Year 4 maths: practise money decisions during the summer holidays

By late July, children finishing Year 4 usually need a break from school routines. Maths can still have a small place in the holidays, particularly when it helps answer a real question: can we afford both snacks, and how much change should we get?

Money practice brings together addition, subtraction and multiplication without needing a worksheet every day. Keep each activity to about ten minutes, use pretend money if you prefer, and choose just one skill at a time. The aim is clearer thinking, not faster shopping.

1. Connect pounds and pence before calculating

Start with three price labels: 75p, £1.20 and £2.05. Ask your child to show each amount using coins or drawings. Then ask them to write every price in pence.

This reveals whether they understand that £2.05 means 205p, not 25p. If they hesitate, build two whole pounds first, then add five pence. Link the coins directly to the written price.

Try a sorting challenge with five homemade price cards. Put them in order from cheapest to most expensive, then explain one choice aloud.

Keep the numbers manageable. A child who can explain why £1.05 is less than £1.50 is doing useful mathematical thinking, even if the answer takes time.

2. Estimate a total before finding it exactly

Set up a pretend summer shop with four familiar items. For example, price an apple at 45p, a drink at 80p, a roll at £1.10 and a yoghurt at 65p.

Ask your child to choose two items and predict whether £2 will cover the cost. An apple and a roll cost roughly 50p plus £1, so the total should be around £1.50.

Next, calculate accurately: 45p plus 110p equals 155p, or £1.55. Compare that answer with the estimate.

If the exact answer looks surprising, ask, “Does that fit our rough total?” rather than immediately correcting it. Estimation gives children a way to notice errors independently. Change just one price for the next attempt so the challenge stays familiar.

3. Find change by counting up

Subtraction is not the only way to work out change. Counting up can make the relationship between the price and the payment easier to see.

For an item costing £1.65, paid for with £2, count 5p to £1.70, then 30p to £2. The change is 35p.

Draw these jumps on a number line if keeping them in mind feels difficult. Check the result by adding the change back to the price: £1.65 plus £0.35 equals £2.

Take turns being the shopkeeper. Ask your child to explain their method before you offer yours. Avoid introducing a countdown or speed challenge; the explanation matters more than the pace.

4. Plan a small budget and review one decision

Give your child a pretend £5 picnic budget and a short price list. Ask them to choose enough items for two people without exceeding the limit.

Introduce one change: “The drinks now cost 20p more each. What could we swap?” This makes the task about adapting a plan, not simply adding prices.

Finish by asking what helped: converting to pence, estimating or drawing jumps. Keep that strategy for next time.

If money calculations repeatedly cause frustration, GoodGrade Tutors offers one to one support online across the UK, plus in person in selected areas. Take the free 2 minute quiz to explore support matched to your child.