Singapore Coins and Notes
Singapore uses coins of 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents and $1, and notes of $2, $5, $10 and $50 (and larger ones children rarely handle). There are 100 cents in $1. Children usually find coins harder than notes, because a bigger coin is not always worth more, and the $1 coin is a coin, not a note. The money on this page is drawn simply, with each value written on it, so children can focus on adding the values up.
How to Give Change: Count Up
Shopkeepers rarely subtract. They count up from the price to the amount they were given. Your child can do the same:
- Start at the price. A storybook costs $3.45 and you pay with a $5 note.
- Count up to the next round number of cents. $3.45 + 5¢ = $3.50.
- Count up to the next whole dollar. $3.50 + 50¢ = $4.
- Count up to the amount paid. $4 + $1 = $5.
- Add the steps. 5¢ + 50¢ + $1 = $1.55 change.
Every “Give the change” question on this page shows these steps after a mistake, so the method sinks in without a lecture.
Common Money Mistakes
- Counting coins, not value. Three coins are not “3 cents”. Start with the biggest coin or note and count on: 50, 70, 80, 85 cents.
- Mixing cents and dollars. Writing $45 for 45 cents, or 3 cents for a $3 note. The P1 activity asks children to choose cents or dollars every time, which builds the habit of checking the unit.
- Dropping the zero. $3.05 is three dollars and five cents; $3.5 would be three dollars fifty. In money, there are always two digits after the point.
- Subtracting the wrong way round. For change from $10 on a $6.40 item, some children take $6.40 from $10 digit by digit and get muddled. Counting up from $6.40 avoids the borrowing altogether.
- Forgetting that the change and the price add up to what was paid. After giving change, check: price + change = the note. It catches almost every slip.
How to Use This Page
- Play with the money tray first. Ask your child to make 50 cents in three different ways, or $1 with the fewest coins.
- Pick the school year and an activity, then the number of questions, and press Start.
- Count the money: type how much is shown. Pay exactly: tap coins and notes from the wallet until they make the price. Give the change: tap out the change for the note that was paid.
- Fix the ones you missed at the end of a round.
Activities by Level
| Level | What your child practises |
|---|---|
| P1 | Counting coins up to $1 in cents, and notes in whole dollars; paying a price of up to $1, or a whole number of dollars; simple change from $1 or $10 |
| P2 | Dollars and cents together, written as $3 and 45¢; paying prices up to $20; change from $5 or $10 |
| P3 | Money in decimal notation, such as $3.45; amounts up to $100; change from $10 or $50; paying with the fewest coins and notes |
The levels follow the usual order in Singapore primary schools. Move up or down freely.
Tips for Parents and Teachers
- Let your child pay. At the canteen or the bakery, hand over a note and let your child check the change. Real money and real change make the screen practice stick.
- Make 50 cents. Ask for 50 cents with 10-cent coins only, then with 20-cent coins and a 10-cent coin. Finding several ways builds number sense.
- Read prices aloud properly. $3.45 is “three dollars forty-five cents”, not “three point four five”. Saying it this way stops the common mistake of writing $3.45 as 345 cents or $34.5.
- Mind the zero. Five cents is $0.05, not $0.5. The “Count the money” activity at P3 catches this mix-up.
- Pair it with paper. Our worksheet generator makes printable money worksheets, and the bar model page covers money word problems.
Nothing to Install, Nothing Stored on Our Server
The practice runs entirely in your browser on any phone, tablet or computer. There is no account and no download. The last level and activity you chose are remembered on this device, and nothing about your child’s answers is sent to us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Count up from the price to the amount paid, like a shopkeeper does. For a $3.45 item paid with $5, count up 5 cents to $3.50, then 50 cents to $4, then $1 to $5. The coins counted up, 5¢ + 50¢ + $1, make the change of $1.55. Counting up is easier for children than subtracting decimals.
Singapore coins of 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents and $1, and notes of $2, $5, $10 and $50, drawn simply so children can tell them apart by size, colour and value.
P1 counts coins up to $1 or notes in whole dollars and pays simple prices. P2 works with dollars and cents together, such as $3 and 45 cents, and gives change. P3 writes money in decimal notation, such as $3.45, with amounts up to $100, and suggests paying with the fewest coins and notes.
Yes. There is no account, no download and no limit on rounds. It works in any browser on a phone, tablet or computer, and nothing about your child’s answers is sent to us.