Reading Level 1 - 3
Interest Level 1 - 12

Next Dollar Shopping provides students with a unique way to practice the skill of exchanging money. Students who have difficulty transitioning between coin counting and making change benefit from the next dollar strategy introduced in this game. The fully illustrated game board provides students with opportunities to identify the next dollar amount needed to purchase items in "real-world" situations.

GAME PLAY: Before playing, students should have a basic understanding of dollars and cents. A facilitator is needed to hand out money and determine if amounts paid are correct. Each student begins the game with 20 dollar bills. To begin play, a student places his or her playing piece on the "HOME" square, rolls the die, and moves to the appropriate game-board square. Then, he or she draws a card. The player reads the money amount on the card and determines the amount needed to pay for the item by rounding up to the next dollar.

LEVELS: Each of the five card decks includes cards at three difficulty levels: Basic, with even dollar amounts (such as $7.00); Intermediate, with uneven dollar amounts (such as $1.35); and Advanced, with amounts under a dollar (such as $.52). Prices do not exceed $10.00. The draw cards feature 60 realistic illustrations of items that can be purchased at a variety of locations.

GAME-BOARD SQUARES: Students buy items at grocery, clothing, and discount stores as well as a fast food restaurant, post office, movie theater, and more. If a student does not have enough money to buy an item, he or she goes to the ATM square to withdraw $10.00 to pay for the item and continue playing.

TEACHER'S GUIDE: Contains ideas, reproducible worksheets, and assessments for implementing the next dollar strategy before and after game play.

GAME INCLUDES: 32 page Teacher's Guide, Game Board, 60 Draw Cards, 100 Realistic One-Dollar Bills, 6 Playing Pieces, and a Game Die, all in a sturdy storage box (©2003).

CHOKING HAZARD: Small Parts. Not for children under 3 years.