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US Letter, 8.5 x 11 inches. Print at 100% for craft pieces; use Fit to page if your printer clips the margins. An adult should help with scissors and fitting wearable crafts.
Use clearly marked pretend money to practice counting, comparing prices and making change in a Thanksgiving classroom market. The printable activity is a learning tool, not a copy of real currency. A fictional unit such as “Thankful Tokens” keeps the purpose obvious and lets students focus on place value. All practice prices should be invented for the lesson rather than presented as current store prices.
How to use this printable
- Print the token page and keep the words “PLAY MONEY – NOT LEGAL TENDER” visible. Choose the denominations that match the learners’ counting skills.
- Create a small market with drawings or classroom objects. Give each item a simple fictional price and write the unit beside it.
- Ask students to build an exact amount in two ways. Compare which solution uses fewer tokens and explain how both totals are equivalent.
- Introduce change only after exact payment is secure. Have the buyer and seller count the difference together and record one transaction as an equation.
Make the activity your own
For early learners, begin with values of 1 and 5. Older students can use 10 and 20, plan a small budget or compare two purchase combinations. Keep the tokens separate from real money and collect them at the end of the lesson. Avoid realistic banknote portraits, security features or designs that could be mistaken for government-issued currency. The fictional classroom system can be reused for other seasonal math tasks.
Printing and questions
Print the PDF on US Letter paper in portrait orientation. Start with one copy and check the preview before making a classroom set. Use ordinary paper for a worksheet, or cardstock when the finished piece needs to stand up to handling.
Can these be used to buy real items?
No. They are pretend classroom tokens and have no monetary value.
Do I need a cashier game to use them?
No. Sorting denominations, making equal totals and writing addition equations are useful activities on their own.