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Maths In Jobs

Be a junior shopkeeper for a day maths challenge

An imaginative role-play challenge where children use prices, change, stock, totals and offers like a real shopkeeper.

Quick answer

You can be a junior shopkeeper for a day and learn how to add prices, give change, count stock, and understand offers – just like a real shopkeeper!

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will be able to use addition, subtraction, and simple multiplication to run a pretend shop, calculate how much money you earn, and give the right change to customers. Success signs:
  • You can add prices of items to find a total
  • You can work out how much change a customer should get
  • You can count how many items you have in stock
  • You can understand simple offers like “Buy 2 get 1 free”

Why this matters

Being a shopkeeper is a job where you use maths every day. You need to count money, add up prices, give change, and keep track of how many things you have. When you play shopkeeper, you practice these skills in a fun way. It helps you understand how maths is used in real life – and it’s a great way to learn about money and business.

How it works

To be a junior shopkeeper, you will:
  1. Set up a pretend shop with items and prices
  2. Decide how many of each item you have in stock
  3. Choose a customer and let them buy things
  4. Add up the prices to find the total
  5. Give the correct change if they pay more
  6. Keep track of how many items you have left

Examples you can see

Let’s imagine you have a lemonade stand. You sell lemonade for 50p a cup. If a customer buys 3 cups, you need to add:
  • 50p + 50p + 50p = 150p
That’s the same as £1.50. If the customer pays with £2, you need to give them change:
  • £2 – £1.50 = 50p
You can also use multiplication to work out how much 5 cups of lemonade cost:
  • 5 × 50p = 250p = £2.50
Let’s say you have 10 cups of lemonade in stock. If 3 customers each buy 1 cup, you need to take away 3 cups:
  • 10 – 3 = 7 cups left

Try it as a mini adventure

Adventure: Be a Junior Shopkeeper for a Day! You are the shopkeeper of a toy store. Here’s what you need to do:
  1. Set up your shop: You have 5 toy cars, 3 teddy bears, and 7 stickers. Each toy car costs £1.50, each teddy bear costs £2, and each sticker costs 50p.
  2. Customer 1: Buys 2 toy cars and 1 teddy bear. How much do they pay?
  3. Customer 2: Buys 3 stickers and pays with £2. How much change do they get?
  4. Stock check: After both customers, how many items do you have left?
Step-by-step solution: 1. Customer 1:
  • 2 toy cars = 2 × £1.50 = £3
  • 1 teddy bear = £2
  • Total = £3 + £2 = £5
2. Customer 2:
  • 3 stickers = 3 × 50p = 150p = £1.50
  • They pay £2
  • Change = £2 – £1.50 = 50p
3. Stock check:
  • Toy cars: 5 – 2 = 3 left
  • Teddy bears: 3 – 1 = 2 left
  • Stickers: 7 – 3 = 4 left
You did it! You’re a successful junior shopkeeper!

Common mistakes

  • Mistake: Adding prices wrong, like 50p + 50p = 100p instead of 100p = £1
  • Why it happens: Not knowing that 100p = £1
  • Fix: Practice counting in 10s and 5s to know your money
  • Mistake: Forgetting to take away stock after a sale
  • Why it happens: Not paying attention to the number of items
  • Fix: Count the items you have before and after each sale
  • Mistake: Not using the right way to count change
  • Why it happens: Not knowing how to subtract money
  • Fix: Use a number line or count up from the price to the amount paid

Parent and carer guide

As a parent or carer, you can help your child by:
  • Setting up a pretend shop at home with items like toys, books, or food
  • Letting your child be the shopkeeper and you be the customer
  • Practising addition, subtraction, and counting money
  • Encouraging them to keep track of how many items they have
  • Using real coins and notes to make it more realistic
You can also ask questions like:
  • How much would 3 apples cost if each costs 20p?
  • If you have £5 and spend £3.20, how much do you have left?
  • How many stickers do you have if you start with 10 and give away 4?
Remember, it’s okay if they make mistakes – that’s how they learn!

Practice questions

  1. You sell 4 pencils at 15p each. How much do they cost in total?
  2. A customer buys 2 books at £3.50 each. They pay with £10. How much change do they get?
  3. You have 12 balloons. If 5 are sold, how many do you have left?
  4. You sell 3 ice creams at 70p each. How much do they cost?
  5. If a customer pays £5 for a £2.30 item, how much change do they get?
Answers:
  1. 4 × 15p = 60p
  2. 2 × £3.50 = £7, £10 – £7 = £3
  3. 12 – 5 = 7 balloons
  4. 3 × 70p = 210p = £2.10
  5. £5 – £2.30 = £2.70

FAQ

How can I make the shopkeeper game more fun?

You can add a register, a cash drawer, or even a shopping list for customers. You can also make up stories for your shop items, like a “magic potion” shop or a “robot parts” shop.

What if my child finds money maths hard?

Start with simple coins like 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p. Use real coins to practice counting and adding. You can also use a number line or counting on fingers to help with subtraction.

Can I use this game to learn about offers?

Yes! You can create offers like “Buy 2 get 1 free” or “10% off” to teach your child how discounts work. For example, if a toy costs £2 and you buy 2, you pay £2 for the second one and get it free.

Is it okay if my child makes mistakes?

Absolutely! Mistakes are part of learning. When your child makes a mistake, help them think through it step by step. You can also use it as a chance to practice again with a different example.

How can I make this into a regular learning activity?

You can set up a “shop day” once a week, or let your child be the shopkeeper for a few minutes every day. You can also add new items or offers to keep it fresh and interesting.