A fun, educational game for your kids
The Loose Change Stack-Up is a fun, easy activity to teach your kids how to count change as well as the value of earning money. Teaching kids at an early age how to count and earn money will help set them up for success later in life by building a financial foundation of knowledge. This activity is great for kids ages 3 to 7.
Materials needed
- Loose change
- Pen and paper
- Calculator
- A large, flat surface
Game overview
The goal of the game is to stack change as high as you can. Set a pile of change in the center of a table and instruct players that the goal is to stack coins as high as they can before they topple over. Challenge each other to create the highest stack before it tumbles—and make sure your stacks are far enough apart that the coins don't get mixed up!
For a second round (or best two out of three), set a time limit—for example, one or two minutes—and have players race each other to see who can stack the most change before the timer runs out.
Once the stacks either fall over or the timer goes off, count the value of the stack—this will teach your kids how to differentiate between each type of coin.
To supplement the instructions in this article, put this printable guide in your back pocket or watch this video:
Extending the lesson
After tallying each stack, come up with chores to teach the value of earning money—and earning the money they just counted! For example, cleaning up their toys might earn them a quarter, and feeding the dog dinner might earn them a dime. You can even have some fun with it and create a chore chart poster. (Your kids can even help create it.)
