Count Out the Money — Coins to a Target Amount (Grade 2)

About this activity

Children build a target amount coin by coin, tapping pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters into the tray until the money matches — 30 cents made from a quarter and a nickel, or 15 cents from a dime and a nickel. It's an interactive Grade 2 math activity that plays right in the browser with no install and no account.

The big idea is that a coin's worth is not printed on its size, so children have to know what each coin is worth and add as they go. A tiny dime is worth more than a bigger nickel, and a single quarter can outweigh a handful of pennies. Reaching each target by choosing and adding coins builds the running-total counting that real money handling requires.

It is aligned to Common Core 2.MD.C.8 — solving word problems with dollars, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies, using the ¢ and $ symbols. No timer, no score — just calm, playful practice.

What's inside this activity

• Designed for Grade 2 learners (ages about 7–8)
• Common Core strand: Measurement & Data
• Aligned to Common Core standard 2.MD.C.8

How to play

Read the target amount for the round, such as 40 cents.

Tap coins into the tray — pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters — until the total matches.

Not quite? Add or remove coins and try again — there is no timer and no score.

What your child practices

• Know the value of a penny, nickel, dime, and quarter
• Add coin values to reach an exact target amount
• Keep a running total while choosing coins
• Understand that a coin's value is not tied to its size

Learning goals

Count coins to make a given amount — the focus of Common Core 2.MD.C.8

Use the ¢ and $ symbols and know each coin's value

Build the money sense needed for everyday counting and shopping