Thanksgiving counting money activities for 2nd grade

Turn November coin practice into a pretend market. Draw three grocery items on scrap paper and give them small prices in cents. Children build each amount with play coins, name the coins and count aloud. Keep the amounts within the coin combinations they have already learned.

For a 65-cent item, one possible payment is two quarters, one dime and one nickel: 25, 50, 60, 65. Ask for a second way to make the same amount, then compare the number of coins used. These are teacher-created activity prompts; the Counting Coins pack itself is a year-round design without Thanksgiving pictures. Its 20 practice pages progress from pennies and nickels through dimes and quarters, with amounts up to $1.50 and a full answer key.

Begin with an appropriate coin-counting page, use the pretend market for discussion, then return to a few printed problems. Skip Counting is a separate support for counting by 5s, 10s and 25s. Making Change is a separate next step when counting a given amount is secure. The 1st and 2nd Grade Math Bundle includes Counting Coins and Skip Counting; Making Change is sold separately.

What you get

The pack is a US Letter PDF (A4 works with fit to page): 20 practice pages, a 20-page answer key, a how-to page with tips for parents and teachers, a color-in progress tracker and a cover page. Download it right after checkout and print as many copies as you need for your family or one classroom.

Tips

• Use US play coins and say each coin's value before combining coins.
• Count larger-value coins first, then check by grouping equal coins.
• Keep paying an exact amount separate from finding change until both ideas are understood.