Counting Coins Worksheets

Counting coins means finding the total value of a group of pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters, and showing an amount with coins. The eight PDFs on this page count groups of coins and draw coins for a price, and every sheet has an answer key. They follow standard 2.MD.C.8 of the Common Core standards for grade 2 measurement and data, and the notes below show how to sort and count coins, how many ways there are to make an amount, and which coins make an amount with the fewest.

Quick answer: Counting coins means finding the total value of a group of pennies (1 cent), nickels (5 cents), dimes (10 cents) and quarters (25 cents). This page has 8 free printable counting coins worksheets with answer keys for grades 1 and 2. Updated October 2026.

About these worksheets

The coins in each box are already sorted from the biggest value to the smallest, the way you would count them. Children start with pennies, nickels and dimes, then add quarters. The “show the amount” sheets turn it around: draw coins to make 47¢, and try to use the fewest coins. The answer key shows the fewest-coins solution, but any correct set of coins is a right answer.

Counting coins worksheets: what is in the set

There are 8 counting coins worksheets on this page, and every one has an answer key except for any cut-out games. Five sheets count groups of coins, and three sheets turn it around, asking children to draw coins that make an amount.

Counting coins worksheets: the coins and their values

The counting coins worksheets use the four coins that children see most: the penny, the nickel, the dime and the quarter. Wikipedia’s article on the coins of the United States dollar lists them all, with the half dollar and the dollar coin. A child needs to learn two things about each coin: its name and its value. Size does not tell the value, since the dime is the smallest of the five coins and is worth more than the penny and the nickel. This table gives the facts:

The third column shows why money is a good way to learn place value. A nickel is five pennies, a dime is ten, and a quarter is twenty-five. Children can lay out pennies next to each coin to see that the two are equal.

Penny nickel dime quarter worksheets: skip counting

The penny nickel dime quarter worksheets rely on skip counting, since a group of dimes is counted by 10s, a group of nickels by 5s and a group of quarters by 25s. This table shows the count for each coin up to one dollar, and how many coins make a dollar:

A child who can count by 5s, 10s and 25s can count any group of one kind of coin. The skip counting worksheets page practices this, and the number line tool shows the jumps. The sheets in this pack start with pennies and nickels, so that children count by 1s and 5s, then add dimes and quarters.

Counting money worksheets grade 2: mixed coins

The counting money worksheets grade 2 use mixed groups of coins. The method is to sort the coins from biggest to smallest, count by the biggest coin, and then count on with each smaller coin. This table shows five groups, with the running total as each coin is touched:

The first group is the one in the diagram: 25, 50, 60, 65, 70, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79. The standard 2.MD.C.8 asks for word problems with dollar bills, quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies, and the same running-total method works for all of them. The money worksheets page has the whole sequence.

Show the amount with coins: the fewest coins

The show the amount with coins worksheets ask children to draw coins that make a price. There are many ways to do this, and any correct set of coins is a right answer. The answer key shows the fewest coins, which is found by taking the biggest coin that fits, again and again. This table shows six amounts and the fewest coins for each:

The most coins that any amount below one dollar needs is 9, for 94¢ and 99¢. For 99¢ they are 3 quarters, 2 dimes and 4 pennies. This table counts the amounts from 1¢ to 99¢ for each number of coins:

Most amounts need 4 to 7 coins: 64 of the 99. Only 8 amounts need 8 or 9 coins, and only 13 need 1 or 2. The making change page uses the same coins to make change.

Count the coins worksheet: how many ways are there?

A count the coins worksheet always has one right total, but an amount can usually be made in many ways. Counting how many ways is a good challenge for older children. This table shows the number of ways to make five amounts, with and without half dollars:

There are 242 ways to make a dollar with pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters, and 292 if half dollars are allowed. This table shows all the amounts that can be made with exactly two coins from the four common coins:

Two coins can make ten different amounts, and three coins can make 20 different amounts. A good game is to pick two or three coins and find the total, then see how many different totals the class can make.

Common mistakes with counting coins

The biggest mistake is to count the coins and not their values. This table shows five mistakes, what went wrong and the fix:

Counting coins word problems

Coin problems come from buying and saving. Ask children to sort the coins first, and to count on from the biggest coin:

Games and activities for counting coins

Children learn counting coins best when they play with it. These games use things that are found at home or in a classroom:

• Coin sort: sort a jar of coins into penny, nickel, dime and quarter piles, and count each pile
• Coin rubbing: make rubbings of each coin, and write its name and value
• Pay exactly: pick a price card, and pay it with real or play coins
• Coin roll: roll a die to pick a coin and see who gets to $1.00 first
• Fewest coins: make 47¢ in as many ways as you can, then find the way with the fewest coins
• Coin bingo: a bingo card with amounts, and calling cards with groups of coins

Extra support and extra challenge with counting coins

For children who need more support: use real coins, and sort them into piles with the same name. Start with pennies and nickels, and count by 1s and 5s. Add dimes next, and quarters last. Say the value as each coin is touched, and always start with the biggest. Use the answer key to check the total.

For children who need more challenge: ask for every way to make 25¢, for the amounts that can be made with exactly three coins, and for a price that needs 9 coins with the fewest coins. The sheets that ask for amounts up to 99¢ are good challenges.

How to tell that a child is ready to move on from counting coins

Before moving on from counting coins, check that the child can do all four of these things:

1. The child names each coin and says its value.
2. The child counts groups of nickels, dimes and quarters by skip counting.
3. The child counts a mixed group, starting with the biggest coin.
4. The child shows an amount with coins, with or without the fewest.

When all four are true, move on to the making change page, or to the adding and subtracting money page.

A 20-minute lesson on counting coins

A short lesson is the best way to introduce counting coins. This 20-minute plan can be used in a classroom, at a tutoring session or at home, and it uses the worksheets at the end:

Where counting coins fits across the grades

No skill stands alone. This table shows what children learn before and after counting coins, with the standard that goes with each step:

This page is the first page of the money sequence. The whole sequence is on the money worksheets page.

Helping at home with counting coins

Parents do not need to be experts to help with counting coins. These suggestions work well, and each takes only a few minutes:

• Sort the loose change in a jar together, and count each pile.
• Let the child pay with coins in a store.
• Play “How many ways to make 25¢?” at the table.
• Ask the child to count a handful of coins, starting with the biggest.
• Use the answer key to check, and talk about any coins that were counted wrongly.

How to check progress in counting coins

A teacher or parent can check progress in counting coins with the answer key and a few questions. This table shows three common situations, what they mean and what to do next:

A five-day plan for counting coins

Most children need about a week of short sessions for counting coins. This plan follows the order of the worksheets on this page:

When the plan for counting coins is complete, move on to the making change page. The whole sequence is on the money worksheets page.

Coin worksheets and money counting worksheets

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