Collecting Souvenir Pennies on Your Disney Vacation
by Audra Owens
One of my kids’ favorite activities when we visit Disneyland or Walt Disney World is to make and collect pressed pennies. Whether you plan ahead and map out the coins you’d like to create or if you’re like us and prefer to see who can spot the next machine, these are great, inexpensive souvenirs to bring home from your family vacation. If you’re of the plan-ahead variety, follow this link to find penny machines at Walt Disney World. This one will help you find them at Disneyland.
On our last trip, we carried our soon-to-be treasures around the park in a plastic baggie, jingling all the way. This year, both kids will have their own custom container.
Supplies:
- Empty mini M&M tubes (prescription medication bottles are also a good size for this project, but the lids on the M&M tubes are easier for kids to open)
- Quarters & Pennies
- Washi tape, stickers, permanent markers
- Cups
- White vinegar
Step 1:
Clean the pennies. I collected a good mix of shiny and not-so-shiny pennies for the kids to use. Place the pennies that need a little TLC in the bottom of a cup, and pour in enough white vinegar to cover them completely. Let the pennies soak while you move on to Step 2.
Step 2:
Remove the labels from the M&M tubes and decorate them. We used stickers and washi tape, and the kids each wrote their name on the tube using a permanent marker. Use whatever you have lying around the house, or make a special trip to the craft store to choose your décor.
Step 3:
Shine those pennies!
Step 4:
It’s time to put the coins in your fancy new containers. Stack two quarters and a penny together, so they’re ready to go when it’s time to start making souvenir pennies! Each tube should hold about 20 sets of coins.
That’s it! This is a simple, fun activity to do as a family, and it’s a great way to start getting the kids excited about your next Disney vacation.