If your kids are learning to add, about money, or to be an entrepreneur, suggest a penny store. Save your pennies, and get ready for big fun.

Supplies:

• Sticky notes for prices
• Pencil or pen
• Table or bench for the “store”
• Cash register (if you have one)
• Items to sell — see below
• Pennies ( – nickels and dimes for older kids) for the seller and the buyer in purses, containers or pockets

What to sell:

• beads and pipe cleaners to make bracelets
• matchbox cars
• books
• Polly Pocket stuff
• rocks
• recycled supplies for art projects
• cut up words for poems
• toys that didn’t get put away throughout the week
• ANYTHING except your little sister

Now, for the pricing. Start out with one penny per item. When the “customer” buys three penny items, the seller will total it up.

1 + 1 + 1 = 3

Play. Be sure to trade seller and buyer from time to time.

Try raising prices to two cents or three cents per item. Obviously, older kids can have free reign of both the pricing and different coins.

Please post what you end up selling and how it went. We love to hear from our mama friends.