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MONEY BY THE HANDFUL
(BEST FOR TWO OR MORE PLAYERS)
Players will need a sizeable collection of play or real pennies and nickels.
Players should place the coins in a large paper or cloth bag.
Before beginning the game, remind children that Deena spent one
day collecting and counting different coins. She collected and counted
pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters.
GRAB AND COUNT
The object of each round of this game is to see who
grabs from the bag a handful of coins worth the
greatest amount.
• Take turns reaching into the bag and grabbing a
handful of pennies and nickels.
• Sort the coins into a pile of pennies and a pile of
nickels. Then count your coins.
• Write the value of your coins on a piece of paper. (Players may count each
other’s collections to check the amounts.)
• The player with the greatest value wins the round.
• Repeat grabbing a handful of coins, sorting them, counting them, and
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recording the amounts. Continue for as many rounds as you want.
• The player with the greatest total value of coins at the end of the last round
wins the game.
CHALLENGE: As players become comfortable counting with pennies and
nickels, add dimes and then quarters to the bag of coins.
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RACE TO ONE DOLLAR
(BEST FOR 2-4 PLAYERS)
Players will need play money or 3 copies of page 5. If you use page 5,
cut out all the coins and dollar bills.
Sort the pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, and
dollar bills and place them in separate plastic
containers, or piles.
Print the spinner on page 3, cut out the
arrow and attach it with a brad to the
spinner. You might back the arrow with
cardboard or construction paper to
make it sturdier.
Say: You’re going to take turns using
the spinner and the play money to
see who can trade their coins for a
1 dollar bill first.
SPIN FOR A DOLLAR!
• Players take turns. Spin the spinner. What number does the arrow land
on? Take that many pennies from the bank (the container or pile of
pennies)
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• At any time, after you collect your money from the bank, you can trade
for the next greater value coin. For example, if you spin a 6 on your
turn, you should trade 5 of your pennies for a nickel. When you get
two nickels, you should trade for a dime. When you get 2 dimes and 1
nickel, you should trade for a quarter. Return the coins you are trading
in to the correct container or pile.
• Continue taking turns spinning the spinner, collecting pennies according
to the number shown on the spinner, and trading in pennies for nickels,
nickels for dimes, and dimes for quarters.
• The first player who can trade in coins for a 1 dollar bill wins!
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RACE TO ONE DOLLAR
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SHOP WITH FEWER COINS
Each child will need 1 copy of page 5. Cut out the coins and dollar bills and
sort them into piles according to the type of coin. If you use play or real money,
each child will need the number of coins and dollar bills shown on page 5.
Use sticky notes or small pieces of paper to make at least 5 “price tags” for
common household items. The price tags should be for amounts less than
one dollar. For example: pencil 8¢, bar of soap 27¢, crayon box 33¢, ruler
42¢, plastic cup 76¢.
Attach the price tags to the items you choose.
LET’S SHOP!
• Remind children that Deena wanted to use her money to buy her mother
a present. Say: We’re going to use our money to buy some of the items we
have fixed with price tags.
• Hold up one of the tagged items. Have children say aloud the price.
Say: Now use your coins to make a combination worth the cost of this item.
Use the fewest possible coins.
• When everyone has finished, have volunteers
describe the coin combination they made using
the fewest coins. Have players compare their coin
combinations.
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• The player with the fewest number of coins gets
to choose the next item. Repeat the procedure
for the other items.
CHALLENGE: Have children find the combination of the fewest coins
to pay for several items at a time. They may also use the dollar bills. For
example, say: What combination of fewest bills and coins would you use
to buy three items for $1.51? Use other amounts under three dollars.
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RACE TO ONE DOLLAR AND SHOP WITH FEWER COINS
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