Counting Coins Game

Learning to add money is tough because it combines addition and abstract concepts. Help your 2nd grader learn about it while playing a fun game. All it takes is half an egg carton, a handful of coins, and some construction paper. Soon you’ll be tossing paper wads into egg carton cups, adding money values and totaling scores to see who the winner is.

What You Need:

• Half an egg carton, 6 attached cups.
• 6 coins including one penny, one dime, one nickel, and one quarter.
• Scrap paper in two colors.
• Notepad and pencil for scoring

What You Do:

1. Place a coin in the bottom of each egg cup.
2. Ask your child to help you make paper wads out of the colored scrap paper for this tossing game. Each of you can pick a different color paper and make 6 paper wads.
3. Explain that you are going to take turns tossing your paper wads into the egg cups. Then you will count your points. The number of points for each cup is determined by the coin in the bottom – 1 for a penny, 5 for a nickel, etc.
4. Let your daughter toss a paper wad. Then you take a turn. Keep going until you are both out of paper wads.
5. First you add up your score, explaining it as you go. “I got two in the penny cup, that’s two points. Then I had one in the dime cup for ten points.”
6. Now it’s your daughter’s turn. Encourage her to add up her own points. Who is the winner?

As you play, ask your daughter which is better – the cup with the highest score or the cup that is easiest to hit? It may depend which coin is in which cup.