 65, 66. That's 66¢.
When your child misses a Count the money question, the answer shows exactly this count-on sequence. Children who struggle often lose track when switching from one coin to the next (counting the dime as "51" instead of "60"), so practice the switch out loud.
Making change: count up
Cashiers rarely subtract. They count up from the price to the amount paid, and that's the easiest way for children too. Something costs 63¢ and you pay with $1.00:
| Give back | Count | Running total |
|---|---|---|
| 2 pennies | 64, 65 | 2¢ |
| 1 dime | 75 | 12¢ |
| 1 quarter | $1.00 | 37¢ |
The change is 37¢. Counting up turns a hard subtraction (100 − 63) into a sequence of easy additions, and it's the same thinking as the missing-addend problems in our addition and subtraction games. In the game, your child taps coins into the change tray until it's right; Show my total helps at first, and you can leave it hidden for a harder challenge.
What the standards expect
Common Core standard 2.MD.C.8 asks 2nd graders to "solve word problems involving dollar bills, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies, using $ and ¢ symbols appropriately." Coin names and values usually come earlier, in kindergarten and 1st grade, depending on the state. Many state standards outside Common Core put identifying coins in kindergarten or 1st grade, so check your own state's standards for the exact grade.
Making change and money amounts with decimals continue through 3rd and 4th grade, where they connect to decimals (4.MD.A.2 includes money in measurement word problems).
Tips for teaching money
- Use real coins too. The What Works Clearinghouse guide for elementary math intervention recommends a well-chosen set of concrete and semi-concrete representations. Real coins are the concrete version; the game's drawings are the semi-concrete one. Children who handle real money learn faster.
- Start with one coin type, then two. Ten pennies, then dimes and pennies, then add nickels. Level 1 covers this.
- Practice making the same amount different ways. 25¢ is a quarter, or 2 dimes and a nickel, or 5 nickels. In Make the amount, any correct combination counts.
- Connect money to place value. A dime is a ten and a penny is a one, just like the rods and units on our base ten blocks.
- Play store. Price a few toys, give your child a few coins, and let them buy and make change. The Make change game is the screen version.
Common money mistakes
| Mistake | Why it happens | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Counting every coin as 1 | Counting objects instead of values | Count a pile of 5 nickels by 5s, then a pile of 5 pennies by 1s, and compare |
| Mixing up the dime and the nickel | The bigger coin is worth less | Talk about size and the ridged edge; turn off Values on coins and practice naming |
| Losing count when the coin changes | Switching from counting by 10s to by 5s | Say the switch out loud: "60, now nickels: 65" |
| Writing $0.5 for 5 cents | Treating the decimal like a whole number | Show that $0.05 is 5 pennies and $0.50 is 5 dimes |
| Giving change that is too much | Starting the count from the wrong number | Always start counting up from the price, not from zero |
If a mistake keeps coming back, switch to Practice and the matching game for a few rounds: Count the money for coin values, Compare for "more coins isn't always more money," and Make change for counting up.
From counting money to using money
Once counting is easy, children are ready to use money: our lemonade stand game has them set prices, buy supplies and track profit, and the budget game has them plan a month of needs, wants and savings. For paper practice, print counting coins worksheets, making change worksheets or the full set of money worksheets. SplashLearn, Mathseeds and Prodigy, listed below, cover money within full math programs; save them to your wishlist to compare later, and check whether your state's scholarship or ESA program can help pay for one.
Sources
- Common Core State Standards: Grade 2 Measurement and Data (2.MD.C.8, money)
- United States Mint: Coin specifications (diameter, composition, edge)
- U.S. Currency Education Program: denominations in circulation
- What Works Clearinghouse (2021). Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics, Recommendation 3: concrete and semi-concrete representations
Questions
What age are counting money games for?
Children usually start naming coins in kindergarten and 1st grade, and the Common Core standards put counting money with bills and coins in 2nd grade (2.MD.C.8). Level 1 suits kindergarten and 1st grade, Level 2 and 3 suit 2nd grade, and Level 4, with making change from $20, suits 3rd and 4th grade.
Why is the dime smaller than the penny?
That's how real US coins are made. The dime is the smallest coin even though it's worth 10 cents, which is one reason children mix them up. The coins in the game are drawn at their real relative sizes, from the dime to the quarter, so children learn what the coins actually look like.
How do I type amounts of money?
Type cents as a whole number (85 means 85¢) and dollars with a decimal point (1.25 means $1.25). The game also understands $1.25, 85¢, .85 and 3 dollars.
Is there more than one right answer in Make the amount?
Yes. Any combination of coins and bills that adds up to the amount is right. If your child uses a lot of pennies, ask whether they could use fewer coins. The answer shown after a miss is the way with the fewest coins.
Why don't the coins show presidents?
The coins and bills are original drawings, simplified on purpose so they're clear on any screen. They keep what children use to tell coins apart in real life: size, copper or silver color, the ridged edge on dimes and quarters, and the value.
Keep exploring
Keep your favorites together.
Browse learning products and save a wishlist on this device. Applications and pledges are not open.