Manipulating Money at Lakeshore Learning

Manipulating Money

In honor of Presidents’ Day, take the opportunity to point out to your students that most U.S. coins feature pictures of past American presidents. Then, let your students explore the coins hands-on with these fun activities!

Coin Rubbing—Divide the class into groups of three or four, and provide each group with several different coins to share. Then, give each student a sheet of paper and some crayons. Have students place the paper on top of a coin and gently color over the paper with the side of a crayon to make a coin rubbing. Encourage them to repeat the process with both sides of quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies. The result will be colorful imprints of a variety of coins!
Penny Probability—Place three pennies and a dime into a paper bag. Ask students to predict which of the two types of coins they are likely to pull out of the bag at random. Test their predictions by drawing a coin out of the bag and recording which coin was selected. Replace the coin and repeat this process 10 times. Allow different student volunteers to take turns removing and replacing the coins. At the conclusion of the demonstration, guide students in discovering that the probability of selecting the penny out of the bag is 3 out of 4, while the probability of selecting the dime is only 1 out of 4.
Simple Sorting—Reinforce categorizing and sorting skills by having students work in pairs to sort jars of coins into piles by coin type. Then, have them arrange the different piles in order by size or by value.
Penny Predictions—Hold up a penny and ask students to guess how many drops of water they think will fit on the penny. As they guess, ask them to explain why they think their guesses are reasonable. Then have each student work with a partner and give each pair a penny, an eyedropper, and a small cup of water. Encourage the pair to designate one person to count while the other carefully places drops of water onto the penny—one drop at a time until the water “overflows” and drips off of the surface of the penny. Then have them switch roles to try it again. Invite the class to compare their results and discuss whether or not they were consistent. (You might want to provide a simple explanation for how the water drops cling to the penny’s surface and create a “net” called surface tension until the force of gravity becomes stronger than the water and causes the “net” to break.)

more great crafts & activities


Piggy Bank Classroom Map Hunt Visit a Zoo Counting Snakes How I Would Spend One Hundred Dollars Jelly Bean Math Guess My Number! Game My Fish Counting Book Practice Makes Perfect Manipulating Money Race and Solve Mapping Mania Butcher Paper Kids Patterning Pictures Gumdrop Graphing Colorful Countdown Family Graph Name Bar Graph Summertime Graphing Watermelon Craft & Seed Count Roll and Count Fish in the Sea Counting Game Boxes of Fun Birthday Graph Step Count Ice Cream Patterning Counting on Corn 100 Feet of Fun! 100-Count Necklace 100th Day Celebration Masks 100-Link Chain Valentine Learning Centers more	History & Heritage Interview I Know My Address Papier-Mâché Globe Time Capsule Time Line of My Life Make a School Map Famous Person Profile Presidents’ Day Puppet & Poem Mardi Gras Masks Family Member Interview “I Have a Dream” Quilt Sharing the Dream of Dr. King Stringing Together Family Flag 3-D Family Tree Family Collage Class Time Capsule A Flag Day Parade Celebrating Earth Day more	Classmates Word Search Sunflower Flip Book Pen Pal Project Donuts with Dad/Muffins with Mom “Celebrity” Read-A-Thon! Triorama Drama “Let’s Talk About Spring” Mystery Can Pocket Chart Word Match Choose Your Own Ending Homemade Play Dough Alphabet Cereal Box Book Report Shopping for Sounds Reading Rainbows “If We Ran the Zoo” Animal Train Bulletin Board Lucky Day Sight-Word Game ABC Photo Book Character Puppet Story Mobile Giving Tree Printing Practice: Thank-You Notes Pop-Up Thank-You Card Name that Sound Book of Class Records Character Masks All About Me Bag Alphabet Hopscotch Beanbag Blend Game Sight-Word Go Fish Game Reading Log Bookmarks Summertime Scrapbook Watermelon Craft & Seed Count Summertime Journal T-Riffic Summer T-Shirts Sight-Words Storage Box Spin and Write Letter to a Loved One Adjective Add-On Top 10 List Jumbo Collage Letters Fun Photo Dictionary Alphabet Activity Game The Name Game Letter to Next Year’s Class Recipe Book End-Of-The-Year Quilt End-Of-The-Year Scavenger Hunt Thanksgiving Word Hunt Collage I am Thankful For... Tree of Thanks Writing Project Valentine Learning Centers Handprint Heart Frame Photos more

Ice Cube Color Mixing Weather Wind Sock Powder Painting Crayon Resist Salty Science Life Cycle Froggy Butterflies in the Sky Mural Ladybug Rocks Spring Sprouts Flowers Drink Up Spring Flowerpot Color-Mixing Leaves Silly Spyglass & Binoculars Layered Salt Artwork Season Trees Science Fair Science Safari Nature-Watching Binoculars Litter Bug Parts of a Sunflower Silly Sailboat Fun with Bubbles Bubble Wands & Solution Leaf Print Place Mats Autumn Bird Feeder Falling Autumn Leaves Autumn Nature Mobile Fall Critter Collage more	Spring Flowers Spring Bouquet Spring Kites Summer School of Fish Colorful Kite Summer Sand Crab Party in the Park Summertime Journal Colorful Garden Critters Fluttery Butterfly Butterfly Mobile Suncatcher Summer Rainbow Summer Fun Folder Summer Sun Hat Dazzling Sun Interactive Summer Songs Whooo Am I? Owl Craft Leafy Butterfly Fall Leaf Wreath Fall Suncatcher Scarecrow Puppets Paper Pumpkin Centerpiece Pumpkin Puppet Batty Buddy Silly Scarecrow Scarecrow Popcorn Pumpkins Spooky Spider Webs Polar Bear Plate Craft Sparkling Snowflakes Paper Plate Penguin Jumbo Snowman Magnet Mitten Match Mitten Bookmarks Winter Hat Craft Winter Snowman Snowman Magnet Mini Snowman Smiling Snowman Sharing the Warmth Colorful Countdown Evergreen Symmetry Trees Miniature Gingerbread House Handmade Gift Wrap Holiday Storytime Noisemaker Terrific Tree Colorful Coffee-Filter Snowflakes Printing Practice: Thank-You Notes Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss! Rainy Day Umbrellas Playful Penguin Brilliant Butterfly Yarn Basket Springtime Birds’ Nest Lucky Day Sight-Word Game The Lion and the Lamb 3-D Spring Scenes Spring Colors Vases Birdseed Feeders “April Showers” Umbrella Mobiles Spring Collage Spring Wind Sock Baking-Cup Bugs Floating Flowers more	Milk Jug Ball Catcher Silly Sock Beanbag Pal Teamwork Web Thumbprint Art Rainbow Fish Hot Air Balloon Milk Jug Piggy Bank Soccer Bowling Peel & Stick Collage Frame Paper Plate Puppets Catch the Bead Game Musical Tambourine Donuts with Dad/Muffins with Mom Spectacular Stained Glass Handprint Wreath Handprint Wall Hanging Apple Art Craft Bag Make-A-Face Collage Buggy Bodies Finger Puppets Rock Monster Seashell Picture Frames Froggy Friend Museum Trip Leap Year Frog Craft Shooting Star Place Mats Sunglasses Suncatcher Fantastic Fish Party in the Park Silly Squid Getting to Know You Scavenger Hunt Visit a Zoo Snail’s Pace Ice Cream…In a Bag! Turtle Silly Sea Creature Bird Perch Sparkling Jellyfish Flowerpot Picture Frame Fun with Bubbles Interactive Summer Songs End-Of-The-Year Olympic Games Bubble-Blowing Masterpiece Reusable Shopping Bag Recycled Magazine Holder more

Flowerpot Pen Holder A Healthy Picnic Spring Learning Centers Flower Bookmark Make-Your-Own Sidewalk Chalk Backpack Buddy Classmates Word Search Candy Heart Pencil Toppers “Then and Now” Picture Frame Who Am I? Class Riddles School-To-Home Folder Keepsake Portfolio Pizza Box Portfolio A Special Bunch Silly Specs Personalized Pencil Toppers Paper Plate Apples Student of the Week “Here I Am!” Attendance People “Homework Time” Door Sign All About Me Mobile “My School Is Cool” Photo Book Apple Print Pencil Case Back-To-School Bookmark Clips Back-To-School Photo Frame Back-To-School Art Caddy Back-To-School Desktop Organizer Make a School Map Handprint Apple Trees T-Riffic Summer T-Shirts Classroom Map Hunt Birthday Graph Time Capsule End-Of-The-Year Memory Book End-Of-The-Year Quilt End-Of-The-Year Celebration more	3-D Mother’s Day Card Mother’s Day Tea Mother’s Day Bouquet Mother’s Day Teacup Cards Mother’s Day Card Bear Hug Mother’s Day Card May Day Basket Star-Studded Napkin Rings Foam Star Paper Chains A Flag Day Parade Father’s Day Frames Father’s Day CD Photo Coaster Shirt & Tie Father’s Day Card Father’s Day Card Independence Day Drum Fourth of July Firecrackers Uncle Sam Hat Star-Spangled Shaker Stars & Stripes Place Mat Veterans Day Flag Turkey Table Toppers Being Thankful Sunflower Native American Rattles Colorful Napkin Rings Pilgrim Hats Turkey Place Card Holders Colorful Cornucopia Turkey Handprint Apron Turkey Plate Fall Table Settings Turkey Memory Match-Ups Remember the Day in Photos Pin the Tail on the Turkey Goofy Gobbler Thanksgiving Table Art Turkey Trot Relay Game “A Festive Feast” Brain Teaser Game Terrific Turkey Centerpiece Spooky Spiders Paper Bag Scarecrows Milk Jug Monsters Jack-O’-Lantern Jars Halloween Countdown Calendar Giant Pumpkin Jack-O’-Lantern Valentine’s Day Door Wreath Valentine Mobile Valentine’s Day Card Valentine Tic-Tac-Toe Love Bug Valentine Mailbox Cup of Cocoa Valentine’s Day Card Valentine Necklace Valentine Caterpillar Valentine Learning Centers Handprint Heart Frame Photos Giant Valentine Presidents’ Day Puppet & Poem Patriotic Pencil Holders Sharing the Dream of Dr. King Chinese New Year Parade Chinese New Year Drums New Year’s Hat New Year’s Rocket Party Masks Holiday Scrapbook Decorative Gift Tags Gingerbread Man Notepads Holiday Card Holiday Card Stand Holiday Treats Gift Bag Holiday Candle Holder Holiday Snack Sticks Hanging Holiday Symbols Reindeer Celebration Candle Peppermint Candy Handprint Plates Candy Cane Ornament Saint Patrick’s Day Pop-Up Card Shimmering Shamrocks Shamrock Door Hanger Rainbow “Pot of Gold” Leprechaun Hunt Caterpillar Garden Critters Reusable Earth Day Bags Recycled Robots more	Cinco de Mayo Sombreros Cinco de Mayo Shakers Party Piñata Papier-Mâché Basket Papier-Mâché Globe Family Flag People Shapes™ Quilt History & Heritage Interview Festive Fan Chinese Dragon Chinese New Year Parade Chinese Lantern Chinese New Year Drums Holiday Storytime Colorful Countdown Pen Pal Project more


View our privacy policy.

free resources