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Hot Holiday Toy: Play and Learn ATM Bank
- Patria Lincoln Posted On Nov 24, 2017 | Math
Just a couple of decades ago, our main currency was cash and walking into a bank, meeting with a teller, and updating a bank book were commonplace activities. Today though, banking and finances are changing quickly. Kids need to know about debit and credit cards, online banking and ATM machines and that we can send money anywhere around the world with the click of a button.In a world that is overwhelmingly digital, how can parents teach kids financial literacy in tangible, tactile ways?
Start with everyday experiences
Thankfully, parents can use day to day experiences as a launching point for learning about money. The Pretend and Play Teaching ATM Bank from Learning Resources gives kids the chance to practice using a bank account and an ATM machine while they play. These are important skills for the day they open their own bank accounts and manage a debit card.
Playing with the bank
My kids were enthralled by the machine. First, they got to know all its capabilities, and there are many! They loved using the debit card (just like mom!). One of the first things the girls did was run to their dress-up clothes box and find purses to hold the bills and coins (again, just like mom!)We talked about debit cards and pin numbers. What are they? Why is it important to keep a debit card and pin number safe? How do you think you would keep yours secure?
The girls practiced putting in the pin number for the debit card and hitting enter. The ATM machine sparks to life and gives an update on what is currently in the bank account.We divvied up the coins and the bills between the two girls and they took turns making deposits. They were thrilled to discover the ATM machine calculated how much was in the bank account each time they deposited a coin. When it was time to deposit the paper bills, they practiced basic addition. Every time they put a bill in, they would add the amount on the keypad and the ATM would provide a new total.The process is similar for withdrawals. As kids update the amount of money they are taking out of the account on the keypad, the ATM machine calculates the new total. Practicing basic math skills with a practical real-life application – a win!The girls also launched into make-believe scenarios. One person was the cashier at a store, while the other found the item they wanted, then went to the ATM machine to get their money out for their purchase.
As the girls filled up the bank account and then withdrew money, they were learning the basic principles of earning, saving and spending.
Money sense questions to ask your kids:
- How do we earn money?
- Why would we save money?
- Why is it important to respect and understand money?
- What happens if we take out all the money in the bank account?
- How can we fill up a bank account?
How will you use an ATM machine to spark creative, imaginative learning about finances with your kids?
Top 10 Black Friday Toys! Looking for the best learning toys to give your little coders, scientists, doctors and explorers this holiday season? Look no more! Here are the Top 10 Learning Resources toys to buy this Black Friday! Check them out on Amazon or at our website!
We also have a very special announcement! 4 of the items on this list are Toy of the Year Finalists!! Please vote for your favorite at
Beaker Creatures™ Liquid Reactor Super Lab
TOTY NOMINEE FOR COLLECTIBLE OF THE YEAR!
AGES 5+
Extract, Identify, Explore!
Botley™ the Coding Robot Activity Set
TOTY NOMINEE FOR MOST INNOVATIVE TOY OF THE YEAR
AGES 5+
Meet Botley, the code to fun! As the newest member of the Learning Resources family, Botley is here to introduce coding in an easy, friendly way. Children as young as 5 can learn to code with Botley, and with his advanced features, he’ll grow with them for many play filled years to come. Botley is ready to use right out of the box – he’ll have kids coding in minutes. And that’s not all, Botley is 100% screen free and includes a 77-piece activity set – the only robot to offer that!Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog™
TOTY NOMINEE FOR INFANT/TODDLER TOY OF THE YEAR!
AGES 2 AND UNDER
Our hedgehog lost his quills, and only your little ones can help him get them back! Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog helps kids build up hand muscles and fine motor skills as they replace the chunky, peg-shaped “quills” within the holes that dot the smiling hedgehog’s back. The learning doesn’t end there—Spike's colorful quills also lend themselves well to lessons in counting, sorting, and color identification skills. Kids can arrange the quills by warm or cool colors, work on sequences and patterns by alternating colors, or count up the quills with the help of numbers printed on the hedgehog’s back. Once playtime is over, Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog is a snap to clean up—each piece is made of plastic that can be easily wiped clean, and the quills stow snugly inside the hedgehog’s body, which adds simplicity to storage too.Gears! Gears! Gears!®Machines in Motion
TOTY NOMINEE FOR CONSTRUCTION TOY OF THE YEAR
AGES 4+
These machines really move! With the Gears! Gears! Gears! Machines in Motion from Learning Resources, kids engineer their own playtime fun with the help of creative, open-ended building activities. Using the included instructions, kids can build their own versions of numerous different interactive machines and vehicles, many of which incorporate special parts including a wrecking ball, chains, pulleys, and wheels. Turn out a tank with its own helicopter propeller, or craft a complex contraption that spins with the twist of a lever. Puzzle Globe
AGES 3+
Spin your way into geography with this Puzzle Globe, which highlights landmarks and animals! Each puzzle piece (continent) fits into one hole on the globe to make it easy for little ones to place. All 7 continents are represented (6 continent puzzle pieces plus stationary Antarctica).Pretend & Play® Doctor Set
AGES 3+
Features enough medical tools for the whole junior surgical staff to operate! Made from sturdy plastic, this set features a battery operated stethoscope, and realistic sounding cell phone. Provides the perfect way to ease children’s anxieties about doctor visits. Plastic carrying case has a place for everything and provides great storage.Count & Color Choo Choo
AGES 2+
The learning express is pulling into the station! Send number, color, and shape recognition skills chugging down the tracks with the Count & Color Choo Choo from Learning Resources. Driven by a friendly conductor figure that plugs right into the engine, this fun interactive train set pulls a load of learning lessons thanks to its cargo of removable blocks that come in different numbers, shapes, and colors. Kids can sort the blocks by shape and color, count up the total number found in the train, or build fine motor skills while loading the blocks back into their rightful train cars.Pretend & Play® Calculator Cash Register
AGES 3+
This award-winning cash register is the perfect addition to any pretend store! Encourage beginning math and calculator skills while providing lots of opportunities for imaginative play. Features a built-in solar calculator that helps familiarize children with the use of a calculator. They’ll also learn currency denomination and have fun handling life-size money. Large buttons on the keypad are easy for little hands to press and the cash drawer makes a “cha-ching” sound when it opens.Crashapult™ STEM Challenge
AGES 5+
Introduce kids to angles, trajectories, and other early physics fundamentals with the Crashapult STEM Challenge from Learning Resources. This hands-on activity set challenges kids to build and complete high-flying obstacle courses designed around core STEM concepts. After setting up their catapults, kids send the launch balls flying off walls, over obstacles, and toward the set’s included hoop target, funnel, or goal cup. Along the way, they’ll have to use their own trial-and-error, engineering, and critical thinking skills to make the adjustments to placement and force necessary to successfully complete the included challenges.New Sprouts® Deluxe Market Set
AGES 2+
This deluxe market set combines some of our best New Sprouts® food items from an amazingly realistic T-bone steak to enticing fresh produce. Unlike other play food our New Sprouts® are easy to grip and won’t collapse. Can’t decide what New Sprouts® to get? This set is a sure bet for hours of inspired play. Happy shopping!
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