Ingredients:
- Large variety of coins (quarters, dimes, nickels, pennies)
- Poster board
- Bold marker or crayon
Prep Time:
Recipe for Playful Learning!
Coin sorting is an easy play idea. Counting coins is also a critical life skill. Take some time to play with and sort coins while beginning to teach the value of money to your preschooler.
STEP 1: Using a bold marker, make thick lines to divide the poster board into four squares and then labeling each square for each coin type.
STEP 2: Show the coins to your child, talking about the differences in each. For example, “A quarter is the largest coin of the four and it also has the highest value”. “Pennies come in all different shades of copper from bright orange to dark brown.
AGE MODIFICATION: Depending on the age of your child – you can also include a review the specific values of each coin, i.e., a quarter is $.25, a dime is $.10.
STEP 3: Best to count and sort on the floor or flat surface. Place one of each coin in its designated square on the poster board.
STEP 4: Let your child follow your lead and begin sorting all the coins by themselves.
STEP 5: When all the coins are sorted, have your child count how many of coin are in each square of the poster board.
AGE MODIFICATION: Depending on the age of your child – you can begin to count the total value of each variety of coins and then total up all the coins.
Skills to Practice: Sorting, Counting, Organization, Critical thinking