Cash Register Toys for Kids to Play! Mini Shop Educational Toys! Giant Kids Corner

Toy cash registers have been popular with children for generations. In fact, for a time the iconic Tom Thumb toy register was one of the most popular gifts in the United States. First produced in 1945 by the Michigan-based company Western Stamping, within just a few years nearly three-quarters of a million of the simple, durable metal tills had been created. 

While Tom Thumb registers are now relegated to antique status, collected by discerning (and/or nostalgic) adults but infrequently seen in the hands of a child, toy registers in general remain wildly popular. And today's youth have many more options than that simple lever-operated stamped metal toy from days gone by. Modern toy tills feature everything from calculating capacity to built-in games to touch screen capabilities.

While a slight generalization, it is not inaccurate to say that there are essentially two types of toy cash register: the device intended exclusively for play that offers amusement but no real chance for educational development, and those that can actually be used to complete mathematical computations and which help teach the fundamentals of using numbers. There is no right or wrong option; one must simply consider the register's recipient in terms of age, interest, and attention span.

In fact, choosing the right child's cash register is rather simple when approached as a step-by-step process. First consider whether or not you want a unit that has actual calculating abilities (essentially in the form of a basic calculator built into the face of the unit). That stipulation will eliminate certain options, leaving you to choose a register largely based on aesthetics and binary considerations such as what sounds and flashing lights you prefer or wish to avoid.

If you are more interested in getting a young child a toy than a teaching tool, consider registers that foster independent play, as that is as critical a skill as math in the early years. Many toy registers feature basic and engaging games where colors and/or shapes must be matched or fruits must be identified. And all toy registers, regardless of their complexity level, can help foster fine motor development such as comes with handling play money, operating switches and buttons, and doing some imaginary shopping.