Spin & Spend, to 5c

Overview:

Students spin spinners to determine food orders from a school canteen, then add the amounts to find the total cost. Prices are in increments of 5 cents. Designed for students in year 4 and year 5.

Learning Objectives:

• Add amounts in increments of 5 cents to calculate total costs.
• Develop money-handling skills and financial literacy through real-world scenarios.
• Practise addition and problem-solving in an engaging, hands-on activity.

How the Activity Works:

Students use two spinners: the first determines the food item from the school canteen (e.g., hotdog, fries, pizza), and the second determines how many items will be purchased. For example: What will Paula buy? How many will she buy? The total cost will be... After spinning, students add the amounts (in increments of 5 cents) to calculate the total cost. This activity reinforces addition skills while helping students become familiar with small-value money calculations.