Making 'Cents' of American Money

Now that furlough is months away instead of years away, I decided it was probably time to start (re)introducing the kids to American money. Josiah and Anna are both beginning to figure out counting with Tanzanian shillings, but pennies, nickles, dimes, quarters and dollars are quite foreign to them.

So, after finding this great money game idea at No Time for Flashcards, we decided to set up our own dining room table shop during their recent school holidays.

First we picked out some plastic food and made our price list.

Then, we reviewed the different coins, and how much they were worth. This took a little practice, but they seemed to catch on fairly quickly, especially Josiah. However, he was baffled why the oh-so-small dime could be worth more than the clunky nickel. (I don't know, son. I don't know.)

Finally, it was time to shop.

They each took turns picking an item, and then finding the correct coins to pay their bill.

It was a wonderful way to fill up a morning and teach them something at the same time. Josiah thinks he's ready to pull out the paper money next time and give that a try.

We'll see.