Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Money Matters: An Intro to Money & Shopping

We're starting to learn about money over here. James likes playing with coins and has been asking what each one is and what it's for, so I created some nomenclature cards and we had a fun lesson about money last week.

First we matched some jumbo coin cut-outs I found at the local teacher's supply store. Then we matched real coins to the cards. We also talked a little about the images on each coin.

Next I talked about how different countries use different kinds of money and then I introduced and we matched some Bermuda cards and coins.

Then I talked a bit about why we use money. I explained how each coin is worth a certain amount and that the things we buy cost a certain amount and that we must use money to buy those things.

Next we played "store". I found a bunch of random items and I labeled them with stickers. Each sticker had a value on it. I gave James some coins and a basket and he excitedly "shopped" for things. :) When he selected the items he wanted, he brought them to me (aka the cashier) and "purchased" them. To keep it very simple, we addressed each item individually - I would take the sticker off the item, show him the amount and he would select the appropriate coin from his loot. He did a great job and gave me the correct coin each time, which I thought was great considering he was working with two types of currency!

This was such a fun game for both of us! James was so funny about shopping - he's a lot like me in that he takes forever to make a decision about whether or not a certain item is worth the purchase. He was saying things like, "Well, I already have one of those, so I really don't need it." Ha!

~a happy customer~

If you'd like to download my money cards, click here. Note there is also Bermuda currency included in this file. Since we use both US and Bermuda currency here on the island (it's 1:1), I wanted James to be familiar with both. Fun tip: you could always print out the Bermuda cards and add them to your North America continent box/bag! :)

As always, my printables are for your personal use only - please do not sell or offer them in a giveaway. Thank you!

~Thank you for your comments!~

14 comments:

The Activity Mom said...

AWESOME! Thank you so much for sharing these. I've been wanting to create something like this for B, but it is so hard to find the right images. Thank you thank you! I shared these on twitter and fb!

Maria said...

Brilliant!!! As usual. I need to find flash cards for euros but I love the idea and I am sure my daughter will enjoy it too as she has just started asking to buy things herself (sweets...). Thank you!!!

Anonymous said...

What a fun activity! Love that picture of James w/ the glasses!

Marnie Craycroft said...

Love this activity and concept! I'm beginning to write a blog on kids and money called growingupcentsible. Financial responsibility and early education are so important!

divya said...

Thank you so much for putting this activity ! Loved it ! Thanks for the link to make the cards !
http://insidethechild.blogspot.com/

Joey said...

I'm going to start looking for something like this in Canadian currency!
Thank you!
~ joey ~

Unknown said...

What a great resources! I love the idea of starting with money lessons earyl.

Becky said...

I hope I win!!!

Unknown said...

Hi! I LOVE LOVE LOVE your classroom! I love your ideas and how you mix montessori with a sort of "craftiness" with homemade love! You use ABCteach and KidSoup, just wondering if you only use the free activities or do you have the memberships?

Thanks

Counting Coconuts said...

Thank you so much for your kind feedback!

@2withautism: Yes, I have memberships to both sites (and ABC Twiggles, as well). All are useful in their own way, but if I'm honest I frequent abcteach more often now that my son is a bit older.

Jen said...

I have been wondering about this because for some reason they aren't doing this at my son's school yet. Now I know just how to introduce it here at home! Thank you once again, Mari-Ann, for coming to the rescue!

Unknown said...

The glasses make the activity look super fun.

HouseofHubbs said...

Thank you for inspiring me and sharing your wonderful resources! I am going to work on this with my boys today!

TawnyNicole001 said...

Hi! Love this idea! But the link to the cards is not working :( I'd love to use this with my K5 group!

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