Teach children how to count coins by creating a set of index cards, half of the index cards with pictures of coins and the other half of the index cards with amounts of money. For example, if one card has a picture of two quarters, another card should have fifty cents written on it. Create at least 20 cards. Mix up the cards and place them face down on a table. Have children flip over cards, trying to create matches. The child with the most matches wins the game.
In a child's room or a school classroom, price a variety of items between one cent and $1. Give the child coins that add up to $2. The coins can be real or fake. Have the child "shop" in the store, counting out the coins required to buy each item she chooses. If a child counts too much money, provide her with change emphasizing the value of each coin returned. If a child counts too little money, help her by sharing the coins needed to purchase the item. For example, if a child needs seven cents, say "I still need a nickel and two pennies to make seven cents."
Counting the coins in a child's piggy bank can be as fun as a game by allowing the child to wrap his coins. Once the child has saved up a decent amount of coins, explain that each coin wrapper requires a certain amount of coins to be full. For example, a penny wrapper requires fifty pennies and a nickel wrapper requires forty nickels. See how many rolls of coins the child can wrap with his savings.
Connect counting coins to counting candy. Assign a monetary value or type of coin to each color of candy in a bag of candy-coated chocolate pieces such as M&Ms. For example, red candy equals a nickel. Have the child count the number of each color of candy in the bag, writing down the numbers according to the type of coin the color represents. For example, five red candies would be written as five nickels. After all the numbers are written down, have the child add the coins to figure out how much money the candies represent.