Make Money Counting a Team Activity! 

For primary students, memorising British currency can be an intense challenge. They have to read or recognise multiple coins and notes, recall their values, and use addition and subtraction skills.  

We’re taking the sting out of it by identifying values as a team.  

To play, shuffle cards and hand them out to students sitting at their desks or in a circle on the floor (give two cards if there are leftovers). The student who has the starter reads their card and the next total. This passes the turn to another player, who reads their card, and so on. The game continues until the last person reads out “I am the last number.”

Use this game as a maths warm-up before starting your lesson or an exit ticket to reinforce students’ understanding of the content. 

Scaffolding + Extension Tips 

Remind students that some cards have both notes and coins and to add them together for the total. 

Support students who need help understanding the concepts using the fishbowl method before playing: a small group sits in the middle, encircled by their classmates, and models the activity for the students to see. 

Additionally, provide manipulates or a British currency poster to help students who need support recognising coins and their value. 

Add in a timed element to the game for an extra challenge.

More Activities to Practise Money Counting

We created this resource for your maths rotation as an independent practice activity. We also suggest using it to reinforce your small group and full-class lessons in the following ways: 

🙋 Solo Play

Students can play this game independently by reading the cards to themselves and sorting for the “who has” match. As they play, the student sets the cards in a pile, creating the chain of cards until there are none left. 

✅ Test Prep or Class Review

You can easily turn this game into a review session at the end of your lesson or right before a test to give students some extra practice. Without showing students the cards, read the totals out loud to your class, and ask them to write the numerical total they hear (with appropriate £ and p symbols) on a recording sheet. Optional: Project the answers for students to self-check.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Jump In Line 

Have students stand up and provide each with a card. Then challenge them to put themselves in order silently.

Easily Prepare This Resource for Your Students

Click on the Download button above for your full-colour PDF resource. 

Print on thick card for added durability and longevity. Place all pieces in a folder or large envelope for easy access. 

NEXT: 68 Ideas and Tips for Setting Up Maths Rotations in the Classroom 

Make money counting a central part of your maths lessons with these activities: 

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