"Once they have all the items they require, they proceed to the checkout area where the shopping is placed on a conveyor belt, scanned and put into a bag."

Toca Store

Toca Store is a digital shop that enables young children to practice basic money concepts. It is a two-player game where one child acts as the shopkeeper and another child or perhaps a teacher acts as a customer. The shopkeeper gets to choose the goods that go on sale and has to decide on a price for each item (ranging from 1 to 5 coins). The customer then has to hand over the correct number of coins.

Toca Store is very easy to play, but for children to get the most out of it teacher involvement would be helpful. This way a teacher could draw out the learning as the game progresses. For example, they could encourage the child to count out the coins as they hand them over. Teachers could also explain how the app differs from real life. In Toca Store the customer has to continue buying items until their money runs out; not such a good idea in the real world! Also, if children do not have enough money in their purse to buy the final item, a magical purse appears with just the exact number of coins they need. Oh how I wish this would happen when I visit the shops.

Age Range - 3 to 6 year olds
Score – 74/100
App Store Link

Storest

If you want to take the realism up a notch you could try Storest. It gives users two ways to play. The first is very similar to Toca Store. Pupils move along a virtual shopping aisle and choose items to put in their shopping trolley. Once they have all the items they require, they proceed to the checkout area where the shopping is placed on a conveyor belt, scanned and put into a bag. Children then have to put down money to complete the purchase. Just like in a real shop this does not have to be the exact amount required, as change is given.

The other play mode will really appeal to pupils who like to pretend play. Here, rather than buying virtual goods in a digital store, you print out pictures of the goods and use them to set up an actual shop. These items all have QR codes attached that enable the camera on the iPad to read the price when it is placed over it. This opens up a whole world of possibilities with children able to check out items just as they would in a supermarket.

Age Range – 6 to 9 year olds
Score – 82/100
App Store Link

Jungle Coins

Jungle Coins is a fantastic app for helping children learn to use coins. It contains four learning modes. The first is ‘Find Coins’, where pupils have to identify different coins. The second is ‘Count Money’, where they have to add up the value of all the coins on the screen. The third is ‘Compare Coins’, which requires them to decide which side of the screen contains more money. The last learning mode is ‘Correct Change’, and in this children are given a money problem to solve. For example, “You paid £1.00 for an item that cost £0.85. Slide the correct change to the right.”

The coins used in this app are almost photo realistic and the narration is also first class. It is provided by children and is very natural. Questions can be repeated with a simple tap and pressing any of the on screen coins results in them flipping over to reveal the value. At the same time this is also described by the narrator. Correct answers are greeted with a roar from the on screen jungle animal while incorrect ones receive a slight growl. Jungle Coins is a very comprehensive app and well worth the £1.99 price tag.

Age Range – 5 to 9 year olds
Score – 94/100
App Store Link

Motion Math: Pizza!

Motion Math: Pizza! teaches children about money through the setting up and running of their very own pizza parlour. Pupils get the opportunity to do everything from choosing the menu to dealing with suppliers and customers. The clever thing about this app is the way the learning occurs. At no point are children asked to complete any sums; rather, mathematics is infused throughout the app. Right from the start players need to consider the cost of ingredients and set the prices of their pizzas at a level that will make a profit. Then customers coming into the shop need to have the cost of their orders added up. This has to be done quickly to prevent them getting annoyed and taking their order elsewhere.

In addition to pure mathematics this app also does a great job of teaching children sound business principles. For example, at the end of each day’s trading, children are presented with not only the money they have made but details of how many of each type of pizza they’ve sold. How they use this information when they restock their ingredients goes a long way to determining the success of the business.

Age Range - 8+
Score – 94/100
App Store Link

Freefall Money

"At the end of each day’s trading, children are presented with not only the money they have made but details of how many of each type of pizza they’ve sold."

If you are looking to teach children about foreign currencies, Freefall Money could be just the app for you. It includes both Euros and Dollars, making it ideal for pupils with a holiday to the Eurozone or the US coming up. The Euro coins are actually very easy to get used to as they all have a numerical value printed on them. The US coins are a little bit more tricky as no such markings appear on them. There is, however, a helpful tutorial explaining what the different coins are so kids will soon become masters at counting nickels, dimes and quarters.

FreeFall Money is easy to use with a clear, crisp interface. To begin with the questions are straightforward but they get more complex as children achieve success. Teachers can also make adjustments to number of coins that are included. There are no time limits, so children are able to complete tasks at their own pace. Activities include counting coins, doing simple addition and putting money in a piggy bank. Positive reinforcement is provided in the form of tropical fish being added to the pupil’s virtual fish tank for correct answers. This is a great motivator because children will want to fill their tank with fish. Be warned though; the fish do require regular care. If they are left for too long without being fed and the tank cleaned the water turns murky. A great touch!

Age Range – 7 to 10 year olds
Score – 76/100
App Store Link
Play Store Link

Have you used any of these apps in your teaching? Let us know in the comments.