One day a few months back I accidentally dropped my open bag onto the floor and thus all the change that had been accumulating over the weeks flew everywhere. My toddler, of course, quickly ran over to me to see what had magically dropped from the sky. I explained that these “things” were “coins” we call “money” and that we use money to buy things like berries, crackers and apples. “Coins. Money. Crackers.” he repeated after me (I think the last bit was because he wanted a snack.) Then he proceeded to help me pick up the coins, which I know is both dirty and dangerous (I swallowed a penny when I was four and ended up overnight in the hospital so I get it), but he seemed so into helping me and, at 36 weeks pregnant, the more help the merrier! Of course, I kept a close eye on him and made sure we washed his hands post clean up.
What I noticed him doing was running around picking up all the pennies. Sorting has been one of his favorite new activities. So the whole exercise gave me an idea. Not only do you have the opportunity to explain “money” to your child, no matter how young, you have the opportunity to turn the experience into a learning development exercise (sorting) and then even beyond that a money learning exercise (collecting coins over time = big $). I admit that one of my favorite activities to do is bringing this tin can full of coins we keep in our kitchen to the local market where they have a Coin Star machine. I love this exercise because it always amazes me how much those little coins add up. Why not give your kids the same thrill and connection?
What you need:
- Patience
- Old baby food jars or mason jars
- Non-Toxic Paint
- Utility knife to create a slot in the cap of the jar
- Thin Marker
- Coins
Approach:
- Paint the lids different colors (this approach is especially helpful for little ones learning sorting via colors). For me, I am going to do this part on my own time but for you parents with older kids this part of the activity could be a lot of artsy fun.
- Cut a slit in the lid (make sure to bend the rough edges under the lid)
- Mark the jars with $.01/penny/10 cents or $.05/nickel/5 cents, etc (obviously the older kids will appreciate this part)
- Take a pile of coins and begin the exercise
- Each time you find a coin around the house or out and about, encourage your child to put the coin in the jar with similar coins. Keep the coin jars in a safe place. If you feel comfortable make that place somewhere your child can access, if not, in a baby proof cabinet or area of a closet that can be accessed easily by you.
- At some point, especially for the older kids who will “get it”, take the time to go to a Coin Star (the act of putting the coins in the machine alone will be fun) or roll the coins and bring them to a bank to deposit.
Notes of caution:
- With the little ones, please keep a close eye on them. We don’t want coins in mouths, down throats, etc.
- Please wash hands post handling coins
One of the greatest parts of this exercise is that your child will grow and develop with it in a variety of ways from early on.
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