...and a penny...and a quarter...and a few nickels. OK, so the parents know that it costs a wee bit more than pocket change for a trip to Disney, but loose change is a great way to involve the kiddos in the trip anticipation and planning.
The boy and I made a bank last week. It was a fun project to do together. Any can with a plastic lid works great (coffee, Pringles, etc.). We also used Disney-themed scrapbooking paper, stickers and die cuts. I had all of these things on hand from some recent projects, but you can buy them at AC Moore or Michaels. You can also create your own using computer clip art.
Start by cutting paper to fit the size of the can. Cover the can with glue using a paintbrush. Add clipart, stickers, drawings, photos from a previous trip, words, etc. Bend the lid in half gently (see photo below) to cut an opening in the top. Another option would be to use a hot glue gun or SuperGlue to seal the lid shut until you are ready to "cash out."
And now, because I am a teacher, I will outline a few "teachable moments for you. I've found that over the years my students are lacking in money skills. Since they see their parents pay with debit and credit cards 99% of the time there is little exposure to real money. The bank will provide you with lots of opportunities to introduce and reinforce some important skills each time you "deposit" money into the bank they created.
Preschoolers:
- sort the coins (by size, by color, by name)
- count the coins
- talk about more and less (Do you have more dimes or pennies? How many more quarters are there than nickels?)
Kindergarten/1st Graders:
- identify the coins and their values
- practice skip counting by fives and tens
- trade coins (5 pennies for a nickel, 2 nickels for a dime)
Older Learners:
- estimate the amount by looking at it and then count coins / calculate the difference between the estimate and the exact amount
- keep a log of all monies deposited / focus on how to write out dollar amounts in numbers and words
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