Editorial Review

Accompanied by a "PowerCard" to record account information, this make-believe ATM machine features an electronic screen, an alpha-numeric keypad, and slots for cards, coins, and bills. Insert the card into the appropriate slot and enter a personal ID to get a personal greeting and an exact balance. You can also insert real dollar bills and coins, and the machine will add those amounts to the account. A cash drawer at the bottom pops open for withdrawals. The beeps, lights, and robotic voice resemble those one might find on a spaceship; it's almost as if you're withdrawing funds from the HAL 9000 rather than the ATM machine down the block. Also, the language seems a bit beyond the toy's target audience. ("Enter your name and secret PIN number for real personalized banking.") By the time children are old enough to use and understand this toy, it's possible they'll have outgrown it. The machine mounts easily to a wall, or you can set it on top of a dresser. --Andy Boynton ... Read more

Editorial Review

Well-designed with lots of terrific detail, Learning Resources' Calculator Cash Register completely satisfies a young child's hunger to play with bills, coins, cash drawers, and big numbers. The chiming cash register features a built-in solar calculator as its keypad, thus allowing kids to act as bankers, shopkeepers, and accountants all at once. A large cash drawer holds life-sized bills in four denominations (1, 5, 10, and 20), and four coin holders make room for embossed plastic pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. There is even a credit card slot that dings when you correctly slide the faux VISA card through it.A suggested-activities booklet is included. Requires a 1.5V button cell battery (included) to make the chiming noise. No assembly required. Winner of awards from Dr. Toy, FamilyFun Magazine, and Oppenheim Toy Portfolio. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

It's the most popular toy at my house!
This cash register is a favorite at my house! We often have children from ages two to six visiting, and this is the first toy that many of them go to. The calculator makes beeping noises that the kids enjoy, and the cash drawer opens and closes with a satisfying click. I've enjoyed teaching my son the value of money and how to use a calculator with this toy.

Can't Live Without It
We were at a friends house last night and she had this toy for her 3 year old son. My 2 year old daughter could not stop playing with it. She simply loved opening the drawer and handing out the money to each person in the room. She would then collect the money and put it back. This activity kept her busy for an hour and it would have been longer except for the fact we needed to leave. I have bought her other cash register toys but none have been as realistic or kept her interest as long as this one did. I am buying one for her now and can only hope that she loves it as much as she did last night.

This is the funniest toy ever
When I got this toy i played with it for such along time and still do. You only spend $29.99 on it and it is money well spent. You make the right choice if you get this toy. The age group i would say is probably 5-whenever. Let me tell you parents what when my mom and dad got this for me i lovedit and it made me happy for so long.Three words for this toy.
MONEY WELL SPENT!!!!!!!!! FUN
so you should get this toy. KNOW dont think twice get it...NOW
dont forget get the scanner and bar codes* that go with it.
*SOLD SEPARTLEY

A preschool favorite
I'm buying this toy for my son's 3rd birthday because he makes a beeline to it everytime we go to our parent-child preschool class. He usually sets up a toy phone nearby, too. I get to be the customer and bring a basket of toy food to him which he "scans" on the notepad area. It's nice when toys leave something to the imagination. He loves the play bills and coins and pretending to make change. I believe that this toy will grow with my child and still be fun for him in a few years.

I figure that if this toy has survived daily use by multiple 2-4 year olds, it will survive around our house. If it doesn't, then I will update this posting!!!

hits money learning right on the head
I bought this for my daughter five years ago when she turned 4... it is still a household favorite. The design is good and it has held up well despite its being knocked around a fair amount.

The display is large and easy to read. The play money, which was one of my primary concerns, is realistically sized and marked. There is plenty of it to play with and make change too. The credit card is a nice touch which slides into a slot with a beep.

The sticky note space isn't as useful or cool as I thought it could have been, but I think sticky notes tend to just get ripped off of the pad and spread across the room by most children.

Now that my daughter is older, she still plays with it as well as putting it to use while running her punch & shaved ice stand in the summer. I feel like this was a good purchase and I would recommend it as a sturdy playset with high educational potential. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The Barbie Shop With Me Cash Register proves once again that Barbie is the coolest.Madedurably and in Barb's trademark colors (pink, hot pink, purple, white, etc.), this is a sleek number that canbe operated on the floor, bed, or tabletop. It features four realistic ways to buy noodles, yogurt, and toiletpaper. Option 1: A "clerk"--either a child or Barbie--scans the bar codes of included price tags. Option 2:You can manually input the price of items. Option 3: Items may be scrolled down the register. Option 4,which is, by the way, your humble writer's favorite: Make up your own prices! Get "Barbie Discounts"when you use your savings debit card. The Barbie register comes with a slew of accessories, including 18scannable price tags, play money, play credit/debit cards, a keypad, built-in microphone, and a 120-itemshopping catalogue offering everything from Barbie-brand jeans to junk food. The machine features ahigh-tech hand-held scanner and LCD on the register, which shows a customer's subtotal, item number, unitprice, and total. You get everything but a receipt. Hmmm.

A built-in microphone allows your child to make store announcements and call for price checks and itemvoids. This heightens the interaction this toy was built for, since Barbie's voice simulates the real shoppingexperience enough already. "Cash or charge?" she asks in a perky tone. Tip: If you don't pay up at oncewith your Barbie greenbacks or American Express-like credit card, you'll be harassed. We writers foundourselves fumbling through our own wallets, trolling for coupons. Barbie prompts the shopper throughoutthe entire process ("Seventeen dollars and twelve cents... No... seventeen dollars and TWELVE cents.").And parents--there's no volume control. If you just happen to sneak a play while your kid's eating lunch,well... everybody in the house will hear if your card is over the limit. Just kidding. But it's best to useBarbie's credit cards anyway. This kind of hectic shopping experience makes adults really appreciate theonline shopping experience, but kids will love it so much they'll forget it's just a pretend play toy. Registercomes with all accessories, manufacturer's warranty, a real grocery store coupon for a kid's treat, and thefour required AA batteries. --Diane Beall ... Read more

Reviews (61)

Great toy, but didn't last 3 weeks!
I had such high hopes for this toy! My 4-year-old received it for Christmas and just loved it -- especially the microphone. But the entire thing (except the microphone) stopped working less than 3 weeks after Christmas! To make matters worse, when I went to exchange it, I couldn't find it at any local Target store so, since I bought it at 1/2 price right before Christmas, I had to return it and lose out on my special deal. (Not to mention a VERY sad little girl...) The lady who helped me with the return said her grand-daughter had one going on 3 years so I'm hopeful mine was just a lemon, but the reviews I've read on other boards seem to indicate a real problem with durability. I probably will buy another one (though probably not at the normal $40 price tag -- the toy isn't durable enough for that kind of price), but will make sure I keep the receipt AND the box it came in for awhile...

Great toy, but didn't even last 3 weeks!
I had such high hopes for this toy! My daughter just loved it. I even enjoyed playing with it. She loved the microphone! I thought the scanner was really cool... BUT, the thing stopped working less than 3 weeks after Christmas!! VERY frustrating. To top it off, I was unable to find one to exchange it with so I had to return it (therefore losing the 1/2 price off I'd received when I purchased it, not to mention a sad daughter...) The lady that helped me with the return said her grand-daughter had one that was going on 3 years, so hopefully I just received a "lemon". But, after reading other reviews, this toy just doesn't seem durable enough for the $40 price tag. I do plan on trying another one (if I can ever find it again...), but I will certainly keep up with the receipt AND the box it came in...

Cool toy!
this is a cool toy especially for younger ones. I used to play with it, and i remember it was fun. And you could learn a lot actually! I think it helps in math. You could learn to count and add and subtract. Also it is fun because almost everyone loves shopping and this is almost like shopping in your very house! You could use any item in your home and turn it into an item for sale at your "store," You can choose your own price, whether its on sale or not and more! I remember i used to have much fun with it especially when friends came over. In general, it is a great toy! But one thing i dont really like is that the cash register (barbie) does all the talking. IT says the price, and welcome, and all that stuff. So the "clerk" doesnt really do much but check out and give money back and stuff like that. But other than that its great!

Age range way off!
My daughter received this for Christmas when she was 3. She was way too young for this, but what can you do with a gift from Grandma? I think the age range should start at 7 or 8. The problem with this toy and younger kids is that they lose all the pieces. Now that she is 5 and could play with it more, all the money and credit cards are gone. My kids just use it for the microphone now. Save it until your child is old enough to appreciate it. I believe it would provide hours of fun for the child of the right age.

scanner do not work.
This is a great toy, it 's scanners stop working instantly though. My daughter still plays with it but misses the scanners. ... Read more

Reviews (31)

ATM safe bank
This toy isn't as great as i thought I thought it would be good for putting money in as a "SAFE" but it fell off my dresser and broke about a week later. My recemdation is not to buy it.
Regards,
Joe

a great toy
this toy is fun but it sometimes couts wrong i just got it today (it is 06/17/04) and i love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not worth the money!
I bought this for my son for his birthday because he needed a bank for his money. It didn't keep accurate count of his money right from the start. We followed the directions to reset the machine, but it would NEVER register the deposits or withdrawals accurately. We were very disappointed and are in the process of returning it. It is a great idea for an advanced sort of piggy bank, but they really need to work out the kinks!

Great but must learn these tricks from the beginning!
My daughter was very excited about this gift but we almost concluded it didn't work - it started out with a balance of $16.08 and we couldn't get it accept any withdraws. Finally we figured out the following and now we are 100% satisfied:
1. To re-set balance to $0, hold down keys 1,2, and 3 simultaneously for about 5 seconds. (This is near the end of the instruction sheet.)
2. You cannot deposit and withdraw consecutively. You have to take the card out and re-start after a deposit in order for any subtraction (withdraw) to be accepted. (We figured this out through trial and error. Otherwise it will look like the subtraction function doesn't work.

Great purchase
I bought this with my birthday money and it was on of my best envestments. It automatically keeps track of your coins and hen inputing/outputing bills all you mave to do is tell the teller how much you are putting in or taking out and it totally keeps track of how much money you put into it. You can have up to $999.99 in at a time. Even though i could probblably force it open with out the atm card, i still think it is verry cool and verry helpful to keep track of your mone. I would reccomend this for people ages 10 and up. Alst the directions are pretty streight forward unless you are stupid; or a retard. Definetely a great toy. Works great unless it is already broken when you bought it. So if it doesn't work when you get it, its not the product its your luck. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Not worth the money
We purchased this for my son who was wanting an electronic bank. This was our second try as the first one we returned. Our son has not been happy with this one either. It does not count the money correctly and cannot be used to truly track your money to save. I've given up trying to find something that works well to help children really learn about saving money and is more modern like todays ATM's. Back to the piggy-bank!

FUN TOY
I bought this toy as a way to keep track of how much money I have. It has one flaw- when you put a coin in, you don't tell it how much you put in. It guesses coin amounts. I put a quarter in and it told me it was a penny. Other than that, It's fun and educational. To deposit money, you press the deposit button. Then, there is a slot over the safe that you put the money in and start to turn the knobs. A few seconds after you start to put the money in, you press the $1, $5, $10, or $20 button. The amount will automatically be added to your savings. To withdraw, you simply press the amount you would like to withdraw and open the safe to take the money out. The anount will automatically be deducted from your savings. To see how much money is in your savings, take the ATM card, swipe it in the slot, and press the Account Ballance button. This is easy to use and open.

Would be cute if it worked
I bought this bank yesterday in a local store. When we got it home and started putting coins into the slot, we found that the bank could not differentiate between a penny and a dime. If it could properly calculate the money, it would be a really cute way to save money. It's just not accurate. We returned it and are in search of something better.

Teaching saving
This is great for showing your child how money adds up if it stays in the bank. It grabbed my 9 year olds attention right away who is usually a spend it all type of kid. We only had one problem. Must be sure the batteries are in tightly and the door on or it won't work.

GREAT TOY!!!!!!!!!!!!
This toy is great! You don't have to sit and count your money, you just push accont balance and swipe your card and it shows you how much you have! It works really good I think you should get this for your child. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Created by a volunteer math aide in Ann Arbor, Michigan,Moneywise Kids contains two simple, fun games that will help kidsunderstand how money works, in terms of dollar value and spending power.In the first game, Bill Maker, kids take turns rolling the dice andearning dollars that are commensurate with the numbers that come up:roll a 2 and a 6, for instance, and you get $8. As they accrue wealthwith each turn, players exchange smaller bills for larger ones untilsomeone winds up with $100. In the second game, Bill Breaker, eachplayer starts with $100 and earns more money with each turn, but playersmust also draw "moneywise markers"--bills for such real-life expenses asfood, medical care, and taxes--and make payments along the way. Andwatch out for those hard-luck chips that mean big bills. The player whocollects all six markers and still has $100 in savings is the winner.The game is lively and only lightly competitive, with an accent ongrasping the mysteries of dollars and cents. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Surprised
Moneywise Kids was the first item my daughter (8 yrs. old) wanted to play with, once her birthday party was over - that should speak for itself!

Bought it through Amazon recommendations and love it!
This game is great for teaching money exchange values. I have seen my eight year old really increase his skills. (I'd love to see the same thing come out with coins). We have played it several times a week for 2 months and are still not bored with it.

My kids like to play it over and over again!
This was one of the favorite games of Christmas. My nine-year old likes playing it over and over again to see different outcomes and to use different spending and saving strategies. Because of the combination of skill and luck, different aged kids can play on a pretty level playing field. My 9 year-old and my 11 year-old like playing it together. We also gave a copy to our son's teacher who is excited about using it in her classroom during academic enrichment time. The game plays pretty quickly and does not require a lot of explanation, yet gets basic money management skills across in a fun way. Aristoplay makes great games!

My 8 year old did not like it.
I read many good reviews about this game and bought it for my children, 6, 8. My 8 year old played once and found boring. I insisted to play another time, both of us did not like it. I found no point to let my 6 year old try it. I am sure she won't like it. I regret to have bought it.

It teaches me about money.
It's fun and it teaches me about money ... Read more

Editorial Review

Safe cracking always seems pretty exciting when depicted in thrilling spy movies. The thief must listen closely, have nimble hands, and often work against a tight time constraint to pull off the big heist. Now that action is replicated in toy form with this unique safe cracking kit. Three different challenges are presented: connecting pretend circuits with a special included stylus, spotting secret numbers in a sequence to determine the right combinations, and matching certain sounds to defeat the lock. In our informal tests, all three challenges worked well and were tricky without being impossible. Parents may wish to consider the philosophical implications of a toy that teaches kids how to commit felonies but even youngsters who are not preparing for a life of crime are likely to be entertained and challenged by this set. --Charlie Williams ... Read more

Editorial Review

Break the Safe is a great game for families with young children. The reasons are at least twofold: the game must be played collaboratively, or nobody wins and the longest game takes only thirty minutes. Race against the clock on the safe to collect the keys necessary to break the safe. The keys are hidden, and sometimes booby trapped. You and your fellow spies have to help each other disable the booby traps and keep the guard and guard dog from sending you to lock up. The rules and game accessories are just complex enough to make this game fun for adults so the whole family can play together. --Megan Sullivan ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Fantastic Family Game!
If you have children, then you know how much fun family fun night can be.... At the same time, most games end with someone "winning" and someone "losing", and depending on your child(ren), this can be a ugly end to a fun evening. So, what can you do?

Get this game!

This game is designed so that you work together as a team. If your "team" can get all of the keys and turn the clock off within the time limit, then you ALL win! If not, you all lose together. The game is quick enough that you can play several times. It never lasts longer than 30 minutes. But, it is fun, and exciting. You'll be sharing key items with one another to keep the team going. You can not finish it and leave a team-mate behind. You must all succeed together.

My daughter is 8 and can understand this game well. I'd say that even a 5 year-old could potentially play so long as they are playing with adult team members.

This is a very excellent game with a different idea.... To have everyone win!

this game is alsome
this game is cool. it never gets boring. plus its not having to beat the other player- you all work together. very fun indeed

Fun Families Break the Safe
This is a great family game. It encourages cooperation, communication, and problem solving skills. It gets your blood pumping and best of all, it won't take forever to finish.

Parents and Kids alike can love this game
As a parent you've certainly had experience playing board games with your kids. Find one that's fun for your seven year old and it's not that interesting for the teenager. If the boys find it challenging, the girls won't - or vice versa. Finally someone has designed a game that's clever, well structured, and exciting for just about everyone - and you can't play for longer than 30 minutes!

The best part is that everyone must play cooperatively because the only way to win is to collectively beat the timer. It was so gratifying to see my 7 year old pass up her chance to defeat the killer bees booby trap and instead use her turn to rescue her father from jail. Games that encourage children to work as a team and also offer this kind of intensity (and as the timer ticks down it certainly gets intense)are rare. The artwork on the box cover is awful and makes the game look silly, but don't let that dissuade you from trying this excellent game.

My only criticism is that the directions are not particularily well written. This is unfortunaate as there are quite a few elements to the game (tools cards, booby traps, guard and guard dog, a helpful robot,secret passages, and keys)and it takes a while to absorb all this information. But don't let that discourage you from playing. It's great fun!

Great Game for Family Game Night
My sister got this game for Christmas and we've played it 3 times in 24 hours. When you play, you play as a team with the other players and try to beat the timer. Break the Safe teaches kids how to work together which is important, because you'll need to use this skill for the rest of your life. This game is fun because as time runs out you get frantic. Be sure to not lose the pieces because if you do, the game will be hard to play. Losing the players is okay,as long as you get substitutes for them. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

High quality play money
This is the highest quality play money I've seen. The bills are more durable than most and the coins are made of a dense plastic. The realism is very good for educational purposes. My 7 yr. old gets a lot of use out of it. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Sorting Fun
My son just recieved this toy for his 5th birthday so I cannot comment on durability over time. However, so far it has been a lot of fun. The coins have all gotten to the right legs and it has worked well despite the fact that yours truly had to assemble it from scratch. It does seem somewhat fragile- if a coin gets stuck a good whap on the table is likely to force the sortasaurus into extinction. A gentle shake moves everything back into place. Overall I am pretty happy with the toy. I looked for a sorting bank because he really really wanted one and for what I found on the market this has worked well.

When all else fails, read the directions
My 6 and 3 year old kids love this sorter. We simply slid the doors off the bottom of the feet to remove the coins. My 3 year old is learning the difference between the coins. It is fragile, but treated with care, it is a lot of fun.

Skip this toy
I thought it would take my change to save but instead it took my change away from me as the only way to get it is to break the darn thing. We put it together following the instructions but it has broken so many times that we spend more time fixing it than playing with it. Save your money! Don't spend it on this! It is really just a piece of junk!
-- and 8-year-old reviewer ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Should have listened....
I should have paid attention to the other reviews, but I really wanted to give my niece a bank like this so I bought it anyway. Didn't work at all. We changed batteries, jiggled everything that could be jiggled, but still no luck. Too bad, because it's a very cute bank with bright colors; perfect for a little girl. If only it actually worked. Hey, is it possible we all received and returned the same item? Maybe someone should mark the box!

Sorry excuse of a bank!
As soon as I got it out of the box and put the batteries in, it didn't work at all. My husband checked it out and we noticed that the plastic was out of place and the little motor fell out of it's place. Well my husband clicked everything bak in place and the darn thing still wouldn't work. We returned it the next day and got our money back. Didn't even bother for a replacement because is so flimsy we were afraid of getting another one just like the first one. In ALL it was a great dissapointment

Bank jams
Looks fine, and the first try was okay, in fact quite fun to see the coins begin to sort. Unfortunately it started jamming and trapping the coins in the top compartment, where they are a hassle to get out. I checked the instructions and tried everything: one coin at a time, used a level to make sure the surface was flat, etc. But it just won't reliably sort the coins without collecting them and jamming. We opened it last night and it is being sent back this morning. Perhaps you get what you pay for.

a way to sort your change
this bank is really good because you just put your money in the top and it sorts it! ... Read more