Children see adults pay all the time, but often with a card or a phone, so the money itself is invisible. No wonder a five-year-old thinks the shop simply gives you things when you tap. Learning about money helps with counting and adding, but also with waiting, choosing and planning. This article suggests simple ways to make money concrete at home, from recognising coins to saving and shopping together.
Start with what children can see and touch
- Coins and notes are real objects. Let your child look at and sort a handful of coins. Supervise young children, as coins are small enough to swallow.
- Size isn't value. In many countries, a small coin can be worth more than a bigger one. That's a surprising idea: the number on the coin matters, not its size.
- Cards and phones are money too. Explain that tapping a card or phone takes real money from an account, even though nothing changes hands.
Recognising coins and notes (around ages 4–6)
- Sort the coins. By colour, by size, then by the number printed on them.
- Match coin and number. Write numbers on paper and ask your child to put the right coin on each one.
- Count small amounts. Start with the smallest coin only: "Five of these make five."
- Paper money. Let your child draw their own play notes. It's fun, and drawing the numbers helps them notice them.
Playing shop (around ages 5–8)
Playing shop is one of the best money games, and it needs no special toys:
- Collect a few items: fruit, toys, books.
- Write price tags with small numbers, like 2, 5 or 8.
- One person is the shopkeeper, the other the customer, using real coins or paper money.
- Swap roles often.
As your child grows, add steps:
- Paying with exact money. "The apple costs 3. Which coins can you use?"
- More than one item. "An apple and a book: how much altogether?"
- Change. "You gave me 10 and it costs 7. How much do I give back?" Counting on from 7 to 10 is a good way to find change.
Saving: waiting for something
- A clear jar. Saving in a see-through jar lets children watch their money grow, which makes waiting easier.
- A goal they can picture. A drawing or photo of what they're saving for, stuck on the jar.
- Short goals first. For young children, a week or two is a long time. Start with goals they can reach soon.
- Three jars (for older children). One for spending, one for saving and one for giving or sharing. Children decide how to split what they receive.
Many children find waiting hard, and spending everything at once is a normal part of learning. You can talk about it afterwards: "Do you still like what you bought? What would you choose next time?"
Shopping together
- Make a list together and check items off as you find them.
- Compare two things. "This one costs 4 and that one costs 6. Which is cheaper? How much do we save?"
- A small budget. "You can choose one snack that costs up to 5." Choosing within a limit is a real thinking task.
- Needs and wants. Bread and milk are things we need; a new toy is something we want. Both are fine, but we plan for needs first.
| Age (approximate) | Activities |
|---|---|
| 4–5 | Sorting coins, size isn't value, simple play shop |
| 5–6 | Matching coins and numbers, paying for one item |
| 6–8 | Adding prices, giving change, a clear saving jar |
| 8–10 | Small budgets, comparing prices, three jars |
In Dologi, "Add and pick" puzzles in the Math topic practise adding small amounts, the same skill children use when they count coins in a pretend shop.
In short
- Money is easier to understand when children can see and touch it.
- Sorting coins and playing shop build counting and adding, and later giving change.
- A clear jar and a goal they can picture make saving and waiting easier.
- Shopping together with a list and a small budget turns money into real choices.
Read more: Math with everyday things: counting, comparing and sharing at home