It’s All About the Money! Brain Breaks Year 5 & 6 POWERPOINT is an engaging and strategic digital activity that helps students sharpen their financial problem-solving skills.

In this fun challenge, students are given a set number of letters and must use them to create either the most expensive or least expensive word possible. Each letter has a monetary value, and students must add carefully to determine the total cost of their chosen word.

Each slide also features a hidden challenge where students are shown a word and must calculate the cost without immediately seeing the answer. This encourages mental computation, estimation, and logical reasoning while reinforcing money concepts.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• ✅ Apply addition strategies to real-world money scenarios
• ✅ Develop estimation skills using familiar language contexts
• ✅ Strengthen understanding of unit pricing and value comparison
• ✅ Use logical thinking to solve open-ended financial problems

What’s Included:

• Digital PowerPoint activity for use on interactive whiteboards
• Tasks involving word creation with monetary values
• Challenge slides with hidden answers for problem-solving
• Optional printable worksheet for added flexibility

Materials Needed:

• Mini whiteboards or paper for recording word costs
• Pencils or whiteboard markers
• Optional printed worksheets from the download

How to Use:

1. Display the digital PowerPoint on your interactive whiteboard
2. Read the task prompt: most or least expensive word from a letter set
3. Students use the monetary values to calculate the word’s cost
4. Reveal the challenge question and check the answer together
5. Repeat with a new slide or extend with partner challenges

Ideas for Classroom Use:

• 💡 Use as a warm-up during money units or mental maths sessions
• 💡 Have students work in pairs to compare answers and justify their thinking
• 💡 Run as a timed competition: who can find the priciest or thriftiest word?
• 💡 Link to vocabulary or spelling lessons for cross-curricular connections

Top Teacher Tips:

• 💛 Print and laminate the letter value cards for repeated use in literacy rotations
• 💛 Encourage students to explain their calculation strategy aloud
• 💛 Mix it up by challenging students to create themed words (e.g. animals, school-related)

It’s All About the Money! offers a fun and flexible way to reinforce mathematical thinking and money fluency in your classroom—perfect for independent practice, small groups, or whole-class maths brain breaks.

This resource is a part of our Mathematics Brain Breaks Year 5 & 6 PACKAGE!