Good toy cash register?

[kristenk]

I'm thinking of getting DD a new cash register for Christmas or her birthday. She has one that she got for, I believe, her 2nd birthday. It's the Parents green one and it drives me batty. It has an old fashioned look to it, so when you press the number buttons a picture will pop up at the top. There's no rhyme or reason for which picture pops up with which number (I mean, it's always the same, but it makes no sense). That's bothered me for a while (um, yeah, about 2.5 years now) but the final straw is that the money drawer doesn't open all the way and it opens only when it feels like it.

DD still really likes playing with it and I like the idea of having a cash register around for playing store, etc.

Does anyone have any recommendations? I don't care about lots of bells and whistles. I just want a drawer that opens when you press a button. I'd prefer if batteries weren't involved at all.

My final question is, should I get a new cash register or will she be outgrowing it before too long? I'm really hoping that she'll play with it for quite a while and we can use it for learning about money, math skills, etc.

ETA: DD is 4.5yo.

[traciann]

I really like this one for her at age two:
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2674710

I have a simple one from fisher price already, but when dd is ready for something more complicated I would go with something like this:
http://www.learningresources.com/product/pretend+-amp-+play--174-+calculator+cash+register.do?search=basic&keyword=cash+register&sortby=best&asc=true&page=1

[elaineandmichaelsmommy]

We have the fisher price one and the parents one. Let me just say that dd who is fast approaching 6 still plays with the fisher price one. It's easy for them to use and they love the fact that the coins come spouting out the side.

The parents one doesn't get played with that much really and all the paper money has gone missing. I'm glad I bought it on consignment.

[catpagmo]

My DD has the Fisher Price one at her grandma's house. She loves it. She always goes for that first before any other toys. My DD will be 3 at the end of the year.

I'm thinking of getting her the Learning Resources one for Christmas, though. Looks like lots of fun with all that pretend money!

[MamaKath]

We have the Parents one and the Learning Resource one.
My kids like both, the LR one is great because it has the play coins that look real, has a slot to "run" a credit card, and is a pretty basic no frills. It does not need batteries. They do also play with the Parents one, they like the characters and the bigger button style.

I chose NOT to get the Fisher Price one, though I loved it as a kid. The thing that pushed me away from it was that is uses coins that have no real relevance to coins we use. With the Parents/Learning Resource register, you can use play or real coins. With the FP register you will jam it if you use anything else. We had a LeapFrog one that DH repeatedly had to take apart when things would jam in it. I wasn't about to try it with the FP one.

[nrp]

Here's another one:

http://www.learningexpress.com/childrens_toys/partNumber_LT2690/proj.html

My 3-yo nephew has this one and likes it, but the features are advanced for a 2-yo. However, my DD loved to swipe the credit card even at 18 months (scary, I think!).

[kirstensmom]

we have the learning resources one. My dd has consistently played with it for 2 years.

[jessicallyn]

I know you wanted something really nice for a Christmas present, but honestly, the cash register toy my children have enjoyed the most is the cheap plastic ones they sell at Toys R Us or Walmart. Here's a good example:

www.toysrus.ca/product/index.jsp?productId=2689547

Although I don't think I ever paid that much for one - they are always on sale in the store.

A few years ago we upgraded to the Pottery Barn one because it had all the same fun cheap features the cheap ones have (conveyer, scanner, credit card swiper, microphone, calculator) but not so tacky. It was definitely prettier than the cheap ones, but didn't last any longer (the microphone gave out after a few months). And I personally HATED the Leapfrog one. It was so loud and obnoxious. It lasted less than a week and then it was out of here.

I usually try to buy them toys on the "buy good, have good" theory. So I rarely buy plastic junk, but apparently this is really fun plastic junk. It's popular with all 3 older children (ages almost-3 thru almost-9). The horrible microphone is always funny, apparently. And it usually gets hauled out when they use the play kitchen - to "buy" the food at the beginning, and later they use it to add up the bill.

I do end up replacing them every year or so - mostly because the youngest child always uses the microphone as a handle. But since we are still using the same Unit blocks, Legos, Trains, etc. we bought when my oldest was 3, I don't mind the occasional disposable plaything.

Just a thought, though.

Enjoy your purchase, whatever you choose.

[WitMom]

We have the second learning resources one (the one that nrp posted). I would absolutely get it again. My daughter is three, and has fun just playing around with it for now, putting money in, pushing buttons, ets. When she gets older and more sophisticated, it has programs built in that can be used to enhance math/numerical skills as well, so I see it as a toy with a lot of growth potential.

[MamaKath]

Although I don't think I ever paid that much for one - they are always on sale in the store.

A few years ago we upgraded to the Pottery Barn one because it had all the same fun cheap features the cheap ones have (conveyer, scanner, credit card swiper, microphone, calculator) but not so tacky. It was definitely prettier than the cheap ones, but didn't last any longer (the microphone gave out after a few months). And I personally HATED the Leapfrog one. It was so loud and obnoxious. It lasted less than a week and then it was out of here.

I usually try to buy them toys on the "buy good, have good" theory. So I rarely buy plastic junk, but apparently this is really fun plastic junk. It's popular with all 3 older children (ages almost-3 thru almost-9). The horrible microphone is always funny, apparently. And it usually gets hauled out when they use the play kitchen - to "buy" the food at the beginning, and later they use it to add up the bill.



LOL! We had that one too! The microphone broke, so I took it to my classroom (since they didn't know there should be a mike) and it is still a favorite toy. I paid $5-$7 after Christmas for it. Definitely one I would look at again.

[Tondi G]

I saw a cute play wonder cash register at Target. It reminded me of our old chrome one from PBK... That was a good one... my boys loved it too much and ripped the mic out.... then DH said it had to go. we got this one to replace it, but it is not the same... the boys do enjoy it from time to time though

http://www.target.com/National-Zillionz-Talking-Cash-Register/dp/B00063FE66/sr=1-13/qid=1222837551/ref=sr_1_13/601-3795522-1510502?ie=UTF8&index=target&field-browse=1038620&rh=k%3Acash%20register&page=1