Sale Temptation maths mission

Quick answer

By playing the Sale Temptation maths mission, you'll learn how to use your pocket money wisely by comparing prices, calculating savings, and making smart shopping decisions.

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will be able to compare different prices and calculate how much money you save when items go on sale, using simple addition, subtraction, and multiplication.

• You can spot which item is the best deal when shopping
• You can work out how much money you save on a sale item
• You can plan how to spend your pocket money on the best items
• You can explain why one item costs more or less than another

Why this matters

When you go shopping, you're doing maths without even realising it! Understanding how prices work helps you make better choices with your money. Whether you're helping your parents buy groceries or saving up for a toy, knowing how to compare prices and calculate savings makes you a smart shopper. This skill will help you in school when you learn about money, and in real life when you're buying things.

How it works

When you're shopping, there are three important steps:

1. Look at the prices - What does each item cost?
2. Check if there's a sale - What is the discount?
3. Calculate your savings - How much money do you save?

You can use simple maths like counting, adding, subtracting, and multiplying to figure out the best deals.

Examples you can see

Imagine you're at the shop with £5 in your pocket. You see two toys:

• A toy car that costs £3.50
• A toy robot that costs £4.20

Which one can you afford? You can count on your fingers or use a number line to help you. £3.50 is less than £5, so you can buy the car. £4.20 is more than £5, so you can't buy the robot.

Now imagine the toy car is on sale for 20% off. You need to work out how much you save:

• Original price: £3.50
• Discount: 20% of £3.50 = £0.70
• You save: £0.70
• Final price: £3.50 - £0.70 = £2.80

That's a good deal! You save 70p on the car.

Try it as a mini adventure

Adventure: The Sale Temptation Challenge

You're going to the shop with £10 to spend. You have a list of things you want:

• A pack of stickers for £2.50
• A small toy for £3.80
• A book for £4.20
• A pencil case for £5.00

But there's a sale! All items are 10% off. You need to:

1. Work out how much each item costs after the discount
2. Decide which 3 items you can afford
3. Calculate how much money you save in total

Step 1: Find the discount for each item

• Stickers: 10% of £2.50 = £0.25
• Toy: 10% of £3.80 = £0.38
• Book: 10% of £4.20 = £0.42
• Pencil case: 10% of £5.00 = £0.50

Step 2: Calculate the new prices

• Stickers: £2.50 - £0.25 = £2.25
• Toy: £3.80 - £0.38 = £3.42
• Book: £4.20 - £0.42 = £3.78
• Pencil case: £5.00 - £0.50 = £4.50

Step 3: Choose your 3 items and calculate your total

Let's say you choose the stickers, toy, and book:

• £2.25 + £3.42 + £3.78 = £9.45
• You have £10, so you can afford these 3 items
• Total saved: £0.25 + £0.38 + £0.42 = £1.05

Common mistakes

• Mistake: Adding the discount to the price instead of subtracting it
  Why it happens: Children might think that if something is 20% off, they add 20% to the price.
  Fix: Remember, "off" means take away, so you subtract the discount from the original price.
• Mistake: Forgetting to convert percentages to decimals
  Why it happens: Children might try to work with 20% directly instead of using 0.20.
  Fix: Remember that 20% = 0.20, so multiply the price by 0.20 to find the discount.
• Mistake: Not checking if they can afford the items after the discount
  Why it happens: Children might focus only on the discount and forget about their budget.
  Fix: Always check that your total after the discount is less than or equal to your money.
• Mistake: Using the wrong method to find percentages
  Why it happens: Confusing multiplication with division when finding percentages.
  Fix: Remember to multiply the price by the percentage (as a decimal) to find the discount amount.

Parent and carer guide

Help your child practice Sale Temptation maths by:

1. Playing pretend shopping games at home with toy money
2. Going shopping together and asking your child to calculate discounts
3. Using real receipts to practice adding prices and calculating change
4. Creating a "sale" at home with items marked down by 10% or 25%
5. Encouraging your child to explain their thinking when calculating prices
6. Checking that your child understands that "off" means subtract
7. Using everyday examples like grocery shopping, toy stores, or online shopping
8. Letting your child make mistakes and guide them through the process
9. Practicing with different percentages (10%, 20%, 25%, 50%)
10. Reinforcing that math helps us make smart choices with money

Remember, the goal is not to get everything right but to understand the process. Encourage your child to explain their thinking and celebrate their efforts, even if they make mistakes.

Practice questions

1. Emma has £8. She wants to buy a book that costs £6.50. How much money will she have left?
2. Tom sees a toy that costs £12. It's on sale for 25% off. How much does he save?
3. Jessica has £15. She buys a snack for £3.20 and a drink for £2.80. How much money does she have left?
4. Ben's favourite toy costs £20. It's 30% off. What is the discount amount?
5. A pack of crayons costs £4.50. It's 20% off. How much does it cost now?

Answers:

1. £8 - £6.50 = £1.50
2. 25% of £12 = 0.25 × £12 = £3
3. £15 - £3.20 - £2.80 = £9
4. 30% of £20 = 0.30 × £20 = £6
5. 20% of £4.50 = 0.20 × £4.50 = £0.90; New price = £4.50 - £0.90 = £3.60

FAQ

How can I help my child understand percentages?

Start with simple examples like 50% = half, 25% = a quarter. Use visual aids like pie charts or dividing shapes into parts. You can also use real money - for example, £1 is 100p, so 10% is 10p.

Why is it important to learn about sale prices?

Learning about sale prices helps you become a smart shopper. It teaches you to compare prices, understand value, and make good financial decisions. These skills will help you throughout your life when you're buying things.

What's the easiest way to calculate a discount?

The easiest way is to convert the percentage to a decimal and multiply by the original price. For example, 20% = 0.20, so multiply the price by 0.20 to find the discount amount.

Can I use this with younger children?

Yes! For younger children (ages 4-6), focus on simple addition and subtraction with whole numbers. For example, "If a toy costs £5 and you have £3, how much more do you need?"

How can I make this more fun?

Create a pretend shop at home, use a calculator for older children, play games where you find the best deals, or use real shopping apps to practice calculating prices and discounts.