Money is one of those math topics that kids generally love to learn about. They all want money, so they usually don’t mind learning how to count it. At least mine didn’t.
Since Pooh is in second grade, learning to work with money is one of our main objectives for math this school year. So I’ve started using several money activities for second grade to help him grasp this concept as easily as possible.
Plus, I’m sharing a new printable today that can help your kids learn to work with money too!
Take a look at the 25 different money activities for kids below to find some super cool ways to get your kids counting change and dollars!
Psssttt…don’t forget to read all the way to the end to grab a new free resource for learning to count money with your students!
And for more fun with math, don’t miss our DIY Geometry Dice for a quick hands-on geometry activity!
25 Fun Money Activities for Second Grade
1. Dollars and Cents Concentration Game – Look! We’re Learning!
2. International Currency Collecting – Rainy Day Mum
3. Teaching Coin Recognition – Mosswood Connections
4. Apple Counting Money Game – You’ve Got This Math
5. Coin Scavenger Hunt – School Time Snippets
6. Money Smarts Math Game – Left Brain Craft Brain
7. Discovering Money Lapbook – Homeschool Share
8. How Much are Words Worth Game – Homeschooling My Kinetic Kids
9. Caterpillar Money Counting Printable – J Daniel 4’s Mom
10. Money Recognition Busy Bag – 3 Princess and 1 Dude
11. Printable Board Game Savings Worksheet – Artsy Fartsy Mama
12. Piggy Bank Coin Counting Clip Cards – The Art Kit Blog
13. Printable Safari Spelling Game – In Our Pond
14. Printable Coin Sorting Match Activity – Fantastic Fun and Learning
15. Making Change Task Cards – You’ve Got This Math
16. Money Battleship Game – School Time Snippets
17. The Money Game – Teach Beside Me
18. Build an Ice Cream Sundae Money Math Practice – Science Kiddo
19. DIY Spend, Save, Give Jars – Mess for Less
20. DIY Money Box for Kids – Craftulate
21. Chemical Reactions with Pennies from Creative Family Fun
22. Free Money Fractions and Probability Activity from Life Over C’s
23. Money Math Problems for 1st-3rd Grade from Planet Smarty Pants
24. Skip counting nickels and dimes from Sugar Aunts
25. Set up a simple store with your kids! (Directions below!)
Fun Money Activities for Second Grade – Set Up a Store!
What money lesson is complete without a game of “Store”? Usually kids learn about the concept of money when we go shopping.
They ask us for toys and we say “No, we don’t have money for that.” Then they realize: money = the ability to buy toys. 🙂
That’s a great place to start teaching them about money!
To set up our “store”, I asked the kids to go to their rooms and pick three things each. They came back with their most prized possessions. It was actually pretty cute.
Then I just arbitrarily assigned prices to each item using sticky notes. And our store was complete!
Now I might skimp on my store “shelves”, but I try to use realistic play money. (Ours is from Learning Resources.) I think it’s important for kids to learn what actual coins look like so they can recognize them in real life.
It’s somewhat ironic to be teaching with dollars and coins when we almost always use cards now, but it’s so important that kids understand how money works.
That’s a much easier lesson to learn with coins than cards. I mean, you can swipe cards all day without actually realizing how much money you spend. (Ask me how I know…lol.)
When we make “purchases” in our store, we add up the total using a calculator, count out our money, and we’re off!
Another way we like to teach money in second grade is by playing Monopoly Junior. It’s a fun and easy way for younger kids to learn about concepts such as buying and selling, property, and budgeting.
Fun Money Activities for Second Grade – Learning about Money Printables
Want even more practice with learning about money? We have a new set of learning printables to add to our list of fun money activities for second grade and other early elementary grade levels!
To use these learning about money printables, you’ll need the following:
- Printer (with ink)
- Printer Paper
- Pencils
- Child-safe scissors
- Glue stick
This set includes three money activities:
- One “Count Your Money” activity, complete with answer key
- One “Let’s Budget for a Party” activity (Perfect for learning to follow a budget!)
- And one “What Do Adults Pay for These Things?” activity
A full set of instructions is also included!
These are wonderful for introducing kids to the idea of how money is used in the real world!
See more ways to make math fun on my Math Mania Pinterest board!
Don’t miss these other math learning printables for kids!
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I love the concentration game going to print out and add to our money resources.
Great ideas for learning about money! I especially love the store! Thanks for the free printable!
Teach your child how to save money. This post is a good idea for money activities, children will love this game. Thanks for sharing your insight.