Count It, Pay It, Check Your Change

What your kid learns

• Size is not value

  A coin’s size does not show its value. A dime is smaller than a nickel. But a dime is worth more. In $3.75, the dot splits dollars from cents. 100 cents make $1.

• No exact change? Get change back

  Sometimes you don’t have the exact amount. So you pay a little more. Then the cashier gives money back. That money back is your change.

• Count up to check

  Start at the price. Add coins until you reach a whole dollar. Then add dollars until you reach what you paid. Mistakes happen. It’s OK to ask politely.

The story: The Case of the Short Change

At a shop counter, Priya pays for a pretend book with a $5 bill and counts up to check the change.

1. Helper: A new case, detectives! Priya is buying a book.
2. Seller: This book costs a pretend $3.75.
3. Priya: I don’t have exact change. Here is $5.
4. Seller: Here is your change. Have a nice day!
5. Priya: Wait. Let me count up to check it.
6. Priya: $3.75 plus 25¢ makes $4. Plus $1 makes $5.
7. Priya: So my change is $1.25. It’s all here!
8. Helper: Case closed! Count up from the price to check your change.

The game: Register Detective

You’re the cashier. Count up from the pretend price to what they paid. Tap coins and bills to give the change.

Games use pretend money and work with taps or a keyboard. Nothing is timed.

New words

cents

the parts of a dollar. 100 cents make $1.

change

money you get back when you pay more than the price

exact change

paying the price with no money back

count up

start at the price and add until you reach what you paid

Questions at the end

• A pretend sticker costs $2.50. What does that mean?
• Which coins make 35¢?
• Pretend price $1.50. You pay $2. What is your change?

Remember this

Count up to check your change.

Talk about it

Next time you pay cash, let your kid count the change back to you.

Try it at home: Count your change

1. Next time you pay with cash, count your change with a grown-up.
2. No cash buys? Play one more round of Register Detective together.

Next time you pay with cash, count your change with a grown-up. No cash buys? Play one more round of Register Detective together.

For grown-ups: live facts

• New pennies are no longer made for spending. Old pennies are still money.

  Source: U.S. Mint(opens in a new tab)

School standards

• National Standards for Personal Financial Education: Spending
• Common Core Math 2.MD.C.8 (review)
• Common Core Math 3.NBT.A.2