Melissa & Doug Play Money Tray

Melissa & Doug Play Money Tray - I would highly recommend.

Melissa & Doug's Play Money Tray is a money tray to beat all money trays. There are so many things you can do with this, I don't know where to start, but I'll give it a try.

All sizes are proportional to the real thing, and everything looks quite similar to the real thing. The paper money is a nice weight and is holding up to frequent use. Yes, there are $1 bills under the label. There are 300 bills total.

The plastic coins have that little lip around the edge that plastic coins have nowadays and are lighter in weight than the real thing, which makes them a little harder to use when performing in-hand manipulation. I actually like to replace the plastic coins with real change, but if you want to use the plastic coins there are lots of them - 250 in all.

The money comes in a nice, compartmentalized wooden box. The one major flaw that many Melissa & Doug products have, IMHO, is no lid. With 550 pieces, I want a lid! From the product reviews on Amazon I see that it used to come with a lid, but no longer. I have fashioned a semi-functional lid out of a piece of corrugated cardboard and several rubber bands.

I use this with a lot of different activities including:

• Coin identification
• Coin value
• Counting money (Nothing has worked better for me than the touch coin system)
• Making change
• Saving & Spending
• Budgeting
• Shopping
• Figuring sales and discounts, using coupons

 I highly recommend this money tray. I have used mine for years.

To see a list of other money games I have blogged about, click here.

Try this:

• Set up a pretend store using items in your home. Shop, pay, make change.
• Pick up coins while counting, squirreling each coin into the palm and holding them all in one hand.
• Put several coins in the player's hand and ask him to count it out onto the table, moving one coin at a time to the fingertips before dropping.
• Lay a row of coins tails-up on the table. Ask the individual to turn all coins heads up. Pick each coin off the flat surface and turn in one hand before replacing in the line.
• Lay the coins as above and flip them as fast as you can. Do it again and try to beat your time.
• Look through a catalog and ask the individual to choose an item he would like to save for. Ask him to count out that much money from the money tray. Take the opportunity to talk about saving.
• Pick up (or put) several coins in the hand for sorting. Bring one coin at a time to the fingertips to drop into the money tray.
• Give the individual a bill (such as $10 or $20). Look through a grocery ad and ask him to pick out a favorite food. Pay the listed price (make change in the tray), then look for another and another until all the money is gone.
• Make change five different ways for $1. Pick up the coins one at a time as you count and squirrel them into the palm without dropping. When you get to $1, lay the money on a $1 bill. Repeat until you have done all five.
• Choose one of the ads from a Sunday paper. Ask the individual to pick out a big ticket item he would like to have and remove the amount he needs from the tray. Let him pick out one more and do the same. Ask him to count all the money on the table. How much will he need to buy the two items?
•  Use a store ad from a Sunday paper. Ask the individual to choose any item and count out the money to pay for it. Then give him a large bill, as if you were the customer, and ask him to give you the change.
• Plan a meal around the coupons you find in a Sunday paper. Ask the individual to count out the value of each coupon, then total it to see how much you would save.
• Use the touch coin system for kids that really have a hard time counting change and jumping from one denomination to another. This method has been very successful for me. Just search 'touch coin' on Pinterest for ideas. 
  
  
  Work on making change, counting, coin values, coin identification, sorting, saving and spending, budgeting, shopping, visual discrimination, manual dexterity, in-hand manipulation, problem solving, decision making, planning, creative play


In the tray: 50 each of $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, fifty cent pieces

If you are interested in purchasing this item or just want more information, click on the image below.

Twist and Sort

Twist 'N Sort

Twist 'N Sort is a wooden pegboard activity. There are 12 colorful pieces, three for each dowel, and the base measures about 7" square. Made by Guidecraft, a company that produces quality toys.

The rectangles, triangles, and squares must be placed on the dowels in a specific position because of the pegs on the sides. Once on, they will take another twist to line then up again so they can move down further. The circles twist on and take 40+ twists to get to the bottom or to take off. That's pretty monotonous. After the game is played awhile and the threads are worn and smoother, it will probably go faster.

Here is one of each shape and color, and a perspective for size.

Taking the pieces off is harder than putting them on. As you put a piece on, it can rest on the pegs as you twist, and then fall when the pegs are lined up on the last twist. Taking off you must hold the piece up as you twist and lift, possibly trying different directions as you go.

Try this:

• Put all of one shape on it's dowel, then move to another shape, etc.
• Put all of one color on the dowels, then add all of another color, etc.
• Mix all the pieces in a pile and call them out one at a time - Add the red rectangle, add the yellow circle, etc.
• Try using both hands to hold and spin the pieces while taking off before trying it one-handed.
• Put one of each shape on the board, figuring out which piece matches which pegs. Then add all the rest.
• Name the pieces and/or colors as you go. Ask the individual to do the same. Say it more than once.
• Once all the pieces are on the board, hold it upside-down and spin the pieces off. 
• Mix all the pieces in a pile, then separate and stack them by shape or color.
• Put the pieces in a bag you cannot see through. Ask the person to pull them out just by feeling the shape. Pull out a circle, pull out all the squares, pull out a triangle, then a circle, pull out two rectangles at the same time.
• Stack the pieces and drop them onto the dowel. Twist them one at a time, starting at the bottom, and let them drop down.
• Email me and I will add your idea here.
  

 In the box: One wooden base with dowels attached, 12 wooden shape pieces