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Money Shop Role Play: Free Printable Game for Year 1

  • ForYear 1
  • StageKey Stage 1
  • CostFree
  • FormatPrintable PDF
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Money Shop Role Play is a free printable game for Year 1 (ages 5 to 6). Children read small prices on pretend shop price tags and practise paying with coins. It takes about 15 minutes for 2 players. You need real or toy coins, and the prices are pretend. Page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas and a stretch idea.

It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.

What is on the sheet

The sheet has cards to cut out and use. Children meet everyday items such as a teddy, an apple, a book, a ball, a crayon, a hat, a cup, a sock and a car, each with a small price in pence. They read the price and practise paying with coins. A simple way to play, if you like, is for one player to be the shopkeeper and the other the customer, then swap.

  • Teddy 5p
  • Apple 2p
  • Book 8p
  • Ball 4p
  • Crayon 1p
  • Hat 6p
  • Cup 3p
  • Sock 2p
  • Car 7p

How to set up your shop

Cut out the cards

Cut along the lines to make the price tags. An adult should do any cutting with scissors for younger children, or help them closely. Lay the cards out on a table like goods on a shelf.

Gather your coins

Use real coins or toy coins. Put them in a small pile or pot beside the shop. Let children look at the coins before you start.

Choose your roles

One person is the shopkeeper. The other is the customer. Swap after a few turns so everyone has a go at both jobs.

Add a till and a bag

A tub or box makes a good till. A paper bag holds the shopping. These small props make the game feel real, and they are easy to find at home.

Why play shop to learn about money?

Shops are part of everyday life. Many children go to one every week, so they already know what it feels like to choose something, look at the price and hand over money. Playing shop turns that familiar routine into a safe place to practise. Nothing is lost if a mistake is made, and the game can simply be played again.

Role play also builds language. A child playing shopkeeper has to read a price aloud, ask for coins and say thank you. A customer has to listen, choose and count. These small conversations help children link the written price, the spoken number and the coins in their hand.

Coins are small. Keep them away from babies and toddlers, and from any child who still puts things in their mouth. Adults should do any cutting with scissors for young children.

Fun facts about British money

  • The letter p on a price stands for pence.
  • The Royal Mint makes British coins.
  • Some British coins are not round. The 50p has seven sides.
  • Most British coins show the head of the monarch on one side.
  • Shops use price tags so that customers know what to pay before they buy.

Skills and curriculum link

  • Reading small prices
  • Recognising coins
  • Counting
  • Role play
  • Speaking and listening

This sheet supports the area below. It is matched to the published England framework. Please check it against your own school plan.

Framework Subject or area Strand Year
National Curriculum (England) Maths Measurement Year 1

What children will be able to do

  • I can read a small price.
  • I can tell the value of different coins.
  • I can pay for an item with coins.

Ideas to help you play

  • Look closely at coinsLet children hold each coin and look at its size, shape and number. Ask what they notice. Talk about what is the same and what is different.
  • Count one at a timeTouch or move each coin as you say the number. This stops children counting by eye and missing one.
  • Sort before you playPut coins into groups of the same kind. Sorted coins are easier to find and count when you are paying.
  • Talk like a shopkeeperUse phrases such as "That costs" and "Here is your money". Real shop language helps children feel confident and understand what is going on.

Key words

  • PriceHow much you have to pay for something.
  • CoinA piece of money made of metal. Coins come in different shapes and sizes.
  • PenceThe small units of British money. We write p after the number.
  • ValueHow much something is worth.
  • CustomerThe person who buys something in a shop.
  • ShopkeeperThe person who sells things in a shop.

How to use it

  1. Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes for you.
  2. Cut out the cards and set up your shop. Put the coins in a pot beside it.
  3. Read the rules aloud together so everyone plays the same game. Work through the first go together and talk about each choice.
  4. Take turns to be the shopkeeper and the customer. Keep rounds short. Two quick games beat one long one.
  5. Come back to it another day. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.

Help, stretch and game ideas

If it feels too hard

Use 1p coins only and count them out one at a time. Touch each coin as you say its number. Start with the items that have the smallest prices, and come back to the others later when your child feels ready.

To stretch confident children

Ask your child to buy two things and add the prices together. Let them decide which two items to choose. Then ask them to explain which coins they used to pay, and how they know it is the right amount.

Make it a game

Make a pretend shop with a till and a bag. Lay out the cards as shop goods. The customer picks an item, the shopkeeper reads the price, and the customer pays with coins. Swap roles after each turn.

Talk about it

  • Which item would you most like to buy, and why?
  • How could you check that you have counted the coins correctly?
  • What does the p after a number tell us?
  • What is the difference between a customer and a shopkeeper?
  • Where have you seen price tags in real shops?
  • What would you sell if you had your own shop?

Take it off the page

Shop at home

Put price tags on toys and tins around the house. Give your child some coins to spend. Take turns to be the shopkeeper.

Coin rubbings

Place a piece of paper over a coin and rub gently with a crayon. Compare the pictures, numbers and shapes of different coins.

Pocket money talk

Look at real coins in a purse or jar together. Talk about where money comes from and what people use it for. Keep it light and fun.

Who it is for

Parents

Sit beside your child for the first go, then let them lead. Ten to fifteen minutes is plenty. Use real coins if you can, as they feel more exciting than paper ones. Praise careful counting.

Teachers

Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing and cutting. Page 2 has support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups, and the sheet links to the Measurement strand in Year 1.

Home educators

Pair it with a real shopping trip, a book about shops or a pretend market in the garden. The sheet is free to print again for brothers and sisters, or to revisit a few weeks later.

Where this fits in your child's learning

Before this game, children count objects, say number names in order and begin to notice that coins are different from one another. Playing with real objects and talking about them gives them the words they need for money.

After this, children go on to make amounts using different coins and to solve simple money problems. In Year 2 they work with money in more detail, including change. Short, playful practice now helps those later steps feel familiar.

Check it worked

Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.

  1. Which coins could you use to pay for this item?
  2. How do you know how much a coin is worth?
  3. What would you buy, and how much would it cost?

Questions parents and teachers ask

What age is Money Shop Role Play for?

It is written for Year 1, which is ages 5 to 6, in Key Stage 1. Older children who need a gentle start with money can use it too, and younger children can join in with a grown up helping.

How long does it take?

It takes about 15 minutes for 2 players. You can make it shorter by playing fewer turns, or longer by adding the stretch idea on page 2. Two quick games usually work better than one long one.

Do we need real coins?

Real or toy coins both work. The prices on the cards are pretend, so no real money is spent. Real coins let children see and feel the differences between them, which helps them learn.

What if it feels too hard?

Start with 1p coins only and count them out one at a time. Choose the cards with the smallest prices first. Play together, and come back to the harder ones on another day.

How can I make it harder?

Ask your child to buy two things and add the prices. Let them choose the items and explain which coins they used to pay. Page 2 has this stretch idea for confident children.

Is it suitable for the classroom?

Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing and cutting, and it links to the Measurement strand in Year 1.

Do I need to print in colour?

No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Children can colour the cards in if they like, which also makes the shop feel more like their own.

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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.

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