Coins
We handle coins all the time, but how often do we stop to look at them? They are different sizes, shapes and weights. They have pictures and emblems on them, a date, a value and other writing. Perhaps you have some coins from other countries left over from holidays abroad. Here are some fun activities for all the family to enjoy.
Activity 1 – Coin rubbings
You will need:-
- A selection of coins
- Paper or old paper envelopes
- Wax crayons, coloured pencils or ‘lead’ pencil
Place a coin under the paper and hold firmly in place. Rub over the paper where the coin is, with a wax crayon. Don’t forget to do both sides of the coins. Use different coloured crayons for different coins if you like, to make it look more colourful. Have a close look at the details of the coins that the wax crayon has picked up.
Activity 2 – Shove the Coin
Using a smooth (unscratchable) table, worktop or floor, shove a coin forwards with the palm of your hand and have a competition to see who can push to coin the furthest.
Activity 3 – Clean Coins
Clean some coins with a household and/or metal cleaner. Then try dropping some coins in a cup of fizzy drink and see how clean they are when they come back out.
Activity 4 – Drawing with Coins as templates
Draw around a coin and turn your circle or hexagon etc into a drawing of something else by adding extra features. Or draw lots of circles and make a pattern to colour in.
Activity 5 – Coin Games
See who can:-
- Walk, carrying a coin between their knees
- Walk, balancing a coin on the fronts of shoes, on the nose, on the forehead and on the top of the head
- Walk along with two people carrying a coin between their index fingers.
Activity 6 – Spin the coin
On a hard surface, stand a round coin on its edge. Place your thumb on one side of the coin and your forefinger on the other and spin the coin. See how long your coin keeps spinning and see which coins spin the best.
Activity 7 – Identifying Coins
Each coin is different so that blind people can identify coins just by feeling them. See how well you can identify coins without looking at them.
You will need:-
- a selection of different coins
- some coloured non-see through plastic, a black bin bag is ideal
- sticky tape
- little pieces of paper (optional)
Make a little pocket for each coin out of a cut piece of black bin bag material, with just one layer of plastic on either side of the coin. Seal the top and sides with a strip of sticky tape. (You may wish to put a number or code on each sealed coin and keep a record of which coin corresponds to which number or code.)
Feel through the bag to try to identify the coin by it’s size and shape.
Alternatively, just wear a blindfold and try to identify the different coins.