DIY Wooden Play Money: Easy, Inexpensive Coins for Kids

Lately Clara has been fascinated with the idea of money—not so much for buying things, but for counting it, stacking it, and tucking it into pockets and her little purse. Real coins worked for a while, but they’re heavy and always seemed to disappear into the couch cushions, under the sofa, or who knows where. After a few weeks of play I was down fifteen bucks in actual change, so I decided to try a simple DIY alternative: lightweight wooden play money that feels like coins but won’t sink into the sofa abyss.

I picked up small wooden pog-style discs at a craft store—the kind that look like old-school game pieces—and used metallic permanent markers to turn them into pretend pennies, nickels, quarters, and silver dollars. I grabbed two small sets (nickel/dime sized) and one larger pack with 22 quarter-sized pieces. I already had two metallic markers, one bronze for pennies and one silvery for nickels and dollars, but both are easy to find at any craft supply shop. With a 40% off coupon, the total came to about $4.50—around $2.25 per set for 18 pieces each—so the whole project was both quick and budget-friendly.

Creating the coins was straightforward. I sketched simple designs on each disc: pennies with “1¢” in the center and small edge markings, nickels marked “5¢” with a silver band, quarters showing “25¢” with more detailed edge lines, and larger discs labeled “$1” with a bold outer ring. The metallic pens give them a convincing sheen, and the wooden discs are light enough that they don’t roll into the usual hiding spots as easily as metal coins do.

Because Clara loves imaginative play—her play kitchen and her dollhouse get frequent use—I figured pretend money would fit right into games of grocery shopping, bakery stands, and dollhouse transactions. It also made a fun birthday gift: I bundled a set for a friend along with some store-bought items and even picked up a small orange case for stashing the coins. We heard back that he liked it, which was a cute little win.

This little craft took about an hour from start to finish, and honestly, it was more fun than one might expect to have with metallic markers. Clara has been playing with the coins a lot, and so far we’ve only misplaced one nickel—which we later found—so the pretend money is surviving playtime better than the real stuff ever did.

Why Make Wooden Play Coins?

There are several reasons to make homemade wooden coins for kids:

• Cost-effective: Craft discs and a couple of metallic markers are inexpensive and reusable for multiple sets.
• Lightweight and less likely to vanish into furniture crevices.
• Safe and customizable: You can size, color, and label them to match games or learning activities.
• Educational: They’re great for teaching counting, simple math, sorting, and imaginative role-play.

Tips and Variations

• If your child still mouths objects, skip small discs or supervise closely—small pieces can be a choking hazard.
• Seal the artwork with a child-safe clear coat if you want the designs to last longer under heavy play.
• Use different colors or add stickers for fun variations: gold for special coins, patterned edges for game tokens, or painted centers for value coding.
• Store the coins in a small pouch or box so they aren’t scattered around the house.

Have you tried any simple craft money or token projects? Do you have a mystery vortex that eats loose change and socks, too, or fairies who prefer real coins over wooden ones? We definitely do—but at least now the pretend coins stay in circulation a little longer.