Shopping Activity For The Hundred Number Grid

In this video, students played a shopping game to practice working with prices. First, the students wrote down some of the things they wanted to buy. They also guessed how much they thought those objects would cost. When trying this activity at home, have your students write down this information (object and price) to practice writing skills.

Next, the students threw the bean bag on the mat. The number where it landed acts as the ‘actual price’ of the item in the store. Then, they added or subtracted, finding the difference between the approximated number and the ‘actual price’. The large and colorful numbers on the mat help students actively visualize the addition and subtraction process. This mental image makes it easier to access the steps they need to take when doing mental math later.

The last step of the activity is to ensure that the student understands what it means to either save or spend money. For instance, if the child approximates that their new toy costs 17 dollars, but the bean bag lands on 92, make sure to have them point out that they will be spending 75 extra dollars. If a student approximates their new shoes cost 80 dollars, but the actual price is 50, they should know they saved 30 dollars.

Thanks for reading! We hope you share this activity with your fellow teachers!