What’s better than sipping a cool glass of lemonade on a hot summer day? Selling it — and learning some real-life math while you're at it!
Running a lemonade stand isn’t just fun — it’s a great way to understand how math works in the real world. From counting change to figuring out how much to charge per cup, your lemonade stand can turn you into a mini business owner and math pro at the same time.
Let’s break it down!
Step 1: Start with the Costs
Before you can make money, you need to spend a little. That’s called your cost. Let’s say you spend:
$4.00 for lemons
$3.00 for sugar
$2.00 for cups (50 cups)
$1.00 for ice
That’s a total cost of $10.00 to set up your lemonade stand.
Step 2: Smart Pricing (a little division fun!)
Now decide how much to charge. If you want to sell 50 cups, and you spent $10, you need to figure out your unit cost (how much it costs you to make one cup):
$10 ÷ 50 cups = $0.20 per cup
This means each cup costs you 20 cents to make. If you sell it for 20 cents, you’ll only break even — no profit. So let’s price it a little higher.
If you sell each cup for $1.00, your profit would be:
$1.00 (price) - $0.20 (cost) = $0.80 profit per cup
Multiply that by 50 cups:
$0.80 × 50 = $40.00 profit!
Not bad for a day in the sun!
What if You Don’t Sell All 50 Cups?
Let’s say it rained and you only sold 30 cups. Your total revenue (money earned) would be:
30 × $1.00 = $30.00
Your cost is still $10.00, so your profit is:
$30 - $10 = $20.00
Still a win! But not as much as if you sold all the cups. That’s why it’s smart to watch the weather and plan ahead.
Graph Your Lemonade Stand Results
Want to show off your math even more? Try making a simple bar graph:
One bar for total cost
One for total revenue
One for total profit
This visual can help you understand how small changes in sales affect your earnings.
Try a Twist: Upsize or Add Flavors
What if you offer two sizes — small for $0.75 and large for $1.50?
Or add strawberry lemonade for an extra 25 cents?
Now you’re adding percentages, options, and value-based pricing — just like real businesses do!
Real Math, Real Fun
Your lemonade stand isn’t just a summer hobby — it’s your first step into the world of business and budgeting. You'll learn about profit and loss, unit pricing, planning, and creative thinking — all while having fun.
So go ahead, squeeze those lemons, mix that sugar, and start selling — math has never tasted this sweet!
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