Moneyville, an educational traveling exhibit developed by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, allows guests to explore the history, science, math and economics behind the fascinating subject of money. Through highly interactive activities, games and simulations, families can build math skills and problem-solving strategies in a fun, immersive environment.
You can explore the history, science and technology behind money. Examine hands-on examples of things used as money in the past, make your own money and discover security measures used in U.S. currency as you work with high-tech tools to distinguish real money from counterfeit.
Examine the math behind money and take a look at a see-through safe to discover what a million dollars looks like! At the Kids Bank, younger visitors learn to identify coins, recognize their values, and learn how to save, borrow or lend money.
- Kids Bank - With side-by-side teller windows, phones, calculators and oversized coins, children can explore counting, addition, subtraction and value while role-playing as bank tellers and customers. At activity tables, kids can play games involving money such as recognizing, sorting, adding, matching coins and their values, putting together money puzzles and guessing the identities of hidden coins inside “safes.” Younger visitors discover what banks do, find out that money is useful, learn about lending, borrowing and saving and realize that math is fun!
- Make a Million - In this computer simulation you are challenged to predict which savings account will end up with the biggest balance. Discover how compounding makes money grow and that it’s important to start early; the longer you let an investment grow, the better off you’ll be.
- Million Dollars - Have you ever wondered what a million dollars looks like in one-dollar bills? Now’s your chance to see the sheer magnitude of this amount of “money” dramatically displayed inside a see-through “safe.” Discover what “a million” means through fun facts and thought-provoking questions: How much does a million dollars weigh?; If you start with a penny, then double it each day, how long until you’re a millionaire?; How would you donate a million dollars if you were a millionaire?
- Kids Market - Children open shop in a farmers’ market with stalls, shopping baskets, carts, produce, flowers and other goods as they take on the roles of buyers and sellers in a marketplace. My girls liked this part the best, because they are all into dramatic play.
- Lemonade Stand - Set up a virtual lemonade stand and learn about profit, loss, supply, demand, price and what it takes to run a small business. In this computer simulation, your challenge is to stay in business as you make daily decisions. Discover that running a successful enterprise depends on making choices about your available resources, and that good decisions involve anticipating demand and calculating your costs. My son, loved the lemonade stand. He felt like he was playing a game to get the best profit.
- Quick Change (You’re The Cashier) - At this giant “cash register,” become a check-out clerk and sharpen your computational skills as you try to make change for customers in a virtual market. In this computer simulation, virtual customers initiate purchases and you are challenged to make change by pressing the coin and currency buttons in your cash register drawer. Discover that math is useful in daily life, especially when dealing with money, and that it can even be fun!
- Stock Market -Test your skills as an investor and see how well you play the market! Learn how buyers and sellers interact in the stock market through a computer simulation. Learn how markets establish prices, what causes market fluctuation and that when you buy a stock, you own a piece of a company! This was my husband and son’s favorite part of the exhibit. My husband, said it taught the kids how to trade and keep an eye on the prices.
- Balancing Your Budget - Consider economic choices and trade-offs as you try to balance your monthly household budget using weighted “expense” icons against a “fixed income” weight. You may have to make some tough decisions as you “weigh” your choices, trying to meet your “needs” (groceries, housing, clothing, transportation, health care and education) and your “wants” (vacations, movies, savings, donations, eating out, toys, etc.).
- Get Real - Living in the real world means making choices—about earning, spending and saving money. Imagine you are living on your own for the first time. You’ve got a job and your own apartment. What choices will you make? Develop skills in economic decision-making as you compare alternatives, make choices and experience the consequences of your actions in this engaging computer game.
- The Real Cost of Credit - How much will you pay if you buy an item that costs $1,000 using a credit card and make the minimum monthly payment? Find out by watching a ball whiz up a clear vertical air chute to indicate the total amount paid, including interest. Compare the consequences of different payment rate choices by placing your hand over the base of three other tubes and watching the balls form a graph in the air. Learn why paying “the minimum” can add a surprising amount to the original cost. I thought this was the most interesting.
- From Around the World - Can you guess the identities of the “mystery imports” when given certain manufacturing clues? You’ll learn about where the products were produced, and how it was manufactured and shipped. Gain an understanding of the unexpected origins of everyday items and why nations trade with each other.
- Material World - Imagine if a photographer knocked on your door and asked to take a picture of your family in front of your house with everything you owned spread out in your front yard. What would your family’s photo look like? You can view just such a display of families and their possessions from around the world and discover how culture, values and available resources affect a family’s economic decisions. Thought provoking questions encourage you to take a closer look and explore the standard of living and distribution of wealth and resources throughout the world.
When we left the museum, my son said this was the best exhibit so far. There was alot of computer simulations in it. My almost 6 year ol, honestly did not want to play in Moneyville. She wanted to play everywhere else, I would recommend this exhibit for the older school age kids.
While we there, Eat a Georgia Rainbow had a cooking demonstration. They made a Pumpkin Mousse.
- 1 Cup Skim Milk
- 1 Box Vanilla Pudding
- 1/2 can (15 oz) Pumpkin
- 4 ounces cool whip
- Pumpkin Spice, All Spice, Nutmeg, Ginger, Cinnamon to taste
Mix Milk and pudding in blender till smooth. Add the pumpkin and cool whip, then blend until smooth. Chill for one hour or eat right away. Sprinkle with spice. It was Delicious!!
The Children’s Museum of Atlanta is open Monday through Friday 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Admission is $12.75 plus tax for ages 1 – 100. The Children’s Museum is located in the Downtown Luckie Marietta District at 275 Centennial Olympic Park Drive NW.
I was given admission to the exhibit in exchange for the review. All of my opinions are my own though.
