Getting ready to teach your children or students how to interact with money? That’s fantastic! Not only will this building block help them learn mathematics like counting by fives and tens, but it will also prepare them for the workplace. Let’s take a look at a variety of free printable kids money available on the Web and ways to teach kids about money.
Free Printable Kids Money for Download
Monopoly Money
One of the most recognizable currencies for children (or at least this 90s kid) is the brightly colored money from the Hasbro game, Monopoly. These bills differ from U.S. currency in appearance but offer your children a chance to practice their counting, sorting, and hand-eye coordination skills.
Download your free printable Monopoly money here.
U.S. Coins
Are your children ready to learn coin values? Making change? Let’s take a look at some printable coin sheets for you:
Customized printable sheets of play money – At StemSheets.com, you can customize the number and denomination of play coins you need on each sheet. For example, you can print off 20 coins of each value (up to a quarter) on a single piece of paper. That’s 80 coins – in color – on one sheet.
Printable coins and coloring pages – Head over to EnchantedLearning.com to view printable images of quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies. Also, view a myriad of coloring pages for your child to enjoy as they educate her about U.S. coins.
Printable coin math worksheets – Ready to test your child’s knowledge of counting and making change? These free worksheets are great tools for just that.
Bonus Read: “6 Fun Money Games for Kids“
U.S. Dollars
Got a bank teller in the making? Help your children or students identify the correct face on each piece of currency and count them in quantities of fives, tens, twenties, or even hundreds with these options:
Fake Play Bills – Looking for fake $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills for your kids? Here is a complete list of free and printable play bills. These can engage your young child in a myriad of money lessons like counting, sorting, and even practicing good habits like using the envelope system.
Realistic Bills – Add a Face – A great way to quiz your child on whose face belongs to which bill is to show him this realistic play money with no face in the middle. After printing out these bills by denomination, he can color in his own face for some added fun. No worries. It’s only a federal crime to deface U.S. currency when it’s not play money. 😉
Games and Play to Teach Kids About Money
In the preschool years, kids are just beginning to learn that money has value and can be used to buy goods. In early elementary, they learn to distinguish between the various bills and coins and their value. You can help your child become money smart at an early age by playing money games with them. Consider some of the following:
Buying Groceries
Print, cut, and laminate these terrific flash cards to quiz your child on prices at the grocery store. For example, she can use her fake money to pay for a $2 bag of popcorn or $1 bottle of water or do the math to pay for them both.
As your child gets older and masters this play game, you can take her with you to the grocery store. Give her a certain amount of money and ask her to buy a few select things from your list. This is a great time to teach her the difference between name brand and unbranded goods and the price difference between them.
Going to a Restaurant
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Take advantage of your child’s love of play to play a game of restaurant. Present children with a menu using one of these realistic free menu downloads. Then, let your child choose his food, pay for the meal, and leave a tip. This is an excellent time to talk about budgeting and staying within a budget when dining out. Don’t forget to let your child switch roles and practice being the waiter.
Using Printable Play Checks
Is your child old enough to write? Then he’s old enough to learn how to write a check. Paper checks may seem archaic in today’s digital world, but it’s still a foundational skill from which your child will build his financial knowledge upon.
For example, give him a set list of chores to complete, then pay with a check using these free printable checks. Teach him how to understand the information on the check, endorse it properly on the back, and cash it. This will help him understand the role banks and employers will play in his life later, even if his paychecks are directly deposited.
Practicing Estimation
Another fun activity is helping your children practice estimation. Fill a glass jar with coins, and let your kids guess how much money is in there. The person with the closest estimate wins a small prize.
Collecting Change
Another idea is to save all your coins in a jar as a family. Decide together what you’ll use the money for. Maybe you’ll use it for a fun day out or for a donation to a charity you all agree on.
Teaching about Interest
For older elementary kids, teach them how interest works. They can deposit money with you for their savings, and every month you can give them interest, at a rate you’ve determined, on their savings. Your kids will likely be excited by this “free” money they’ve earned and want to save even more.
Final Thoughts
We all want our kids to be savvy when it comes to saving and spending. Those skills should start being developed early, when kids are three to ten, through printable money and games with the kids. The earlier you can start them understanding the value of money, the longer you have to teach them how to use money responsibly.
Bonus Read: “How to Teach a Child to Count Money“
Got any favorite ways to teach kids about money? We’d love to hear about them in the comments below!
Read More
Parenting Win: Teaching Money Skills to Your Kids,
Games That Teach Kids About Money,
Free Apps that Help Kids Manage Their Pocket Money
Melissa is a writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her homeschooling her kids, reading a good book, or cooking. She resides in Arizona where she dislikes the summer heat but loves the natural beauty of the area.