Guest Post: Education.com Money Math Games

It’s summertime, which can only mean one thing – it’s lemonade stand season! Money math games are needed!

Err…well, I guess it means more than that, but bear with me.  

See, B and J have already set up shop once this summer, and raked in some serious (to them) money by selling lemonade. They now look forward to taking their earnings to a store and making it rain, bruh!

Or just buying a bunch of candy at that store. One or the other.  

Anyway, B and J, while experienced hustlers, still have a lot to learn about the art of money. Fortunately, my good friends at Education.com have a fun, easy game to play, to help any young, budding entrepreneur or shopper. We had a great time when we played it at our house. Check it out!

Grocery Shopping Game

Want to make sure you raise a money-savvy kid? Start them out right with this activity that hides valuable math skills within a fun grocery store game. An added possible benefit of this game? It may encourage your child to join you on your next grocery pickup!

What You Need:
Money
Table
Several small objects
Paper
Construction paper

What You Do:

1. Explain to your child that you will be the grocer and he will be the shopper.
2. Lay out the small objects on the table. Objects can be anything from toys to clothes to food.
3. Have your child help you make little paper tents out of the construction paper. (The simplest tent? Just a regular sheet of paper folded in half.)
4. Write a price on each paper tent. Try to keep prices varied, but only as complicated as you think your child can handle.
5. Group the items together and place a price tag in front of them. For example, all the 5 cent items should be in one group. All the $1 items are in one group and so on.
6. Give your child a purse or baggie with some cash. If he has a wallet, this would be a good opportunity to use it.
7. He can “buy” a number of things from you. But before you accept his money, ask him to tally up how much he owes you.
8. If he gives you more than he owes, give him back change and ask him to count it.
9. Continue to let him buy things until he runs out of money.
10. Now let your child be the grocer. Have him organize the items by price on the table.
11. Set him up with some coins and a couple of bills so that he can give you change.
12. Go “buy” a couple items and pay him for them.
13. If you want to challenge him, give him an incorrect amount of money and see how he handles it.
14. After a couple rounds of this grocery game, he will be ready to shop at a real store!