HEY KIDS—Now that you've learned all about coin collecting, how can you get your friends collecting with you?

• Start your own coin club
• Work on scout badges
• Take a class trip to the United States Mint
• Host a coin party

Also, be sure to tell your coin club leader to visit the sharing your hobby section of this site for more ideas.

START YOUR OWN COIN CLUB

If this sounds like an idea that's perfect for you, invite your friends to join your fun new club where only kids are allowed!  You could take turns with your friends running meetings or leading discussions.  Or, you can work with each other to research and discuss different kinds of coins and make coin exhibits.  Ask your parents/guardians to escort your club to local coin shows where you can display your coin exhibits, meet other collectors, and purchase coins for your collection.

WORK ON SCOUT BADGES

If you are a member of the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts, you could always suggest that your troop works on completing the merit badge that relates to collecting!  You'll have lots of fun learning and sharing with your friends, plus a badge and a great start of a collection to show for your hard work!  Visit the "Scouts' Corner" to learn more about badge requirements.

TAKE A CLASS TRIP TO THE UNITED STATES MINT

Do you live near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania or Denver, Colorado?  Consider asking your teacher if your class could take a field trip to tour one of these United States Mint facilities.  You'll be able to see the machines that make the coins you carry!  Visit "The Real Tour of the Mint" to learn how to arrange for a tour.

HOST A COIN PARTY

Have you ever thought of holding a coin party to celebrate your birthday or just to share your hobby?  Here are some ideas to help you get started.

Invitations:

Make copies of the Coin Card templates onto heavy paper.  Cut out around the templates and fold them in half.  On the inside of the card write:

It's a cent-sational time to celebrate!
  Where:
  When:
  RSVP:

Decorations:

• Scatter plastic/candy coins on the food/dining room table
• Hang large images of coins around the room

Games and activities:

• Penny, penny, who's got the penny:  Organize your friends in a circle (sitting).  Send one person out of the room (out of ear shot).  Quietly give one of your seated friends a penny to hold and make sure all the other children see who was selected.  Bring back your friend who was sent out of the room and ask him/her to walk around the circle.  As the child walks around the circle, the seated children should chant, "Penny, penny, who's got the penny?"  As the walking child gets closer to the actual penny holder, the chanting should get louder.  Allow the walking child three chances to try to figure out who actually has the penny.

• What coin am I?:  Before the party, draw or cut and paste a picture of different coins on several 3x5 note cards (1 coin per card).  At the party, tape a card on each person's back so that they cannot see their own coin.  The object of the game is for each friend to discover which coin is on their card by asking the other players yes/no questions until they have figured it out.  (Examples:  "Is my coin silver?"  "Does my coin have a president on it?")  Post signs of all the possible coins, and have the players gather under the appropriate sign once they have figured out which coin they have on their back.
• Coin Hunt:  Before the party, ask your parent/guardian to hide some coins in several different locations throughout your home.  Create clues that will help identify where each coin is hidden.  Place your friends in two teams.  Give each team a different pack of 5-10 clues and allow them to search for the coins in their pack.  The team who finds all of the coins first are the winners.  Allow each member of the winning team to select and keep a coin from the scavenger hunt.
• Coin swap:  If your friends are collecting the coins from the 50 State Quarters® Program or the Westward Journey Nickel SeriesT, invite them to bring their spare change (extra versions of the same coin designs) to the party so that they can trade for ones that they have been searching for!  You could have your parents/guardians hang identifying signs that say things like "1999 Quarter designs:  Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut" or "Peace Medal nickels" to help the children know where they can go to trade for their desired coins.
• No wooden nickels (like hot potato):  Organize your friends in a circle (sitting or standing).  Start to play music and give one friend a wooden nickel to start passing.  Tell your friends to pass the nickel around the circle, and when the music stops, the child with the wooden nickel is "out".  Continue playing until only one player remains.  Give the winner a fun coin-related prize!

• Also, explore some of the activities on the "Fun with Coins" page!

Food:

• Coin cookies/cupcakes:  In advance, bake cupcakes/cookies that can be decorated.  At the party, invite your friends to help you decorate the sweets to look like their favorite coin.

Party favors:

• Candy coins
• Coins in appropriate containers
• Coin note pads