Mason Jar "money banks"

We really enjoyed making these. I decided the children were old enough to be responsible for their own money and it was about time to teach them some lessons.

Directions:
1. We started with a mason jar fixed with the lid and ring, per child.
2. Took a kitchen knife and tapped a hole/ slit in the top of each one just big enough for a quarter to fit through.
3. I got a recipe for "wheat paste". Made it and let it cool.
4. Took some strips of any paper and ripped them into smaller strips or pieces.
5. Let the children (with my help) dip the entire strip of paper, both sides, into the "home made glue" and I wiped off the excess with my fingers. Handed them the strips. They laid them all over the surface of the jars, including the bottom, but not covering the money hole.
6. Let them thuroghly dry for a few days, even had to place them in a slightly warm oven ( same temp as rising bread, not very hot at all) to speed up the drying, so they wouldn't mold on me in this cold air.
7. Let them have at painting what ever their little heart desired their bank to look like.

Wheat Paste: 2 c hot water, 1/2 c flour, 1 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp salt (add just a little bit of water to the flour in a pot, till it looks like paste, slowly add remaining water and other two ingr. Heat to a boil. Boil for 1 min. Remove and cool.

TONS OF FUN!!!! We really enjoy this project. Over the next few days I threw in lots of lessons and discussions:
1. What do you think God thinks is wasteful/ necessary.
2. The difference between how different countries waste (Africa vs US vs Mexico etc) on the topic of food & money
3. What it means to be poor vs rich in Gods eyes.
4. Why homeless people sometimes choose to be homeless. Why some people are forced into being homeless. What we can do to help them. What we shouldn't do to help them.
5. What they can do with their money. What is wasteful. What is wise. What is necessary. What God would want them to do with their money.
6. We really went in to detail about wasting food by eating too much vs not eating enough. Throwing it in the garbage vs feeding the leftover to the chickens vs saving it for later. I even got on you tube and showed them a few video clips of Africa children who were in need, while we were being wasteful and they could be using it.

Discussion:
It has been very enriching to discuss thing like this with my children. I decided early on in my mothering I was going to teach them as much as I could about life. What was real. What they could handle learning about we sought out to learn about. I don't feel like I have shown them too much, nor too little. My children are NOT naive or ignorant about much in life... and I'm very please with my parenting in this area....