DIY Cash Register Toy For Grocery Store Pretend Play

Wonder why kids want to buy so many toys? It is not because they just want to hoard stuff. It is because they genuinely like a lot of things. Don’t tell them “you already have this at home” because for them a red rocket is different from a yellow rocket. Sounds hard to believe, right? Ask them the reason why they want a particular toy and they will have a perfect reason for it.

Kids’ craving for a lot of toys is honest. However, for parents, buying so many toys is just not feasible.

Solution? Hand-made toys.

I know some of you will think I’ve gone crazy here, but believe me, internet is crazier. Google search and you will realize that there’s nothing, and I mean nothing, that you cannot DIY. And you can DIY toys as well. I preach it because I have been practicing this for a while.

It goes like this – Little B wants a toy. I and Little B pick up our brains as to how we can make if ourselves. We check Pinterest and there’s always something that we can work with or recreate. I always take Little B’s ideas into consideration because firstly, the toy is for her and thus she should have her say; and secondly because often she has pretty good ideas.

This time around we made a cash register because Little B wanted to pretend play grocery store-shopkeeper and this is how it went

DIY Cash Register Toy For Shopkeeper Pretend Play

What You Would Need

Two cardboard boxes – one smaller than the other

Chart paper to cover the boxes

A small calculator

Fevicol (strong glue), double-sided tape, sketch pens

Random things from the house which can be substituted for barcode scanner, credit-card reader and other attachments which come with a cash register (sorry for being vague about the materials needed. However, the idea here is to improvise. For example I made my barcode scanner with a plastic brush and a springy thing I found an old toy. Look around in the house and brainstorm with your child about what thing can be used where).

How to Go About It

I had a small box which I am calling Box 1 and a bigger box which I am calling Box 2. I wanted to make Box 2 the main body of the cash register and Box 1 the screen of the register.

I covered Box 2 with chart paper.

I wanted to fix Box 1 on top of Box 2. For that purpose, I drew and cut a right-angled triangle at the bottom of both sides of the Box 1. I covered the trimmed Box 2 with chart paper as well.

With glue, I fixed Box 1 on top of Box 2.

I made separate labels for toys, food, books and clothes and glued them on Box 2.

I stuck calculator on Box 2 with double-sided tape. Other attachments like credit-card reader and barcode scanner were also attached using double-sided tape. I used a disposable container to make a drawer for the cash register.

And I loved the end product!

Each cash register that you make with your child would be unique and would be played with much more than other toys. Most of all, you and your child will become kind-of-like inventors or engineers. Isn’t that something!

Inspirational Link – Play Activities