Next Dollar Shopping Game

Reading Level: 1 – 3
Interest Level: 1 – 12

Creative game allows students to practice exchanging money in a unique way by introducing ‘next dollar’ strategy. Using this strategy, students who struggle with transitioning between coin counting and making change will be able to work on these skills.

Game board is illustrated with pictures for students to use in order to visualize real-life things they will be purchasing, such as a house or a car. Game can be adjusted to different levels, but a basic understanding of dollars and cents is needed before students can participate in the game.

Game Play
Before playing, students should have a basic understanding of dollars and cents. A facilitator is needed to hand out money and determine if amounts paid are correct. Each student begins the game with 20 one- dollar bills. To begin play, a student places his or her playing piece on the "HOME" square, rolls the die, and moves to the appropriate game-board square. Then, he or she draws a card. The player reads the money amount on the card and determines the amount needed to pay for the item by rounding up to the next dollar.

Levels
Each of five card decks includes cards at three difficulty levels: Basic, with even dollar amounts (such as $7.00); Intermediate, with uneven dollar amounts (such as $1.35); and Advanced, with amounts under a dollar (such as $.52). Prices do not exceed $10.00. Draw cards feature 60 realistic illustrations of items that can be purchased at a variety of locations.

Game Board Squares
Students buy items at grocery, clothing, and discount stores as well as a fast food restaurant, post office, movie theater, and more. If a student does not have enough money to buy an item, he or she goes to the ATM square to withdraw $10.00 to pay for the item and continue playing.

Teacher’s Guide
Contains ideas, reproducible worksheets, and assessments for implementing the next dollar strategy before and after game play.

Includes colorful game board with realistic community locations, six playing pieces, 60 draw cards, 100 realistic looking one-dollar bills, game die, and teacher’s guide.