Money Exchange Game

We have been playing the Money Exchange Game at home lately.  Bean is extremely interested in money lately, so I made this little activity.  We play this at school, and she has a computer game by Everyday Math just like this.  If you have used the Golden Bead Exchange Game before, it's very similar.  The object of the game is to get to $1.  Each player rolls the dice and gets that amount in cents.  The exchange comes into play when there is more than 5 pennies, it gets exchanged for a nickle.  2 nickels, 1 dime.  2 dimes and a nickle, 1 quarter.  4 quarters = $1.  We play until all players have gotten to $1 to tone down any competitiveness.  We also talk about how this is a game of chance, not skill.  Getting to the dollar first is just that, not winning.  If you can carry a pair of dice in your bag, you can play this game anywhere.  Imagine that!

She rolls a 7, takes a nickle and two pennies.

She rolls a 10, gets a dime.

She rolls a 5, and needs to exchange her pennies for a nickle.

Two nickles, will become a dime.

Fast forward a bit.....she exchanges all the way up to 4 quarters.  To one dollar.  FUN!