You can’t pigeonhole David Horinek. How could you? He’s a chemist, a cryptocurrency inventor,  business owner, and … expert hairdresser? 

You read that right. Horinek’s a true entrepreneur: He constantly conceives new ideas and is fearless in their pursuit, no matter where they take him. His varied interests have one thing in common: They require him to use math.

Money math skills are some of the most important, most often used math skills in everyday life. Even kids who may not do much purchasing on a regular basis will benefit from improving their money math skills. This week’s word problem challenge will help kids practice division, subtraction, percents and other elementary school math. Give it a try, practice a little every day, and your skills will soar!

Question: Dillon wants to buy a model airplane that costs $34.00. She has a $5.00 bill and a 75% off coupon. How much more money does Dillon need to get the model airplane?

When you're ready, check below for the solution.

Solution: Since the coupon is for 75% off, the model airplane costs 25% of its original cost, which is half of a half of $34.00. Half of $34.00 is $17.00, and half of that is $8.50. If Dillon has $5.00, she needs $8.50 – $5.00 = $3.50 more to buy the model airplane.

Kids who get bored while traveling often start bickering or complaining, making every minute feel like an hour. Parents are often tempted to give in to the easy fix, allowing more screen time than usual. If you’d prefer to limit screen time and keep kids entertained and engaged with family, we’ve got some great ideas. Rather than have the kids “tune out” with electronics, have them “turn on” their brains with math games!