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Looking for a flexible math activity to add to your lessons, after-school program, or summer learning program? Shopping activities for kids test skills in number recognition, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and making change. We’re sharing our popular shopping activity for math practice using the Add/Subtract 1-100 floor mat. This activity is adaptable for all elementary school ages.
Our Add/Subtract mat lays out numbers 1-100 in a colorful 10×10 grid. The large-scale hundred-number grid helps students visualize and make sense of number patterns. Students can practice operations by moving their bodies up and down the chart from number to number!
The Add/Subtract mat is available in multiple sizes, including 5ft x 5ft and 10ft x 10 ft, so that educators can pick what fits their space. There is also the option to get your Add/Subtract as a floor sticker!
For students ready to move beyond 100, check out our Add/Subtract 1-120 version. (These shopping activities for kids can be done on this version, too!)
Related Reading: What Is Kinesthetic Learning?
There are a few ways educators can lead their shopping activity for math practice. In this video, students start by writing down some items they want to buy. They also guess how much they think each item will cost (between $1 and $100).
Next, the students throw a beanbag on the mat. The number that the beanbag lands on is the “actual price” of the item in the store. Then, the students add or subtract to find the difference between their guessed price and the actual price.
Students add or subtract on the mat by counting the number of steps they take between their guessed price and the actual price. They step on each numeral or block between the prices. The number of steps they take is the difference between their two prices. The large and colorful numbers on the mat help students actively visualize the addition and subtraction process.
Finally, the teacher ensures that students understand what it means to either save or spend more money. For instance, if a child approximates their new toy to cost $17, but the bean bag lands on $92, the teacher should explain that they will be spending $75 more. If a student guesses their new shoes cost $80, but the actual price is $50, the teacher can explain that they saved $30.
Related Reading: New Way to Teach Math – Movement Works Best!
Another approach to this shopping activity for math class is to have students choose an item to buy from premade cards with an object and a price on them. You can also use real classroom objects with sticky-note “price tags”.
Younger students can “find their price” on the Add/Subtract mat. For example, say they pick out a book that costs $10. Challenge them to find the 10 on the Add/Subtract mat and put their book (or picture of a book) on the number.
Older students can practice making change. Have them choose an item to buy. The item can either have a price tag on it, or the student can throw a bean bag on the Add/Subtract mat to determine the price in cents.
Then, ask students how much change they would get back if they paid the cashier a dollar. Have the student stand on 100 and subtract the price of the item by stepping down the numbers. The number that they end up on is how much change the cashier would give them.
These shopping activities for kids add a kinesthetic element to math lessons. Our Add/Subtract 1-100 mat is one of our most popular and versatile products for elementary math lessons. Try out our shopping activity for math practice and allow your students to have a full-body, play-like experience while mastering money math!
Related Reading: Defining Number Sense: Why It Matters and How to Teach It
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