Introducing coins to young children is a start to learning the concept of money. Even at an early age, kids understand it takes money to buy a special toy or their favorite candy.
For young children place coins in order according to value instead of size. Teach them to identify the names of each coin. Children may need guidance because at this age they may place coins in size order. Most young kids have not mastered the value vs. size of the coins yet. Show them the different colors of coins. Ask questions about how many pennies make a nickel, how many nickels make a dime, and all the different combinations. Playing games is a fun way for children to learn what money is all about. Children learn better with hands-on experience.
I recently had a quick conversation with my four-year-old grandson and my six your old granddaughter. They love to buy snacks at the concession stand at the softball field. In this short lesson, I showed them the different coins, explained the value of each coin, and we discussed how much their favorite snack would cost. We talked about how many coins were needed to buy their items. They had fun finding different combinations. However, they were most excited when I gave them each a baggie for their coins to buy something at the concession stand! My granddaughter asked me if they would accept the coins or if she needed dollar bills. I explained they would accept the coins because coins are real money – so off they went!
Teaching young children to make small choices now will help them make better and bigger choices as they grow. Making their own decisions not only teaches responsibility but allows students to acquire experience. These decisions will help strengthen their ability to be more successful in decision-making during their teen and adult years. Guiding kids now will help them gain confidence as they grow.
