What You’ll Need
- The board (print it here)
- Nickels, dimes, and quarters* for playing pieces
- A jar of pennies*
How to Play
- Each player chooses a nickel, dime, or quarter to use as a playing piece.
- Players take turns tossing a penny. If it lands heads up, the player moves her playing piece one space. If it lands tails up, the player moves two spaces.
- When a player lands on a penny square, she takes a penny from the jar. When she lands on a nickel square, she takes five pennies. When she lands on a dime square, she takes 10 pennies.
- The game ends when everyone reaches the bank. The player with the most pennies wins!
Extend the Fun
Younger kids: For children under age 3, use cereal instead of coins. Use a spinner board or die* to determine how many spaces to move. Whether it’s a slow or fast game, learning how to play by the rules and coping with the frustration of winning or losing can help children learn how to play with others.
Older kids: Give your child a jar filled with assorted coins and ask him to estimate which type of coin you have the most of and which one you have the least of. Then have your child count the number of pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. After tallying the number of coins, help him figure out their total amount. Later, take the coins to a coin-sorting machine, then deposit them at the bank.
*Indicates possible choking hazard; close supervision for children age 4 and under is a must.