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Counting Money Worksheets

Free counting money worksheets with US coins: count the coins, make the amount, or compare two groups. Choose the coins and totals; answer key included.

Name: ____________________ Date: ______________

k5print.com

This counting money worksheet generator makes printable US coin worksheets that ask children to count coins and write the total, make an amount, or compare two groups of coins with <, > or =. It runs in your web browser, is free, and needs no account or sign-up.

Use it for money practice from kindergarten through fifth grade. You choose which coins appear, how large the totals get, and whether amounts are written in cents or dollars. The sheet preview updates as you change settings, so you can see the worksheet before you print it. Coins are drawn as plain circles at their real relative sizes, with each coin’s name and value printed on it, so children learn the coins without copies of the real coin artwork.

How to use the Counting Money Worksheet Generator

Type a heading in Title on the sheet. The default is Counting Money.
Choose a Kind of problem: Count the coins (write the total), Make the amount, or Compare two groups (<, >, =).
Choose an Answer style: Draw the coins in a box, or Circle coins from a group.
Tick the coins to use. Pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters are on by default. Half dollars (50¢) and One-dollar bills ($1) are optional.
Set the Largest total, from Up to 10¢ to Up to $5. The default is Up to $1.
Choose how amounts under a dollar are written: Cents (47¢) or Dollars ($0.47).
Leave Show the biggest coins first on, or turn it off for a harder sheet.
Choose the number of Problems: 4, 6, 8, 10 or 12. The default is 8.
Keep Include answer key on if you want one.
Check the preview, then click Print or save as PDF.

Paper size can be set to US Letter or A4. The default of 8 problems fits one US Letter page, and the answer key prints on its own page after the worksheet. Click New worksheet for a different set with the same settings. Each sheet shows a short worksheet code under the buttons.

The page address stores your settings, so a bookmarked or shared link opens the same sheet again. Reset settings restores the defaults.

How do children learn to count coins?

Children learn to count coins by adding each coin’s value to a running total. Counting is easiest when they start with the largest coin and work down.

The most common mistake is counting coins instead of adding their values. A child who sees five coins may say “five cents.” Mixed coin types make this error easy to spot. Ask children to say the running total aloud as they touch each coin, such as “25, 35, 45, 50, 51.” Some children also find it helpful to cross out each coin as they count it.

Keep Show the biggest coins first on while children learn the pattern. Turn it off later so they have to sort the coins themselves. Coins on these sheets keep their real relative sizes. The dime is the smallest circle but is worth more than a penny or a nickel, and the quarter is bigger again. Children must read the value of each coin rather than judge by size, just as they would with real coins.

Why can “make the amount” have more than one answer?

Many different combinations of coins add up to the same total, so a “make the amount” problem often has more than one correct answer. For example, 30¢ can be made with three dimes, with a quarter and a nickel, or with a quarter and five pennies. Any correct combination counts.

The answer key shows the combination with the fewest coins. Asking “Can you do it with fewer coins?” turns one problem into two, because children must find a second way to make the same amount.

Finding the fewest coins takes care. With pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters, taking the biggest coin that fits always gives the fewest coins. That shortcut fails when nickels are switched off. For 30¢ it gives a quarter and five pennies, six coins, when three dimes would do. The generator checks every smaller amount in turn to find the fewest coins, and it tests each answer against every possible combination.

Questions teachers and parents ask

Which counting money worksheets suit each grade?

Kindergarten children can use Count the coins with pennies only, up to 10¢, so they can touch and count each coin. First graders can use pennies, nickels and dimes, up to 25¢ and then 50¢, with the biggest coins first. Second graders can use all four coins up to $1, then Make the amount and Compare, adding dollar bills up to $2 when they are ready. Third graders can use totals up to $5 with dollar bills and half dollars, the Dollars format, and biggest-coins-first turned off. Fourth and fifth graders can practice Make the amount up to $5 and aim for the fewest coins.

Should amounts be written in cents or dollars?

Start with cents (47¢), since that is how children usually first meet coin values. Switch to dollars ($0.47) once they understand that 100¢ is one dollar. Amounts of a dollar or more always use the dollar format, so a sheet with a largest total of $2 or more practices both.

Can I leave out half dollars and dollar bills?

Yes. Half dollars and one-dollar bills are off by default, so the sheet uses only pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters unless you tick them. Keep them off for early practice, and tick them on when children are ready for larger totals.

What should I do if a child's answer differs from the answer key?

First check whether the child's coins add up to the amount on the sheet. If they do, the answer is correct, even if it uses more coins than the key. Make the amount problems have more than one correct answer.

Can I save a worksheet to use later?

Yes. Click Print or save as PDF, or use your browser's print dialog to save a PDF. To reopen the same settings later, bookmark the page or share its link. To make a new set of problems with the same settings, click New worksheet.

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