Free open house includes minting demonstrations, prizes and lots of play time
The American Numismatic Association debuts the “Kids Zone,” an interactive exhibit designed to teach children about money, with a free opening reception from 2-5 p.m. Oct. 6 at the Edward C. Rochette Money Museum in Colorado Springs.
The Kids Zone teaches kids about money the way they learn best: by doing and playing. Through fun activities, children can pick up basic and advanced concepts – from how to make change to understanding monetary systems. The exhibits teach children about history, geography, trade, art, world cultures and more.
Children can see items, such as tools and beads, which have been used as money around the world; see and touch real examples of coins from six continents, then find them on the Giant Map; design their own coins; learn about coin and paper money collecting and more.
“Even as an adult, I think children’s museums are the most fun museum experiences. For kids, I think they are the best way to experience a museum,” said Amanda Harvey, ANA Library Manager and Kids Zone coordinator. “The Kids Zone takes all the great information in the Money Museum and turns it into a hands-on learning opportunity for young kids.”
During the opening reception, children will be able to play in the new exhibit and try to win a prize inside of the cash cube machine. At 3:30 p.m., there will be a live coin-making demonstration in the museum’s Mini-Mint, where staffers will show visitors how coins were made from the 1500s to 1800s.
At the opening, children interested in learning more about money and collecting can sign up for free monthly Kids Zone classes. Classes for children ages 4-7 run from 10:30 a.m. to noon, and courses for ages 8-12 are from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Upcoming Kids Zone classes
- Oct. 27: Parts of a Coin – Did you know that coins, like people, have an anatomy? Just like we have arms, legs, eyes, and mouths, coins have important parts that do important things. Learn about the parts of a coin and what makes them so important.
- Nov. 17: How Coins are Made – In just one minute, the U.S. Mint can make 750 coins. That’s nearly 13 coins every second! This class will teach you how we make coins.
- Dec. 15: United States Coins – Today, we have cents, nickels, dimes, and quarters. Did you know we once had a 20-cent coin? U.S. coins have gone through a lot of changes in the past 200 years. In this class, you will learn about the U.S. coins of the past and the present.
- Jan. 26: Coins from Around the World – Most countries around the world mint their own coins, and sometimes, they’re nothing like ours. Imagine coins shaped like triangles or squares. Or coins that have holes in them. Or even coins that aren’t really coins. This class will show you examples of coins, both old and new, from countries all around the world.
- Feb. 23: Designing Paper Money – Even though we make millions of new bills every day, a paper bill is a lot like a work of art. A lot of techniques go into designing a bill, and you will learn what they are and practice them by designing your own.
- March 23: United States Paper Money – Washington wasn’t always on the front of a $1 bill. Look at some of the past bills we’ve used, the recent changes to our money, and the ways that we keep our money from being copied in a counterfeiter’s basement.
- April 27: The Federal Reserve – Bills are made in only two places in the United States. So, how do we make sure banks in every state have money all the time? That’s a job for the Federal Reserve, and this class will teach you how it’s done.
- May 25: World Paper Money – In some other countries, paper money is pink, or yellow, or blue. Or in denominations of hundreds, thousands, or even millions. This class will look at some examples of world paper money and think about why it looks like it does.
- June 22: Economics – What if you had to buy your groceries with shoes? Or buy your shoes with a chicken? Learn about some of the monetary systems throughout history and in what ways they are the same or different.
- July 27: Electronic Money – We all know we can swipe a card to buy a toy, but what exactly is happening? Credit cards are used all around the world, and they’ve been around a lot longer than you think. But they’re nothing to take lightly, and this class will teach you why.
To Enroll: Call 632-2646 or go to www.money.org/KidsZone.
Children who participate in classes will be eligible to enter upcoming contests. If kids take three classes, they will earn a free six-month ANA young collector membership, which will allow them more educational opportunities and ways to earn cool coins.
The Money Museum is located at 818 N. Cascade Ave. in Colorado Springs. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, students or military and free for children 12 and under. For more information or to schedule a tour, call 719-632-2646.
The American Numismatic Association’s Edward C. Rochette Money Museum lets visitors discover the world of money through entertaining and interactive exhibits. As the nation’s largest museum dedicated solely to numismatics, the museum uses money as a means to explore culture, art, science and history. Learn the stories behind the money and see how 2,600 years of human experience is reflected in money.
The museum collection consists of 275,000 objects encompassing the history of money, from its earliest uses in the Lydian Empire to the modern day. This includes paper money, coins, tokens and medals from all over the world. For more information, call 719-632-2646 or go to www.money.org.
