Materials
none
Instructions
1. Use this activity to dismiss each child to the next area.
2. Beforehand, clean out the inside of the can. Make sure there are no sharp
edges. Cover any sharp edges with duct tape. Use the scissors or a knife to
cut a rectangular slit in the middle of the plastic lid (adult only).
3. At group or circle time, talk about money. Focus on the vocabulary money,
coins, pennies, dimes, nickels, and quarters.
4. Hold up a coin. State what it is called. Place the coin in the slit. The coin will
make a sound when it hits the bottom. The sound is often reinforcing for the
children and makes them eager to participate.
5. Explain that each child will have a turn to put a coin in to the container. Hand
each child a coin.
Note: When this is a new activity it helps to state what coin the child it
receiving.
6. Each child takes a turn saying what coin she has and drops it in to the can.
Then dismiss the child to the next activity.
7. To begin, use just two types of coins and then add another coin as the
group's skills improve.
More to do Literacy: Use this activity to learn the names of colors by using colored
buttons, or learn the name of a picture or what letter it begins with by using
metal juice can lids (from frozen juice) with stickers on them. The child must say
what the picture is; the beginning sound; the letter or numeral that is printed
on the lid.
