Online math game

Count the change: give coins and bills with nothing extra

Also known as: Making Change, shop game, counting money

A customer pays, you count out the change in coins and bills and press “Done”. A round lasts a minute and a half, and change given with the fewest coins earns more points. You can play 10 minutes a day without signing up.

Go to the game ↓
  • 1.5 minutesper round
  • 4 levelschange from 100, 500 and 1000
  • No sign-up10 minutes a day
  • Progress30-day chart
What it trains

Why practice counting change

The exercise moves mental math into a familiar situation: subtract the price from what the customer paid and give the difference back in money. You need to both calculate and break the amount into coins and bills so that there are as few of them as possible.

In your account this game is called “Making Change”. Once you sign up, your rounds are saved: you see your score, correct answers, mistakes and level, and a 30-day chart shows how your results change.

  • Your child gets flustered paying on their ownCounting change can be practiced at home
  • Checking your change at the register takes a whileSubtracting from a round amount
  • You make up an amount from a handful of small coinsA task about using the fewest coins
  • You want to do mental math on real-life tasksPrices and bills, just like in a store

Subtraction

Change is the difference between what was paid and the price.

Breaking down an amount

You build the amount from denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500.

Planning

Extra coins aren’t a mistake, but change with the fewest coins earns more points.

Math with money

Shopping tasks instead of abstract problems.

Rules

How to play

  1. Price and payment

    At the top you see the price and how much the customer paid. Work out how much to give back.

  2. Count it out

    Tap coins and bills: 1, 2, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500. Below you see how much you’ve counted out so far.

  3. Fix it

    To remove an extra coin, tap it in the change you’ve counted out.

  4. Done

    Press “Done”. Correct change with the fewest coins and bills earns 2 points; correct change otherwise earns 1 point. If you’re wrong, we’ll show how much you should have given back.

  5. Level

    Three correct answers in a row take you up a level: a pricier purchase and a bigger bill. The round ends after a minute and a half.

Play online

Count the change online

Count out the change and press “Done”. Without sign-up you get 10 minutes of play a day.

Making Change

A customer pays: count out the change in coins and bills. Fewer coins mean more points.

Free play left today without signing up: 10 min

Method

What the exercise is based on

Change problems are familiar from math class and from everyday life. The trainer adds a second condition: make up the amount with the fewest coins and bills. The shortest set comes from always taking the largest denomination that still fits into what’s left.

Pure mental math is practiced in “Quick Math”, and you can compare expressions against the clock in “Greater or Less”.

100Change from 100Level 1: price up to 95, the customer pays with a 100
500Change from 500Level 2: price from 101 to 489
1000Change from 1000Level 3: price up to 980. On level 4 the customer adds some small coins so the change comes out round
Who it’s for

Which ages

Adults

Mental math on everyday tasks. A minute and a half, handy as a warm-up.

Kids

Part of the “Kids” collection. If a child’s age is set in the profile, levels don’t go above 2: change from 100 and from 500. Suitable from age 6. Kids set

60+

Part of the “60+” collection. Familiar money and a clear task, and difficulty rises only after three correct answers in a row. 60+ set

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Questions

Frequently asked questions

Which coins and bills are in the game?

1, 2, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500. There are no other denominations, so 20, for example, is made from two 10s.

What if my change is right but uses lots of coins?

It counts as correct and earns 1 point. Only change with the fewest coins and bills earns 2 points.

Can I remove an extra coin?

Yes, before you press “Done”, tap it in the change you’ve counted out. The change can hold no more than 20 coins and bills in total.

Does the level drop after a mistake?

No, the level stays. A mistake only resets your streak: for the next level you again need three correct answers in a row.

Do I need to sign up?

No, you can play 10 minutes a day right away. Free sign-up lets you keep playing, save your results, track your progress and unlock the daily workout.

Save your results and track your progress

Free sign-up: round history, a chart by skill and a daily workout of 5 exercises. No credit card needed.

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