Counting Money

Counting Money is a friendly money game for kids that teaches US coins and bills one step at a time. Count a pile of coins, build an exact amount with the fewest pieces, pay in a little shop and work out your change, or decide which of two purses holds more. Eight levels run from pennies only up to dollars and cents with $20 bills. It is a free counting money game that runs in your browser, with no download or sign-up.

How to play

Pick a level, then one of the four games. Every round has 6 questions, with no timer and nothing to lose. If an answer is not right, you get a hint and try again.

• Count the coins: add up the money on the mat and tap the right total from four choices. Switch Answer by to Typing to enter it on a number pad instead. Typing 1, 3 and 5 on a dollar level shows $1.35. After a miss, a small running total appears under each coin and bill so you can count on from the biggest piece.
• Make the amount: the game asks for an amount such as 47¢ or $12.60. Drag or tap coins and bills from the bank into your tray. Tap a piece in the tray to take it back, or use Clear to start over. If you go over, the game tells you so you can put a piece back.
• Make change: a shop item has a price tag, and your wallet holds a few coins or bills. The wallet never has the exact price, so you always get change. Tap or drag money from your wallet to pay, press Pay, then work out how much change comes back. The answer screen shows the change in the fewest coins and bills and counts up from the price to what you paid, the way a cashier does.
• Compare amounts: two purses of money appear side by side. Tap the purse with more money, or Same if they hold the same amount. More coins does not always mean more money.

The eight levels

1. Pennies: 1¢ coins, totals up to 10¢.
2. Nickels: pennies and nickels, up to 30¢.
3. Dimes: pennies, nickels and dimes, up to 60¢.
4. Quarters: all the everyday coins, up to 99¢.
5. One dollar: coins and $1 bills, up to $3.00. From here, amounts are written with a dollar sign and a decimal point, such as $0.45.
6. Five dollars: adds $5 bills, up to $10.00.
7. Ten dollars: adds $10 bills, up to $25.00.
8. All the money: every coin and bill up to $20, up to $50.00.

On levels 1 to 4 the coins on the mat are sorted biggest first. From level 5 they are mixed up. Turn on Half dollar to add the 50¢ coin from level 4 up.

Stars and the fewest-pieces bonus

Each round earns 1 to 3 stars. In Count the coins, Make change and Compare amounts, you get 3 stars for getting all 6 right on the first try, 2 stars for 4 or 5, and 1 star for finishing. In Make the amount, stars come from how many amounts you made with the fewest possible pieces. For example, 41¢ takes at least 4 coins: a quarter, a dime, a nickel and a penny. Any exact way still counts, and the game shows the fewest-pieces way when yours used more. Your best stars for every game and level are saved in your browser and shown on the home screen.

About the coins and bills

The money is drawn as simple pictures with the value written on each piece, not as copies of real coins or bills. The coins keep their real size order: the dime is the smallest, then the penny, nickel, quarter and half dollar. The bills are drawn much smaller than real bills so they fit on the screen.

Tips

• Skip count. Count nickels by 5s, dimes by 10s and quarters by 25s: 25, 50, 75, one dollar.
• For the fewest pieces, always take the biggest coin or bill that still fits, then the next biggest.

FAQ

What ages is it for?

Level 1 suits young children just learning to count pennies. The dollar levels suit children learning decimals and change.

Is there a game over?

No. A miss shows a hint and you keep trying. Only first-try answers count toward stars.

Does it work on a phone or tablet?

Yes. Tap or drag coins with a finger. On a keyboard, number keys pick answers or add coins, and Enter moves on.

Is my progress saved?

Yes, in your browser on this device. Clearing your browser data starts fresh.

Want more quick number practice? Try Math Sprint for 60-second rounds of sums, or flip a coin with Coin Flip.