Make: Play Money

by Designing Mom Lori of Fin + Roe


last summer i got the boys a little cash register at a local garage sale. they love playing grocery store with it by using all their kitchen food toys. one boy gathers all the food they want to buy and the other does the check out process.

the register didn’t come with any money so they always just pretended. it also has a little area to slide a credit card through which sets off a series of beeps. the boys would always try to stick their fingers in the tiny slot for the credit card to make the beeps sound.

a couple weeks ago i decided it was time to make the register more “realistic”. so i took our change jar and some paper money with me down to my studio. my oldest helped me lay all the money and coins in my scanner and we scanned and printed them out at 50% so they would fit in the register drawer. i just used regular computer paper but should have backed the coins with some cardboard. it’s funny how real the money looks in this photo all crinkled up from use!


after we got the money all scanned in, i let each boy make their very own credit card to slide through the slot. i just took a thin piece of cardboard and glued paper to either side. both boys decorated with crayons and glitter.

i love these simple projects that cost practically nothing but brings so much joy to the boys. even if you don’t have a register, play money is always a fun thing for kids. quick tip: i picked up a couple wallets for the boys at the dollar store last year. they use it for their real money, but it would be a super cheap option for holding play money if you don’t have a register.