How to play the coin counting game
The game has five short levels. All of them are open, so children of different ages can take turns on one device.
- Know your coins (ages 5+). Find the penny, nickel, dime and quarter by size, color and edge, and learn what each one is worth.
- Count the coins (ages 6+). Count nickels by 5s, dimes by 10s and quarters by 25s, then add up mixed coins, starting with the coin worth the most.
- Who has more? (ages 6+). Compare Bear's coins with Bunny's coins. More coins is not always more money, and sometimes both have the same amount.
- Pay at the shop (ages 7+). Tap coins into the tray to pay the exact price of a toy or snack, then see if you could have used fewer coins.
- Dollar challenge (ages 7+). Meet the half dollar and the dollar coin, and count amounts over one dollar, like $1.35.
Each round has 6 to 8 questions and no timer. The Hint button lines the coins up from biggest to smallest and counts along under each one. Kids earn stars for first-try answers (3 stars for all but one) and can replay any level to earn more, while a friendly coin named Cent cheers them on and never scolds. If your device has a voice for your language, the game can read the questions aloud.
U.S. coins at a glance
| Coin | Worth | Color | Size | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penny | 1¢ | copper | 19.05 mm (0.750 in) | smooth |
| Nickel | 5¢ | silver | 21.21 mm (0.835 in) | smooth |
| Dime | 10¢ | silver | 17.91 mm (0.705 in) | ridged |
| Quarter | 25¢ | silver | 24.26 mm (0.955 in) | ridged |
| Half dollar | 50¢ | silver | 30.61 mm (1.205 in) | ridged |
| Dollar coin | $1 | golden | 26.49 mm (1.043 in) | smooth |
The dime puzzles most young kids: it is the smallest U.S. coin, yet it is worth more than a penny or a nickel. The game draws every coin at its true relative size, so children learn to read the value, not just the size.
The U.S. Mint struck its last pennies for circulation in November 2025. Pennies are still legal tender and you can still spend them, although some stores may round cash totals to the nearest 5 cents.
What kids learn
- The names and values of the penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half dollar and dollar coin.
- How to tell coins apart by color, size and edge, not by size alone (the dime trick).
- Skip counting by 25s, 10s, 5s and 1s.
- Counting on from the coin worth the most, and switching steps when the coin changes: 25, 35, 40, 41.
- More coins does not always mean more money.
- The same amount can be made in different ways (2 dimes and 1 nickel make the same as 1 quarter), and some ways use fewer coins.
- Reading ¢ and $, and knowing that 100¢ = $1, so $1.35 means 1 dollar and 35 cents.
U.S. schools usually introduce coin names in kindergarten or first grade (some states list them in their early standards, for example Texas TEKS K.4 and 1.4), and Common Core standard 2.MD.C.8 asks second graders to solve word problems with dollar bills, quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies using the $ and ¢ symbols.
Tips for parents and teachers
Kids learn money best by talking about it and handling real coins. The "For grown-ups" box next to the game suggests a question for each level, and here are a few more ideas:
- Play the first round together, and turn on read-aloud for early readers.
- Build the same pile with real coins. A small kit of 10 pennies, 4 nickels, 5 dimes and 4 quarters is plenty for practice.
- Ask "How did you count that?" and praise the strategy ("You started with the quarter!") rather than speed.
- Let your child be the teacher: pick a wrong answer on purpose and ask them to explain why it is wrong.
- When a level feels easy, turn off "Show values on coins" so your child has to recognize each coin by its look, just like real coins.
- Play store at home with price tags under $1 on toys or snacks, and pay with real coins.
- Keep sessions short, about 5 to 10 minutes. The game suggests a break after every 3 rounds.
The game is free and needs no account. It asks for no personal information, and stars are saved only in this browser. We keep anonymous counts, such as how many levels are played, with no cookies and nothing that identifies your child. Ready for more? Run a lemonade stand to learn about profit, or use the savings goal calculator to save for a goal together.
Frequently asked questions
What age is the coin counting game for?
It is made for kids about 5 to 8 years old, roughly kindergarten through 2nd grade. Five-year-olds can start with Know your coins, with read-aloud turned on or a grown-up reading along. Six-year-olds can count and compare coins, and seven- and eight-year-olds can pay exact prices at the shop and count amounts over one dollar. All levels are open, there is no timer, and kids can replay any level to earn more stars.
Why is a dime smaller than a nickel but worth more?
Early U.S. coins were worth about the value of the metal in them. The dime, first made in 1796, was silver, so a small coin could hold 10 cents' worth of metal. The five-cent nickel came out in 1866 in cheaper copper and nickel, so it had to be bigger. Dimes stopped being made of silver in 1965 but kept their small size. That is why kids should learn coins by value, not by size, and why the game asks "Which coin is worth more?" so often.
Are pennies still used now that the U.S. stopped making them?
Yes. The U.S. Mint struck its last pennies for circulation in November 2025, but pennies are still legal tender and many are still in jars, piggy banks and cash drawers. Some stores may round cash totals to the nearest 5 cents. The game still teaches pennies because children keep finding and spending them, and counting by ones is the first step to counting money.