| Every coin tells a story. Some coins show us | | | | coins in. An envelope or jar will serve that |
| presidents or other famous historical figures. | | | | purpose quite well. There are special folders or |
| Some tell us about specific landmarks, historical | | | | albums that you can buy which have special slots |
| discoveries, animals, plants or other interesting | | | | in them for each coin. |
| facts about the place the coin represents. Coin | | | | 3. The best way to for children to start a coin |
| collecting is a wonderful opportunity for children to | | | | collection is to narrow the focus. Collect only |
| learn. The images on foreign coins can teach us | | | | pennies, or nickels, or only coins made in or after |
| about countries around the world. Similarly, the | | | | a certain year. |
| U.S. Mint has developed some great coin | | | | 4. Do some research about the images on the |
| collections which can help children discover their | | | | coins; there is a history/geography lesson on each |
| own country. However, there are plenty of | | | | coin which provides a wonderful opportunity for |
| learning opportunities with the loose change we | | | | our children to learn about the country or world |
| find in our purses and couch cushions. Just regular | | | | they live in! |
| pennies, nickels and dimes provide a great chance | | | | For preschoolers, try an easy coin collection like |
| to learn about the coins we see and use | | | | collecting birth year coins. With only a few coins |
| everyday. | | | | to collect, younger children will gain a sense of |
| How to help a child start a coin collection | | | | satisfaction from collecting the whole "set" quickly. |
| 1. All you really need is some loose change and | | | | For older children (living in the US), suggest |
| you're ready to go. However, a magnifying glass | | | | collecting the 50 state quarters or the Westward |
| would come in handy for looking for certain | | | | Journey Nickels - there is some great history |
| markings on each coin. | | | | lessons in these coins! |
| 2. You may also need something to store your | | | | |