ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Coins of the United States dollar

Okay kiddo, have you ever heard of money before? The United States has a kind of money called the dollar. The dollar is made up of coins and paper bills that you can use to buy things like toys, candy, and even food.

Let's focus on the coins part first. There are four main coins in the United States dollar: penny, nickel, dime, and quarter. Each of these coins is made of different materials and has a different value.

The penny is the smallest coin and is made of copper. It is worth one cent, which means you would need 100 pennies to make one dollar.

The nickel is a bit bigger than the penny and is made of a mix of copper and nickel. It is worth five cents, or five pennies put together.

The dime is even smaller than the nickel but is worth 10 cents, or ten pennies put together. It is made of a mix of copper and nickel too.

The quarter is the biggest coin and is worth 25 cents, or 25 pennies put together. It is made of a mix of copper and nickel too.

Do you see the face and the symbol on each coin? The face is usually an important person in the history of America (like Abraham Lincoln on the penny) and the symbol is related to something important too (like the eagle on the quarter).

So, next time you get some change back from buying something at the store, you can take a look at the coins and see if you have any pennies, nickels, dimes, or quarters!