Printable Maker Money STEM Dollar Bills, Fake Money, Play Money, Budgeting

Make budgeting and STEM challenges more engaging with this printable money resource!

Students can use the play money and dollar bills to “purchase” materials as they plan, build, and improve their designs. This fake money adds real-world math practice to STEM challenges, makerspace projects, classroom economies, and team-building activities.

Maker Money encourages students to make thoughtful decisions about materials, costs, and spending. Before building, students can create a budget, calculate expenses, and decide how to use their limited resources creatively.

The printable bills feature four inspiring STEM innovators:

• $1 bills featuring Ellen Ochoa
• $5 bills featuring George Washington Carver
• $10 bills featuring Katherine Johnson
• $20 bills featuring Nikola Tesla

Each innovator is also featured on an informational spotlight page, allowing students to learn more about the scientists, engineers, and mathematicians represented on the money.

This resource includes:

• Printable Maker Money bills
• $1, $5, $10, and $20 denominations
• Maker Money Budget Sheet
• Completed budget sheet example
• Teacher instructions
• Non-consumable building materials list
• STEM innovator spotlight pages
• NGSS, TEKS, and Common Core standards

Maker Money is easy to use—simply print, cut out the bills, assign a budget, and let students begin planning! It is perfect for individual STEM challenges, team projects, makerspace supply stations, math centers, classroom economies, and financial literacy lessons.

Help students strengthen their budgeting, addition, multiplication, problem-solving, planning, and decision-making skills while bringing an exciting real-world element to hands-on STEM learning!