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Teach Your Child to Give Change With Confidence

Вік 6–10 Intermediate

Giving change is where money maths gets real. It combines counting, subtraction, and coin knowledge into a single task that children will use for the rest of their lives. It’s also the skill that many kids — and quite a few adults — find surprisingly tricky.

The secret to learning change-making? Practice in a low-pressure setting where mistakes don’t matter. That’s exactly what play shop games provide.

Why Giving Change Is Hard

Change-making is more complex than it looks. A child needs to:

  1. Know the total cost of the items
  2. Identify how much was paid by counting the customer’s money
  3. Calculate the difference between what was paid and what was owed
  4. Select the right coins to make up that difference
  5. Count back to verify the change is correct

That’s five separate skills working together in real time. No wonder it takes practice.

What to Expect at Each Age

Ages 6–7: Can give change from simple round amounts (e.g., change from 50p when something costs 30p). Works best with small amounts and common coins. May need to count up from the price rather than subtract.

Ages 7–8: Can handle change from £1 / $1 with confidence. Starting to work with mixed coin combinations for change. Beginning to calculate change mentally for simple amounts.

Ages 8–10: Can give change from larger amounts including notes. Works with complex coin combinations. Starting to find the most efficient combination of coins (fewest coins possible).

The “Count Up” Method

The most natural way to teach change is counting up from the price to the amount paid, rather than subtracting. This is how real shopkeepers do it.

Example: Something costs £3.40 and the customer pays with £5.

  • Start at £3.40
  • Add 10p to make £3.50
  • Add 50p to make £4.00
  • Add £1 to make £5.00
  • The change is: 10p + 50p + £1 = £1.60

This avoids the need for mental subtraction entirely and maps directly to the physical act of putting coins on the counter.

How myplayshop Teaches Change-Making

myplayshop puts your child in the shopkeeper’s role. When a customer pays with more than the total, your child needs to give the right change — selecting real coins and notes from the till.

This creates authentic practice:

  • Customers pay with realistic amounts — not always exact change, just like real life
  • The till contains real coin denominations — your child picks the actual coins to hand back
  • Immediate feedback — they find out straight away if the change is right
  • Gradual difficulty — start with simple amounts and build up as confidence grows
  • 16 real currencies — practice with the coins and notes your child actually uses

The game makes change-giving feel natural because it’s embedded in play, not isolated as a maths problem.

Activities to Try at Home

  1. The shop counter game — Set up a pretend shop with priced items. Take turns being shopkeeper and customer. The shopkeeper must give correct change using real coins.

  2. Count-up practice — Give your child a price and an amount paid. Ask them to count up from the price using coins on the table. Start with round numbers (change from 50p, £1, £5).

  3. The fewest coins challenge — Once your child can give change, challenge them to do it with the fewest coins possible. £1.60 in change? That’s £1 + 50p + 10p (three coins), not sixteen 10p coins.

  4. Real-world practice — At a shop or market, ask your child to predict the change before the cashier gives it. “That was £3.20 and we paid with £5 — how much change should we get?”

  5. Receipt checking — After shopping, look at the receipt together. Check the total, what you paid, and whether the change was right.

Tips for Parents and Teachers

  • Start with counting up, not subtracting — It’s more intuitive and maps to how money physically works.
  • Use round numbers first — Change from 50p, £1, £5. Move to harder amounts once the concept clicks.
  • Let them use real coins — Physically selecting and counting coins builds muscle memory.
  • Celebrate the method, not just the answer — If they counted up correctly but miscounted a coin, praise the method and help with the coin value.
  • Pair with myplayshop — The app reinforces hand-on practice and lets kids practise independently without needing a partner to play customer.

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Поширені запитання

What is the easiest way to teach a child to give change?

The count-up method is the most natural approach. Instead of subtracting, count up from the price to the amount paid using coins. For example, if something costs 3.40 and the customer pays 5, count up: 3.50, 4.00, 5.00. This is how real shopkeepers do it.

At what age should children learn to give change?

Most children are ready to start with simple change-making around age 6-7, using round amounts like change from 50p or one pound. By age 8-10, they can handle change from larger amounts including notes, and start finding the most efficient coin combinations.

How does myplayshop teach change-making?

When customers in myplayshop pay with more than the total, your child selects the right coins and notes from the till to give back. The game provides immediate feedback, uses real denominations from 16 currencies, and gradually increases difficulty as confidence grows.

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