Learning with Play Money: Hands-On Activities for Financial Fun!
This interactive book of play money provides a fun and engaging way for children to develop essential math and financial skills. With cut-out bills and creative learning activities, students will practice recognizing values, counting money, making change, and solving real-world money problems-all through hands-on play!
Activities Include:
- Recognizing Value - Show a bill and ask, "What is the value of this bill?"
- Counting Money - Pile up some bills and ask, "How much money is here?" Or, place bills in a wallet and ask, "How much is inside?"
- Understanding Equality - Show different bill denominations and ask, "How many smaller bills equal this larger bill?"
- Multiplication with Money - A toy costs $2. If you buy one for yourself, one for your sibling, and one for a friend, how much do you need?
- Making Exact Payments - A new drone costs $123. What combination of bills can be used to pay the amount? What is the fewest number of bills needed?
- Adding Prices - Mark prices on pretend groceries and ask, "What is the total?" Have students use play money to "pay" the amount.
- Rounding Up - Ask, "If an item costs $47, how many $10 bills do you need to pay for it?"
- Checking Affordability - Give the student some play money and ask, "Do you have enough to buy a pony for $100? If not, how much more do you need?"
- Race to $20 Game - Students take turns adding bills to a pile, trying to make exactly $20. If they go over, they’re out, and the game restarts!
- Comparing Values - Show two bills and ask, "Which is worth more?" (Sometimes use two bills of the same denomination for a challenge!)
- Money War Game - Players place bills from their stacks in the center. The highest bill wins! In case of a tie, players draw four more bills, with the fourth bill breaking the tie.
- Money Riddles - Example: Jill’s total is $16. She pays with four bills. What combination of bills did she use?
David E. McAdams is an accomplished author with a passion for making complex concepts accessible to readers of all ages. With a diverse background in mathematics and education, he has dedicated his career to developing engaging books that introduce children and young learners to fundamental ideas in math, colors, and beyond.
McAdams has written numerous educational books, including Parrot Colors, Shapes, Numbers, One Penny, Two, and the Geometric Nets Project Book series. His works are designed to spark curiosity and foster a deeper understanding of subjects such as set theory, fractals, and mathematical literacy. Through fun, interactive activities and beautifully illustrated picture books, he aims to make learning an enjoyable experience for young minds.
Recognizing the importance of math literacy, especially among high school students, McAdams has spent years creating resources to help children and teenagers build a strong mathematical vocabulary. His comprehensive dictionary, All Math Words Dictionary, serves as a valuable reference for students studying pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, and pre-calculus.
Beyond writing, McAdams enjoys programming computers and gardening. His love for learning and creativity is reflected not only in his books but also in his approach to life. He takes great joy in spending time with his children and grandchildren, who often inspire his work.
For more information about David E. McAdams and his books, visit www.demcadams.com.
