Learning how to recognize the coins and how to count money can be hard for students. If you think you will just teach them about it once and that students will get it, you will probably be disappointed. I like to introduce the coins in a fun way and then give students lots of practice with money games for 2nd grade that students love.

 

So today I thought I would share how to teach money to my 2nd grade students and 5 money games for 2nd graders.

 

How to Teach Money to 2nd Graders

 

I actually like to pre-teach money before we get to the money unit in our curriculum. I do this by using my math wall. I have a bulletin board in my classroom that has different math activities that we practice the whole school year. It’s a routine in our class. Every morning before our regular math lesson we do a few activities on the wall. One of those activities is with money. 

I have posted up the front and back of each coin so students can familiarize themselves with what each coin looks like. We talk about them, who is on each coin, and what is on the backside. We talk a little about each of the presidents on the coins. I have taken a couple trips to Washington D.C. so it’s fun to show those picks I took at Monticello and the Lincoln Memorial. I feel like it helps my students remember the coins easier.

 

 

I use money rhymes to help my students learn how much each coin is worth. I post these up on the board as well. Each day we say the rhymes together. This is a fun way for students to learn the amounts. Then I have a picture of a treasure box posted up on the bulletin board as well. I put some velcro dots on fake coins and on the treasure box. This way I can hang up coins on the treasure box. Then I ask students how much money is in our treasure box. Students add up the amounts and then tell me it in both cents and in dollars. Find these materials to help teach money here.

 

 

Once I have introduced money to students, they need some fun practice activities to help them master the skill of counting coins. That is where the money games for 2nd grade come in.

I mostly use these games as fast finisher activities, but they are also great as center activities or independent practice for a formal lesson. 

 

Money Don’t Eat Pete

 

This game is just a paper I print out that has 12 different squares. Instead each square are some coins. Students play in small groups. They cover each grid square with a “marker.” You can have students use candy, dried beans, or mini erasers for this. One player moves away so they can’t hear or see. The rest of the players quietly pick one square on the grid to be “Pete.” Then the one player returns and picks up the markers one by one. As they do, they say the amount of cents in the square. If they pick up the marker that is Pete, everyone says, “Don’t Eat Pete!” That player’s turn is now over and they pick a new play to start again.

 

 

I love this game because it is super low prep. All I have to do is print out the page and slip it into a sheet protector. No cutting or laminating! I also have different versions so I can differentiate to students’ needs. I have one that focuses more on coin recognition, one with coin amounts to 35 cents, and another with coin amounts to 75 cents. Find this Money Don’t Eat Pete game here.

 

Money Scoot Activity

 

My students love scoot activities. These are where you post task cards around the room and students go around solving them. I love how they get students moving and out of their seats. I give students a recording sheet so they can write down their answers and check their work when they are finished. I also find that scoot activities work best in 2nd grade when you have students working with partners. That way they can keep each other on task and help each other out if needed. Plus I love to hear them talking about the math together.

 

 

I use 3 different levels for my money school activities. I use one at the beginning of the year, one in the middle, and one a bit later. It’s a great way to help students get the practice they need with money. There is a version that has amounts up to 25 cents, another one with amounts to 75 cents, and the last one with amounts up to a dollar. Find these Money Scoot Activities here.

 

Money Matching Activity

 

In this activity, students get a set of cards. They count the coins on one and then find the matching dollar amount on another card. They keep doing this until there are no cards left. I find this works best when students work with a partner as well. 

 

 

I have 6 different versions that get more and more difficult for students. I like to do a quick pretest to know where students are at with counting coins and then I use the data from the pretest to know what version they should start at. I make enough sets so when students finish their first set, I give them the next hardest set to challenge them.

 

This is a great activity if you are ever being observed by your principal. They love to see that you did a pretest and are using that information for instruction. And they love to see that students are working together and get challenged. Find this Money Matching Activity with the pretest included here.

 

Money War Game

 

Money War is one of my students favorite money games for 2nd grade. In this card game, students get into small groups and pass a card to each player until all the cards run out. They don’t look at their cards but put them in a neat pile facing down. Then on the count of 3, each player lays down the top card on their stack. The player with the higher amount gets to keep the cards. If the amounts are the same, keep them in the middle and play another round. Cards go back into their stack if the player wins that round. The player with all the cards wins. Or the player with the most cards when time is up wins.

 

 

I also have a couple versions of this money game for 2nd grade so that students can be successful and work on the skills they need. One version has amounts up to 25 cents and the other has coin amounts up to 75 cents. Find this Money War Game here.

 

Money Memory Match Game

 

This game is just like classic memory match but the cards have coins and their matching amounts. When I first introduced this game to students, I thought it would be too simple for them. But it turns out to be one of my students’ favorite learning games in our classroom. 

 

 

Students line up the cards on the ground in rows and columns. They take turns flipping over two cards. If they match, they keep the cards and go again. Students take turns until no cards are left. The player with the most matches at the end, wins!

 

I also have 2 different versions of this game. One set has amounts to 35 cents and the other with amounts to 75 cents. Find this Money Memory Match Game here.

 

I have all of these money games for 2nd graders plus my instructional resources all in one resource in my TpT store to save you money. Find this resource here.

Not only do I have my students play money games, but I have them play math fact games as well. To learn more about the math fact games I have my students play to help practice math fact fluency, read this blog post here: The Best 9 Games for Practice Math Facts

Like the ideas in this blog post? Check out this one where I share how I teach telling time to my students: 5 Telling the Time Activities to Help You Students Understand Analog Clocks

For more tips to getting your students to math fact mastery, download my free workbook for 1st and 2nd grade teachers: The 7 Steps to Ensure Math Fact Fluency

Download your free copy here.