This game is challenging and educational, and will engross childrenfor quite some time. The instructor must purchase or create several coin dice. Coin dice have pictures of the four main coins on the six sides, usually with the penny and nickel appearing twice. Arrange students in pairs and give each pari a coin die, a piece of scratch paper and a pencil. Instruct the students to take turns rolling the dice and tell them to add, on their scratch paper, each rolled coin value to the sum of the preceding rolls. For example, a student who rolled a dime, a penny, and a quarter would have 36 cents after his third turn. The first student to reach exactly one dollar wins the competition.
This activity works well in one-on-one settings, but can be done with a larger group. Give each student involved in the game a small handful of coins, real or artificial, totaling slightly less than a dollar in value. Hold up three different objects and write their prices up on the board. During this process, pretend that you are a shopkeeper and the students are customers. Ask students what they want to buy, and when they decide, have them count out enough coins to buy the item. Hand over the item and count back the change to complete the transaction.
Gather as many one-cup plastic containers with snap-on lids as you have students. Dairy containers, food-storage containers or even empty mint tins will work. Place a number of coins in each container, but don't worry about making putting the same amount of coins in each container. Label each money pot with a number and have your students write as many numbers as there are tins down the side of a piece of paper. Encourage the students to come up, grab a money pot, and count the change at their desks; they should then write the value of the money pot next to the corresponding number, replace the money pot, and then grab a new one. At the end of the activity, the students can compare their answers with one another.
For this activity, create or purchase a grid with several columns and rows, where each box contains the picture of a coin. The students should divide up into pairs; partners compete against each other in this game. Each student should also have a colored pencil or stack of tokens, distinct from her partner's, to keep score. The first player starts by correctly naming the coin in a box and placing his token or pen mark in that square. The children take turns naming coins and placing marks until a student connects four squares in a row, either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, and wins the round.