Your students won’t need to take a hammer to their piggy banks to practice their money skills! 

Just set them down in front of these coin-counting task cards and watch them put their coin identification and adding skills to work. 

Practice Money Skills with Our Coin Activity 

Use this resource as a math center activity, with your guided small group, or as a whole class activity (see below) to practice identifying and counting coins by front and back, less than $1. 

Students will go through the numbered task cards, first identifying the type of coin (penny, nickel, dime, quarter) by its front or backside, then the value of each coin. Then they’ll add the coins together to get a total sum. Students will write the answers to the task cards on the recording sheet provided. 

Scaffolding and Extension Tips + More Money Skills Games

Challenge students who already understand the concept to write the name and value of each. 

Invite students to use a visual reminder, like an anchor chart or a money value poster to help identify the coin and/or value. 

Use this resource as independent practice for fast finishers, and for full-class learning opportunities like scoot activities, lesson reviews, formative assessments, and more.

Scoot Activity

Number cards and place the cards around the room in numerical order. Give each student a recording sheet and assign them to a number to start. Give students an appropriate amount of time to add the value of the coins on the card, and then say, “SCOOT.” At this time, the students will rotate to the next card. Continue in this manner until students have made it through all of the cards. 

Coin Skills Group Lesson 

Provide each student with a recording sheet. Then, using your smartboard or another projection device, go through the sheets as a class so that your students can practice identifying and adding coins.

Coin Skills Exit Activity

After you go through your coin identification lesson, pass out cards to students as a math problem they will answer on their own. Provide each student with a sticky note so that they can turn in their answer to give you as a formative assessment, making sure to write their name on it (or use our Sticky Note Printing Guide + Template).

Easily Prepare This Resource for Your Students

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

To turn this teaching resource into a sustainable activity, print a few recording sheets on cardstock and slip them into dry-erase sleeves. Students can record their answers with a dry-erase marker, then erase and reuse.

Keep the task cards out of pockets or under desks: cut out the cards and punch a hole in the corner of each to place them on a binder ring. 

Because this activity includes an answer sheet, we recommend first printing one copy of the entire file. Then, make photocopies of the blank worksheet for students to complete. 

Before You Download

Use the drop-down icon on the Download button to choose between the PDF or Google Slides version of this resource. A recording sheet and answer key are also included with this download.

This resource was created by Nicole Ellis, a teacher in New York and a Teach Starter Collaborator. 

You can count on us for more coin activities!  

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Practice identifying coins and their values when added together with this set of 40 money task cards.

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An activity to help students recognize coins and their combined amounts.