Count the Piggy Bank Together: A Simple Coin and Bill Tally
By Erik Nilsen · Kroni6 min read
Your child empties the piggy bank and says "I have twelve money!" Usually that means they counted how many coins and bills are on the table. That number doesn't tell you what the money is worth. The fix is simple. Sort the money by the value printed on it, count each pile on its own, work out what each pile is worth, then add the piles together. Once everything is sorted, your child can see that one bill can be worth more than a whole heap of coins.
Below you'll find steps you can try this week, a worked example and a blank template you can copy.
Before you start: one currency and a tidy surface
Put a towel or a tray on the table so coins don't roll off. If there are coins from a trip abroad, pick them out and put them in a separate cup. Count one currency at a time. If you mix them, the total doesn't mean anything.
In the US, you may have coins worth 1, 5, 10 and 25 cents, plus bills such as $1, $5, $10 and $20. The U.S. Mint coin guide and U.S. currency guide show the denominations. Other countries have their own coins and bills. Use the values actually sitting in front of you.
Step by step: sort, count, add
- Sort by value. Make one pile for each value. Help your child identify the denomination, which may be written in words, rather than using size or color. A dime is smaller than a nickel but worth more, as the U.S. Mint specifications show.
- Count how many are in each pile. "There are four dimes here."
- Work out the pile's value. Four dimes is 10 + 10 + 10 + 10 = 40 cents. If your child knows multiplication, they can write 4 × 10.
- Add the pile values together. That total is how much money your child has.
- Write it down in the table, with the date and where the money is kept.
What part can your child play?
Choose a job your child can do with you, not one based on a fixed age. Some examples:
- The sorter: puts matching coins in the same pile while you count.
- The counter: counts each pile out loud while you write.
- The calculator: works out each pile's value and the total, and you check.
- The bookkeeper: fills in the whole table and asks you to check it.
For more ideas about tasks that fit where your child is right now, the list of what kids can learn to do at home is a good place to start.
Worked example: 8 pieces, but the value is 20
This is a made-up practice example. The values 1, 2 and 10 were picked because they're easy to add. Your currency may not have a 2, so swap in your own values when you try it.
| Value per coin/bill | How many | Pile value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 4 |
| 2 | 3 | 6 |
| 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Total | 8 pieces | 20 |
The math is 4 + 6 + 10 = 20.
Look at the two numbers in the bottom row. Your child has 8 pieces, but they're worth 20. The single piece worth 10 is worth as much as the other seven pieces put together. That's easy to see when everything is sorted on the table. In one big heap, it's much harder to spot.
Blank template to copy
Copy this table or draw it on a sheet of paper. Add rows if you have more values.
Copyable worksheet: piggy bank count
| Value printed on coin/bill | How many | Pile value |
|---|---|---|
| ____ | ____ | ____ |
| ____ | ____ | ____ |
| ____ | ____ | ____ |
| ____ | ____ | ____ |
| Total | ____ pieces | ____ |
Date counted: ____. Where the cash is kept: ____.
When you get different totals
Your child and the adult often end up with different totals. That's fine. It just means it's time to count again.
- Each of you recounts the piles separately, then compare them one pile at a time.
- Look for coins that ended up in the wrong pile.
- Check whether it's a pile's count or its value that doesn't match.
- If you agree, write that number down. If you still don't, count again on another day.
You might make counting twice a habit, even when the totals match. That way it's just a normal check and nobody made a "mistake."
Moving money isn't earning money
Once the counting is done, a lot of kids want to move the money into a new box, a wallet or some envelopes. It helps to say it plainly: the total stays the same, the money just changed places. $20 in the piggy bank becomes $20 in the wallet, not $40.
You can count again after the move so your child sees it for themselves. If you want to split the money into purposes like "spend," "save" and "give," the envelope method for kids is a natural next step. You'll be starting from a total you know is right.
Cash in the box vs. a balance in an app
Many families track allowance or rewards digitally as well as keeping cash. If you do, keep two things separate: the cash your child already has, and any amount the family agreed your child has earned but hasn't been paid yet.
In Kroni, the balance is a virtual record your family keeps. It's based on chores your child marks as done and an adult approves, if you've chosen to require approval. The app doesn't count coins, isn't connected to a bank and doesn't pay out real money. So when you count the piggy bank, don't add that total to the app as new earnings, because the money was already your child's. If you pay cash for something recorded in the app, you do that yourself, outside the app.
A simple plan for this week
- Day 1: Empty the piggy bank, sort the money and fill in the template together.
- Day 2 or 3: Count again without looking at the first sheet, then compare.
- After that: Note where the money is kept and keep the sheet in a set place.
The next time your child gets or spends money, count again and see how the total has changed.
Frequently asked questions
- Why should we sort the money before counting?
- When coins and bills are all in one pile, it's easy to count the pieces instead of what they're worth. If you sort by the value printed on each coin or bill, your child can work out each pile's value and then add them up. That shows how one bill can be worth more than lots of coins.
- What if we get different totals?
- Each of you recounts the piles, then compare them one pile at a time. Look for coins in the wrong pile, and check whether a pile's count or its value doesn't match. If you still don't agree, count again on another day before you write the number down.
- Should we add the piggy bank total to the Kroni balance?
- No. The cash in the piggy bank already belongs to your child, and counting it doesn't make it new earnings. The Kroni balance is a virtual record of what your family agreed, such as pay for chores. Any cash payments happen outside the app.
