APRIL 2011 - COINS



What do you do with your spare change at the end of the day? Some people throw their coins in an old glass jar. You might remember seeing such a jar on your grandparents' or parents' dresser. Generations of Americans have used the coin jar to save money. Perhaps you sorted through a jar of old coins and found something valuable, like a buffalo nickel or wheat cent. You might even have used a special coin to create a family heirloom, like a coin pendant or watch. Coins often hold nostalgic memories for our families. Here are some activities that will help your group rekindle a few memories.

  • Display some of the following props - coin collections, piggy banks, coin sorters, old coin jackets, squeeze coin purses, money bag, old coin jars. Jingle a handful of pocket change - pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. Place the change on a table for participants to see. Ask: Were you a coin saver? What did you do with your loose change at the end of a day? Tell us about a favorite piggy bank from childhood. Do you remember smashing it to get your money? Did you ever roll coins and take them to the bank? What was the largest amount of coins you ever collected at one time?
  • Pass around some old pennies. Ask: What do you remember buying for a penny? (Examples: stamps, post cards, penny candy, bubble gum) Would you consider yourself a penny pincher? What helpful tips on saving money can you share? Tell us about the last thing you bought that "cost a pretty penny."
  • Watch the 1967 comedy Who's Minding the Mint? - about a young bachelor working in the U.S. Mint. The film stars Jim Hutton, Dorothy Provine, Milton Berle, Joey Bishop, and Walter Brennan.
  • Listen to "coin" songs: "The Five Pennies," "Ten Cents a Dance," "Pennies from Heaven," "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" "Three Coins in a Fountain," "Penny Lane," "I Found a Million Dollar Baby," "Penny Serenade."
  • Name some coin-operated machines of the past. Encourage participants to share memories of the following: juke box, Coke machine, coin laundromat, penny arcade games, parking meter, pay telephone, car wash, vending machine.
  • Tell group members to "put their two cents in": Debate whether the U.S. Mint should get rid of the penny.
  • Invite a coin dealer to talk about the hobby of coin collecting. Ask participants if anyone collected rare or unusual coins. Did anyone inherit a coin collection as part of the family heirloom?
  • Define "commemorative coin." Highlight the 50 States Commemorative Quarter Collection, which began in 1999 and ended in 2008. Try to locate someone who owns the entire collection and who could come and show the group. Talk about each state's unique design on the back of the quarter. (Examples: North Carolina - First Flight; South Dakota - Mount Rushmore; Illinois - Land of Lincoln; Texas - The Lone Star State) Find large pictures of each state's quarter to show participants. U.S. Mint Site
  • Discuss the meaning of coin idioms/sayings: a penny for your thoughts, the other side of the coin, two sides of the same coin, a dime a dozen, dollars-and-cents, worth every penny, don't take any wooden nickels, for two cents, lucky penny, nickel-and-dime to death, stop on a dime.
  • Intergenerational: Show some simple coin tricks. Make coin rubbings. Craft a coin keeper from an old coffee can. Have a treasure hunt for hidden coins.
  • Learn the history of the gold coin in the United States. Find out the price of gold per ounce during participants' birth year and compare that to the price of gold today. Munch on gold-wrapped chocolate coins.
  • Show photographs of five-and-dime stores, like Woolworth, McCrory, Kresge, or Newberry. Reminisce about buying dime-store items like toys, candy, glassware, and Christmas ornaments.
  • Ask group members if they ever tried the coin toss at the county fair or carnival. Pitch pennies onto a dish/glass or in a can or muffin tin. Winning prize: Small stuffed animal
  • Share memories of coin drives and other fundraising activities for charities. (Examples: March of Dimes, Salvation Army Red Kettle, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF, Boy Scouts coin drive)
  • Display some old coin jewelry and coin gifts - coin necklace, pendant, money clip, key chain, cuff links, coin watch, or coin set from a person's birth year.

More ideas about coins can be found in the resources highlighted below.

Continue to look for upcoming editions of this newsletter the first day of each month. (Themes focus on the following month.) Our newsletter contains useful information to make your job of working with older adults more fulfilling. In this issue, you'll find the following:






COINS RESOURCES

Do you remember dropping a nickel in the juke box and listening to a favorite song? Relive a few special memories with the ElderSong resource, I Hear Music: Sharing Memories of Music through Vintage Sounds, Historical Photographs & Discussion Materials. The three-part set features 20 topics for reminiscing, including Singing at Home, Music in School, Church Music, Music at Camp, Juke Box, Patriotic Music, and Swing Dancing and Big Bands. Simply pass around a photograph, play a musical excerpt from the CD, and ask some discussion questions provided in the activity guide. The resource includes the following items:

  • Compact disk with 20 sound vignettes, about a minute each;
  • 20 historical black-and-white photographs that correspond to the sounds;
  • Activity guide with discussion questions, song and prop suggestions, and related activities for each of the 20 music topics.


Here are some sample discussion questions from the topic of Juke Box that accompany a vintage photograph of soldiers in uniform listening to a juke box. Was there a juke box in your town? Where was it located? Did you ever dance to a juke box? Where? What were some favorite songs you liked to hear on the juke box? Do you remember what it cost to play a song when you were young?

Most people enjoy talking about a special hobby, like stamp or coin collecting. Get the conversation rolling with Hobby Talk Conversation Cards. The deck of 52 illustrated cards focuses on the topic of special hobbies and leisure-time pursuits. Each card presents an interesting fact, and then poses an intriguing question for participants to answer. There are no right or wrong answers; no special knowledge needed. Just pick a card and talk - no rules! Examples: What are some of the most intriguing coins you have come upon? What kinds of birds do you think would make good pets? What word games or puzzles do you enjoy? What is your favorite breed of dog or cat? What are some of its notable features?

Encourage friendship and conversation in your small group (4-8 players) with a coin- related game, Penny Ante - Blue or Penny Ante - Red. The game is simple: Give each player 25 pennies and put a pot pennies in the middle of the table. Draw a card and follow the directions. Each card tells a player to give or take a penny. For example: Take a penny if you have ever gotten in trouble in school. Give a penny to each person who is wearing something red. Give a penny to each person who was born in December. Take a penny if you like to fly in airplanes. The game proceeds until all cards are played or until time has run out. At the end of play, count the pennies to determine the "winner." Players are asked to share an opinion, notice things about other people in the group, or answer simple recall questions.






MONEY TRIVIA QUIZ

  1. Which government agency produces and distributes U.S. coins? U.S. Mint
  2. What is the motto of the United States that appears on U.S. coins? "In God We Trust"
  3. Name the two sides of a coin. "Heads" and "Tails"
  4. Whose face appears on the quarter, as minted from 1932 to today? George Washington
  5. Complete the following saying by Ben Franklin: "A penny saved is..." A penny earned
  6. Which president's picture appears on the five-dollar bill? Abraham Lincoln
  7. Name some synonyms for money. Dough, bread, cash, greenback, bucks, loot
  8. What kinds of reserves are stored at Fort Knox, Kentucky? Gold and silver
  9. John F. Kennedy's portrait appears on which U.S. coin? Half-dollar
  10. If a coin bears a D Mint Mark, where was the coin made? Denver, Colorado
  11. What popular board game gives you an opportunity to buy property on Boardwalk with play money or to get a "Get Out of Jail Free" card? Monopoly







FEATURED PRODUCTS FOR APRIL

I Hear Music: Sharing Memories of Music through Vintage Sounds, Historical Photographs & Discussion Materials. - 34-page activity guide, 20 large photos, & 20-minute CD. - Regularly $37.95.

Hobby Talk Conversation Cards. - 50 cards. - Regularly $5.95.

Penny Ante - Blue or Penny Ante - Red. - Each deck has 100 cards. No repeated cards between the two decks. - Regularly $16.95.


THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH

"Cheerfulness is the very flower of health." ~ Proverb





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The ElderSong online newsletter is written by Sue Hansen.
Copyright © 2011, ElderSong Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.