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Shopping Problems: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 3
- ForYear 3
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Shopping Problems is a free printable maths worksheet for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8). Children work in a pretend toy shop. They add prices, find change, compare costs and decide whether they have enough money. It takes about 20 minutes, needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown-up answers, help ideas and a stretch task.
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
Children visit a pretend toy shop where every price is made up. They add the prices of two toys, work out change when they pay with a pound coin, and compare two toys to see which is dearer and by how much. They also find the cost of buying two of the same toy, decide whether a set amount of money is enough, and look for the cheapest pair. There is space to write each answer.
- How much for a ball and a car?
- How much for a kite and a puzzle?
- I pay 1 pound for a car. How much change?
- Which is dearer, a kite or a puzzle? By how much?
- I buy two balls. How much do I pay?
- I have 2 pounds. Can I buy a car and a kite?
- What is the cheapest two toys I can buy?
Worked example: finding change
A drum costs 53p. I pay with 80p. How much change do I get?
This is a different question with its own toy and prices. It shows two ways children can work out change.
Method 1: count up from the price- Start at the price, 53p.
- Count up to the next ten. 53p to 60p is 7p.
- Count up from 60p to 80p. That is 20p.
- Add the jumps: 7p and 20p make 27p.
- Write the sum as 80 take away 53.
- Take away the tens first. 80 take away 50 is 30.
- Now take away the 3. 30 take away 3 is 27.
Set up your own pretend toy shop
Make price tags
Cut small paper tags and write a pretend price on each one. Stick them on real toys or drawings of toys. Keep the prices as whole numbers of pence or pounds.
Gather the coins
Use toy coins, or real coins that the grown-up keeps an eye on. Sort them into piles so that paying and giving change feels real.
Choose a shopkeeper
One person runs the shop and takes the money. The other person is the customer. The shopkeeper has to count out the change.
Swap roles
Change places after a few orders. Explaining a sum as a shopkeeper is a good way to check you really understand it.
Why practise money with shopping problems?
Money is one of the first places where children see maths used for a real reason. Adding prices, paying and getting change all happen in everyday shops. In the National Curriculum for England, Year 3 children add and subtract amounts of money and give change, using pounds and pence. Practice with a pretend shop lets them do this without worrying about real spending.
Word problems ask children to read carefully and decide what to do. Is the question asking for a total, a difference or change? A toy shop gives each number a meaning, because a price belongs to something a child can picture. That makes it easier to choose a method and to ask whether an answer sounds sensible.
Fun facts about money
- There are 100 pence in one pound.
- The pound symbol is £ and pence is written with a small p.
- British coins include 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 and £2.
- When you pay more than something costs, the shop gives you change.
- Shopkeepers often check their change by counting up from the price to the amount paid.
Skills and curriculum link
- Money
- Addition
- Subtraction and change
- Comparing prices
- Problem solving
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 3 |
What children will be able to do
- I can add amounts of money.
- I can take away to find change.
- I can solve a shopping problem and explain my steps.
Ideas that help with money problems
- Read twiceRead each question once for the story and once for the numbers. Underline the prices and say what the question is asking for.
- Same unitsKeep pounds and pence apart. Write amounts in pence first if that makes adding and taking away easier.
- Count up for changeStart at the price and count up to the amount paid. The jumps you make show the change.
- Check it makes senseAsk if the answer is sensible. Change should be less than the money paid, and a total should be more than each single price.
Key words
- PriceHow much something costs.
- TotalThe answer when you add amounts together.
- ChangeThe money you get back when you pay more than the cost.
- DearerCosts more. The opposite is cheaper.
- CheapestThe one that costs the least.
- PenceThe small units of British money. There are 100 pence in a pound.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the first question aloud together. Ask your child to picture the shop and say what the question wants to find out.
- Let them choose a method: toy coins, a number line, a drawing or a written sum. There is no one right way.
- Check together using page 2. Ask, "How did you work that out?" The reasoning matters as much as the answer.
- Come back another day and redo any questions that felt tricky. Repeating a familiar sheet builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Use toy coins to build each price and each answer. For change, put out the price, then add coins one at a time until you reach the amount paid. The coins you added are the change. Try the first few questions, then return to the rest later.
To stretch confident children
Make up your own toy shop price list with five toys. Write three new problems that need a different skill each, such as a total, a difference and change. Swap with a friend or grown-up and solve each other's problems.
Make it a game
Set up a toy shop with price tags and coins. One player is the shopkeeper and the other is the customer. Use each question as an order. The shopkeeper takes the money and counts out the change. Swap roles and try again.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child adds the price and the money paid when the question asks for change.
Try thisAsk whether money is coming back or going out. Change is what is left over. Check by adding the change to the price to see if you reach the amount paid.
Watch forA child mixes pounds and pence, for example by adding 1 to a number of pence.
Try thisWrite every amount in pence first. Remember that there are 100 pence in a pound. Then add or take away and read the answer back with the right unit.
Watch forAsked which toy is dearer and by how much, a child writes the price of the dearer toy.
Try thisAsk what the question is looking for. The second part wants the gap between the two prices. Draw a number line and count the jump from the cheaper price to the dearer one.
Talk about it
- Which toy in a shop would you most like to buy, and why?
- How do you know when to add and when to take away?
- If you pay with a bigger coin than you need, what happens?
- Why might a shopkeeper count change out loud?
- How could you check an answer without using a calculator?
- How would you spend a pretend two pounds, and what would you do if you had some left over?
Take it off the page
Real shop trip
Next time you visit a shop, ask your child to find two items and say what they cost together. A grown-up pays. Talk about the change you receive.
Coin sort
Lay out real coins and sort them from smallest to largest value. Ask your child to make 50p in three different ways. A grown-up keeps an eye on the coins.
Pocket money plan
Give your child a pretend amount and a list of toys with prices. They choose what they can afford and work out what is left.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first question, then let them lead. About 20 minutes is plenty, so stop sooner if they tire. If they get stuck, ask them to act it out with toy coins.
Teachers
Use it as a starter or plenary after teaching addition and subtraction with money. It also works as an early finisher task, homework or supply cover. Page 2 has support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider maths plan. Pair it with a real shopping trip or a pretend shop at the kitchen table. Print it again for brothers and sisters, or return to it later for revision.
Where this fits in your child's maths
Before this sheet, children recognise coins and notes, count in steps of 2, 5 and 10, and add and subtract two digit numbers. Those skills help with counting out change and keeping track of pence.
After this sheet, children meet longer money problems with more than one step, and in Year 4 they work with amounts written in pounds and pence in a wider range of measures. Practising change and comparing prices now makes those steps easier.
Check it worked
Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- How did you work out how much change you would get?
- Which operation did you use first, and why?
- How can you check that your answer makes sense?
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Shopping Problems for?
It is written for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8), in Key Stage 2. Some Year 2 children who are confident with money may enjoy it with help, and older children can use it for revision.
- What will children practise?
Children practise adding prices, finding change and comparing costs. They also decide whether they have enough money and explain their steps. All the prices are pretend, set in a toy shop.
- How long does it take?
It takes about 20 minutes for one child. You can stop sooner and come back to the rest another day. The notes on page 2 help you to adjust the pace.
- What if my child finds it hard?
Use toy coins to build each price and each answer. For change, start at the price and add coins until you reach the amount paid. Try a few questions at a time.
- Do we need real money?
No. Toy coins work well, or you can draw coins on paper. If you use real coins, keep them to hand for an adult to check. All the prices on the sheet are pretend.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. It works as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 includes answers and ideas for support and stretch.
- Is it free and screen free?
Yes to both. It is free to print for home and classroom use. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it suits quiet time, rainy days and school holidays.
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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.