Penny Hunt
Hide pennies around the classroom for the children to find. (I would hide as many pennies as there are students in the classroom.) Everyone can find ONE penny. When they find a penny they sit down or help a friend find a penny.
*How old is their penny? Is it older or younger than they are?
Penny Sort
Have the children spread out their pennies. Are they all the same? How are they different? Can they sort the pennies? Can they sort them another way?
Put Your Face on a Penny
Cut out paper circles (6" works well) and pass them out to your students. What would their face look like if it were on a penny?
Penny Rubbings
Place pennies under a sheet of paper and rub with the side of a crayon.
Magic Pennies
You'll need a cup and 5 pennies for this game. Show the children the five pennies. Have them hide their eyes as you hide a few of the pennies under the cup. When they open their eyes challenge them to hold up fingers to represent the number of pennies they think are under the cup. Lift the cup to confirm the correct amount.
*Vary the number of pennies and let the children take turns hiding them under the cup.
Penny Facts (usmint.gov)
President Lincoln has been on the penny since 1909. “In God We Trust,” “Liberty,” and the year are on all the coins.
From 1909 to 1958, the Lincoln "wheat" penny was issued.
From 1959 to 2008 the image of the Lincoln Memorial was printed on the coin.
In 2009, four different pennies were issued to represent the four major aspects of Lincoln’s life:
Birth and Early Childhood in Kentucky (1809-1816)
Formative Years in Indiana (1816-1830)
Professional Life in Illinois (1830-1861)
Presidency in Washington, D.C. (1861-1865)
Here's a link so you can learn more:
http://www.usmint.gov/kids/coinnews/circulating/01centCoin.cfm