Grade by Grade
Strand A: Foundations of Language and Mathematics · Numbers and Counting

Loonies, Toonies and Bills to $10

A6.13 A6.1 A5About 20 minutes
Learning goals
  • I know a loonie is worth 1 dollar and a toonie is worth 2 dollars.
  • I can find the 5-dollar bill and the 10-dollar bill.
  • I can show the same amount in different ways, like 2 loonies or 1 toonie.
  • I can count out money to pay for something, up to 10 dollars.

Words to know

dollar
An amount of money. We write it with this sign: $. $1 is one dollar.
bill
Paper-like money. In Canada, bills are made of a smooth plastic called polymer.
worth
How much money something is. A toonie is worth 2 dollars.

At the farmers' market

Grown-up: read aloud. If you can, use real coins and bills (or play money) as you go.

It's fall at the farmers' market. A small pumpkin costs 5 dollars. An apple costs 1 dollar. A jar of honey costs 10 dollars. How can we pay? Let's learn about dollars!

A farmers' market stand in fall has orange pumpkins, baskets of red apples and jars of golden honey.
At the farmers' market we use dollars to pay for pumpkins, apples and honey. AI-generated image

Dollars

Bigger amounts of money are counted in dollars. We write dollars with this sign: $. So $5 means 5 dollars.

In Canada we use coins and bills for dollars.

MoneyWorthHow to spot it
loonie (coin)$1gold-coloured, a loon on it, 11 flat sides on the edge
toonie (coin)$2two colours: a silver-coloured ring and a gold-coloured middle, a polar bear on it
five-dollar bill$5blue, with a big 5 on it
ten-dollar bill$10purple, with a big 10 on it
Canadian money to $10.

Look for the number

Bills can have different pictures and new designs. The number on a bill always tells what it is worth.

And remember: a coin's size does not always tell its worth. The dime is smaller than the nickel, but the dime is worth more. Look closely at each coin and bill.

Worked example

Two loonies make a toonie

Is 1 toonie worth the same as 2 loonies?

  1. A loonie is worth $1. Hold up 1 finger.
  2. Another loonie is $1 more. Hold up 1 more finger: 2 fingers.
  3. A toonie is worth $2: 2 fingers too.
  4. 1 dollar and 1 dollar make 2 dollars.

Yes! 2 loonies are worth the same as 1 toonie: $2.

🟡🟡⚪
Pretend coins: 2 loonies (🟡🟡) are worth the same as 1 toonie (⚪).
Worked example

Pay $5 for the pumpkin, three ways

The pumpkin costs $5. Let's find different ways to pay.

  1. Way 1: 5 loonies. Count them: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 dollars.
  2. Way 2: 2 toonies and 1 loonie. Use fingers: first toonie, 2. Second toonie, 2 more: 3, 4. Then the loonie, 1 more: 5.
  3. Way 3: one five-dollar bill. That's $5 all at once!

5 loonies, or 2 toonies and 1 loonie, or one $5 bill. Each way is $5.

012345toonietoonieloonie
2 toonies and 1 loonie: 2, 4, 5. That makes $5.
Worked example

Making $10

The honey costs $10. We have two five-dollar bills. Is that enough?

  1. One $5 bill: hold up one hand, 5 fingers.
  2. Another $5 bill: hold up your other hand, 5 more fingers.
  3. 5 and 5 make 10. That's $10!
  4. We could also pay with one ten-dollar bill, or 10 loonies.

Yes. Two $5 bills make $10, the same as one $10 bill.

10 loonies fill a ten frame. That's $10, the same as one ten-dollar bill.
Just for fun

Funny but true: the $2 coin is called the toonie because it is worth two loonies. Two + loonie = toonie! 🐻‍❄️

Hands-on activity

Farmers' market store

You need: real coins and bills or play money (or draw paper bills: a blue one with a 5 and a purple one with a 10), some toys or food boxes, and sticky notes for price tags.

  1. Make price tags from $1 to $10 and stick them on things to "sell".
  2. Take turns being the shopper and the shopkeeper.
  3. The shopper counts out the money. The shopkeeper checks: "Is it enough?"
  4. Try to pay for the same thing two different ways, like 3 loonies, or 1 toonie and 1 loonie.
  5. Sort a pile of money: loonies, toonies, $5 bills, $10 bills.

Math talk: "How do you know that's 5 dollars?"

Safety: coins are small. Young children should never put coins in their mouth. Stay close and put the coins away after.

Your turn

1

How much is a loonie worth?

2

How much is a toonie worth?

3

Which bill is worth 5 dollars: the blue one or the purple one?

4

A ball costs $2. Pay for it with loonies. How many loonies?

5

A book costs $3. You have a toonie. What else do you need?

6

Which is worth more: a $5 bill or a toonie?

7

How many loonies make $5?

More practice: warm-up

1

🟡 = loonie. How many dollars?

🟡🟡🟡

2

What bird is on the loonie?

3

How many loonies are worth the same as one toonie?

4

Is a $10 bill worth more or less than a $5 bill?

5

What does the sign $ mean?

More practice: on your own

1

⚪ = toonie. How many dollars?

⚪⚪

2

⚪ = toonie, 🟡 = loonie. How many dollars?

⚪🟡

3

How much are two $5 bills worth?

4

A toy costs $6. You have a $5 bill. What else do you need?

5

Mia has 4 loonies. A kite costs $5. Does she have enough?

Challenge

1

Show $5 in two different ways.

2

⚪ = toonie. How many dollars?

⚪⚪⚪⚪⚪

3

A snack costs $3. You pay with a $5 bill. How much money should you get back?

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

How much is a loonie worth?

2.

2 loonies are worth the same as …

3.

🟡 = loonie. How many dollars?

🟡🟡🟡🟡🟡

4.

Which is worth more?

5.

⚪ = toonie, 🟡 = loonie. How many dollars?

⚪🟡

For parents and teachers

Big idea: The Kindergarten Curriculum (2026) expects children to identify Canadian coins and bills up to $10 and understand their value, not just their names. Children learn that different combinations can be worth the same amount (2 loonies = 1 toonie; two $5 bills = $10).

Common difficulties:

  • Counting coins instead of dollars (saying 2 toonies is "2 dollars"). Use fingers: each toonie is 2 fingers.
  • Thinking bigger coins are worth more. Point to the number, not the size.
  • Counting on by 2s. Help with fingers and a number line. This is a stretch at this age, so support it.
  • Bill colours and designs. New bill designs appear from time to time. Teach your child to look for the big number.

Safety: Coins are a choking hazard. Always supervise and put coins away after play.

How to help: Play store with price tags from $1 to $10. Let your child pay with a loonie or toonie at a real store or farmers' market. Ask "Is there another way to make $5?"