Classroom Benefits Store

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Resource
Wallet Wellness
Grade(s)
1, 2, 3
Division(s)
Primary

What Is It All About?

Students create a Classroom Benefits Store and practise simple cash transactions to make purchases.

Why Do It?

This activity provides students with the opportunity to practise simple cash transactions that will develop proficiency with addition, subtraction, mental math strategies, and math facts.

How Do We Do It?

  • Co-create a shopping experience with students for a day/week/month.
  • Lead a class discussion on which classroom “benefits” students would like to purchase from the Classroom Benefits Store (e.g., work with a friend for a class, sit in a special chair to read, extra time on computer).
  • Students create a list of classroom benefits on chart paper and label prices next to each benefit.
  • When students want to use a benefit, they ask permission to spend “money” to “purchase” it. All students begin with the same amount of money to spend.
  • Consider providing students with the opportunity to play different roles (e.g., a treasurer/banker, purchaser) in the group.
  • At the end of the day/week/month, discuss with students how they spent their money and why.

What Else Do We Need?

How Do We Get Creative?

Partner up with other classes to work toward larger “benefits” or use each other’s charts to integrate new benefit ideas.