Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas: Money Matters For Kids Exhibit at the Gateway Mall

Cash, mazuma, dinero, dough, bread. These are just some of the many monickers of money. We use money to pay for the things that we need and get the things that we want. People have to work to earn it while most of us struggle to save it for the rainy days. Others who can very well afford do share it. But as parents, have we really taught our kids well on how to properly handle their own money? I strongly suggest you bring your kids to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Money Matters for Kids exhibit at the Gateway Mall, Araneta Center, Cubao. The said exhibit runs from August 2, 2013 to August 17, 2013 (mall hours).

Museo Pambata originally owns money Matters For Kids exhibit but it was turned over to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to further educate the youngsters on money. They actually plan to bring this exhibit to other parts of the country soon so that more kids will greatly benefit from it. 

 I honestly think that doing so will certainly help your kids to perfectly grasp the concept of saving, the difference between needs and wants, how to budget their own allowance, how to validate real money from fake ones as well as other educational trivia’s about money. And I can assure you that the kids will be having lots of fun while learning all these things. This isn’t your typical boring exhibit. This Money Matters For Kids exhibit is an interactive one!

Coins from other countries

Old money bills from the past.

 There are a lot of things and activities to do for your kids inside the exhibit. You can help your kid make his or her own money from the coin stamp section. There are also peso bill puzzles for you and your kids to work on. There are also lots of trivia and history about money as well as an imitation of a real bank called Bangko Bulilit where your kids can play either one of the tellers or the bank manager (yes, with a real computer and keyboard they can tinker with!).

Kyle shows off his supposed ATM card.

 Plus an automated teller machine with built-in atm card where your kids can ‘withdraw’ or ‘deposit’ money.

Children will surely have fun too with the market style way of teaching kids about needs vs. wants and how to budget their money wisely. There is a grocery cash register they can play with as well as grocery baskets. In fact, during our visit at the Money Matters For Kids exhibit, I saw a kid at managing the cash register while her mom playfully ‘buys’ items from her grocery. It’s such a great bonding activity for both parents and kids. 

Kyle withdraws from an ATM toy machine.

Kyle traced a rubber stamp to make his own coin. 

Kyle does a bank manager's job here.

Kyle mans the cash register while my Mom 'plays' with him as customer.

This calculator makes sure you are buying within your budget.

Twenty peso puzzle

Fifty pesos puzzle.

A young girl mans the cash register.

Kids are taught the difference of needs and wants.

I myself learned a lot through the said Money Matters for Kids exhibit. I’ve learned that Josefa Llanes Escoda (The Girls Scouts of the Philippines founder) is the only person shown smiling in Philippine peso. She’s the first woman to grace our money too. I’ve also learned the trivia behind the piggy bank thing. “Pygg” is a type of clay used for making various objects such as jars. People in the olden times saved money in these “pygg jar” and it has evolved into “pig bank”. Plus there is also a pig theory. In the ancient times, food scraps that would spoil were saved by feeding them to pigs. The said practice fattened up the pigs. When money came about, thus this cultural habit of saving food scraps by investing them in pigs inspired people to save their change in coin banks shaped like pigs.

Piggy banks and coin banks.

Mommies, take advantage of this opportunity to teach your kids all about money the fun and easy way. Come and visit the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Financial Consumer Affairs Group exhibit of Money Matters for Kids at the Gateway Mall. Admission to the said exhibit is absolutely FREE! What’s more, kids who visit the said exhibit gets to bring home free Museo Pambata Money Matters for Kids activity book and a box of playing cards! (While supplies last)

Disclaimer: I am not compensated for this post. Opinions expressed are my own.