Coin collecting games

Photograph: Cinzia Reale-Castello55.ti.henry.coingames_013_0.jpg652831
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Photograph: Jolie Ruben55.ti.coincounty.08_0.jpg652864

Photograph: Cinzia Reale-Castello

Pennies, nickels and dimes—just like cardboard boxes, egg crates and paper towel rolls—are worth much more than their face value, at least when it comes to kids’ play time. There’s little my son Henry, age 6, loves more than poring over his collection of loose change and tabulating its worth. To capitalize on this predilection, we tested the fun factor of three coin-related activities.

Coin Magic
The Klutz manual has instructions for 24 coin tricks, all delivered with funny illustrations and witty commentary. But the immediate draw is a double-headed quarter attached to the cover. “Hey, the George Washington guy is on both sides,” said Henry. We attempted the “Classic Palm” (concealing a coin in your hand), but Henry found it too challenging for his petite digits. He fared better with the “Uncloseable Coin Toss.” With practiced exaggeration, he pretended to flip a coin in the air, hollered “heads,” and...drumroll, please...won the toss amid a fit of giggles. It turns out you can never underestimate fraud’s power to amuse.
Henry says “Who’s Houdini? Is he real? Is he dead?,” after taking a special magician’s oath. $14; at klutz.com

The Magic Penny Magnet Kit
Using provided British pennies and two supersized magnets, Henry first constructed something he dubbed “The Wall of Copper” by sticking the magnets together and covering them with the pennies. Next up: the manual’s “Like a Rolling Cog” experiment. To make one, place a ruler between two surfaces of the same height (we used our kitchen stools), then put a magnet on the ruler’s top and a penny on its bottom. When Henry pushed the magnet, the penny rolled on its edge like a wheel.
Henry says “I liked it because the magnets made the penny stay up and that was really cool.” $20; at discoverthis.com

Coin County
Filled with slots to hold coins, this “Bank in a Book” emphasizes responsible finances and math skills. Henry asked, “Where do you get the coins?” “You save them,” I said. Henry dug into his own funds, then adroitly panhandled enough change to fill ten pages over the course of three play sessions. Every two pages, the book reminds you of the amount collected to that point. By the book’s completion, kids have saved $20.28.
Henry says “Cool—except you have to get more coins.” $11; at amazon.com

No time to pick up the diversions above? Here are other ways for your kids to make the most of their change.

• Calculate and win At TD Bank’s Penny Arcade (the company’s coin-counting machines), little ones win a prize if the value of their change is within $1.99 of their guess. After it adds up your loot, “Penny” spits out a receipt to exchange for cash at the teller. Guarantee victory by having your child tally up the goods at home. Go to tdbank.com to find a location in your area.

• Make a miniature Mount Rushmore Have your kid tape a new penny, dime (yes, we know it features Franklin Roosevelt, not Teddy), nickel and quarter to a piece of white paper—make sure that the coins are facedown. Turn over the paper and rub a brown crayon or colored pencil over the money. Draw a mountain around the faces.

• Fill a map with quarters Print out a map of the United States, and blow it up on a Xerox machine. Tykes can sort through your change stash in search of all 50 specially minted state quarters and then attach them to the map.

• Play I Spy Challenge your child to find a penny, nickel, dime and quarter from the year he was born.—Julia Israel