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Merry Money bucks allow kids to earn “money” by working hard and then giving generously by redeeming their Merry Money for gifts for others. 

Christmas is such a magical time of year when you have young kids. The lights, shiny new toys and Santa bring tons of fun to the season. 

But as we move through the calendar towards Christmas, I want my kids to remember the true reason for the season. 

We talk about and celebrate the birth of Jesus but I also want to encourage them to begin to understand the joy of giving. That may be a little over my 2 year old’s head but I want to start early. 

And since my daughter will be 6 this year, I wanted to start to teach her not only about giving but also earning. Learning that a piece of what you earn should be used to give to others. That their is joy in seeing happiness on the face of others. That it is better to give than to receive. 

So that is where the Merry Money concept was born. A fun and easy way to teach kids about earning money through hard work and then giving to others. 

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Merry Money – A Lesson in Earning and Giving

As a kid, my mom always let us pick a sibling gift for each other at Christmas. 

We would each get to shop and choose a gift that would be fun for the other. An arts an crafts kit or a small toy was typically what we chose. We still do it to this day as 30 something’s, our gifts just look a little different nowadays.

I wanted to continue this tradition with my children but decided to take one more step this year! I’m introducing the Merry Money earning system to our kids this year. 

What is Merry Money? 

Merry money is a Christmas currency for kids that can be earned by doing chores or other tasks.

It is then used to buy gifts for others. 

It could be for children’s siblings or they could even use their Merry Money to buy gifts for Mom and Dad. 

The only restriction for Merry Money is that it must be used to purchase things for other people. Merry Money can’t be used on yourself. 

You can print this free currency here.

Earning Merry Money

So how do kids earn with this system? 

As the parent, you can set up your rules/reward system to work best for your family. Here are some ideas on ways that my kids will be able to earn Merry Money this holiday season. 

Ideas For Kids To Earn Merry Money

Toddlers/Preschool

• Help Tidy Toys 
• Help Dust Furniture (this is never done great but for some reason it is one of my kids favorite chores)
• Put socks away in drawers 
• Wipe up Spills 
• Help remove laundry from dryer 

Elementary Kids

• Play nicely with sibling (while you get Christmas wrapping or other chores done)
• Clean Room
• Put clothes away
• Wipe Down Counter tops 
• Put Dishes away 
• Help Make A Meal for the Family 

Pretty much any age appropriate chore can earn some holiday cash. 

How Much Is Merry Money Worth

Again, you decide. 

I plan to have each printable Merry Buck to be worth $1. This will give my kids a few weeks to earn several sets of c. 

Our sibling gifts are usually somewhere between $10-20 each. So if you start in mid-November, the kids will be able to do a few things a week and hit that 10 or 20 dollar mark. 

Using the Christmas Bucks

Once you are happy with the amount of Merry Money that your kids have earned, they can cash it in for a gift for their family member. 

You can do this 2 ways, at a retail store or online.

Online Shopping

Since online shopping is my jam, I will just have the kids count the number of Merry Money bucks that they have. 

So ten Merry Money bucks will equal $10.

Then we will spend time searching Amazon together for something perfect that falls into the price range of the amount that they have earned. I will collect the Merry Money from each child and then just pay using my debit card. 

Retail Shopping 

Since Target will not honor a Christmas currency at their cash register, you will need to make a modification. 

I would still have the kids count their Merry bucks and then you can convert that to actual cash. 

Go to the store, select a gift and they can pay using real US dollars. 

Lessons Learned Using Holiday Cash

The kids will learn several valuable lessons with this Christmas activity. 

Hard Work 

They will work hard doing chores and other tasks in order to earn their Merry Money. 

Kids will learn that hard work does not always result in instant gratification. 

Saving 

Kids will work on saving up for a “big” item vs. blowing their money as soon as they earn it. 

Giving Is Better Than Receiving 

The art of giving.

Yes, they will receive a gift on Christmas from their sibling too, so technically they will be equally reciprocated. 

But at the time of purchase they won’t receive anything and that is definitely a lesson for a young kiddo. Spending your hard earned “money” on someone else is something I want my kids to learn to find joy in.

You could take this even a step further and have your kids buy an item to donate to your favorite Christmas charity with their Merry Money. 

More Fun  Christmas Activities

Christmas time brings lots of fun treats, gifts and activities. Here are some of our favorites!

24 Day Christmas Book Advent Calendar

Elf on the Shelf Gifts Under $5

UPS-Fedex Delivery Driver Gift

Stocking Stuffers for A 1 Year Old

No Junk Stocking Stuffers Under $5 for 3-5 Yr Old Girls

If you are considering a Paw Patrol plush rider for your little Chase, Marshall, Skye fan, read this review to find out all the details of this toy!

My youngest recently turned 2 years old. I’m still not even sure how that is possible! It feels like just a few weeks ago that he was brought into this world. 

But now instead of a little baby that enjoys bottles and naps, now he is a Paw Patrol obsessed toddler. Since his big sister also went through a Paw Patrol phase, he inherited quite a few Paw Patrol toys. 

And for his Birthday, he got lots of additional Paw Patrol toys to love. On the day of his party, his grandparents brought in this big plush Chase, complete with his own pup house! 

A life size Chase that moves and will take you for a ride? It was an instant hit.

Since Christmas time is approaching, I thought I would write a Paw Patrol 6 Volt Ride-on Toy review to help you if you are considering this toy for your child. Find out all the ins and outs of this fun Paw Patrol toy.

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

Paw Patrol 6 Volt Ride-On Toy Review

Paw Patrol really comes alive with this new plush ride on toy. This Paw Patrol 6 Volt Ride on Toy Review will give you all the answers to the things you will love, hate & the experience your child will likely have with the product! 

Paw Patrol Character Choice

The first thing to do is choose your child’s favorite character. They currently have Chase, Marshall & Skye options. 

We have the Chase at our house but the Marshall is on sale at Walmart right now for $99 (reg. $149). 

*Note: Online prices may change at any time.

Charging the Pup 

With a good overnight charge, the toy will run for quite a few hours. I don’t know the exact time but Chase got tons of use from about 7 am until 1 pm and was still going strong. 

I liked that it doesn’t run out of charge super quick because we all know what it is like to have a kid wanting to use their new toy and the battery is dead. 

Kid’s Reaction

Before we go on to any additional details, let’s get to the good stuff in this Paw Patrol 6 Volt Ride-On Toy Review. Your child’s reaction to this new realistic Paw Patrol buddy. 

My son was absolutely thrilled to see this big buy roll through our doors.

He instantly hopped on and was driving through my living room. And his 5 year old sister that doesn’t like Paw Patrol anymore? She was dying for a turn on this plush moving pup as well. 

When a life size dog comes into your house and wants to take you on a ride, there just isn’t anything bad about that! 

We had his party at our home this year and every single kid that came in (ages 1-7) wanted a turn on Chase. It was definitely the hit of the party. 

Recommended Age & Ease of Use

My daughter got a ride on BMW a few years ago from her same set of grandparents. And while it is so cute, it was really hard for her to navigate and still is at age 5. 

This Paw Patrol Plush 6V toy is the exact opposite. It is very easy to navigate, even for a 2 year old. It turns easily which keeps the “I’m stuck” commentary to a minimum (although it does still happen!)

The minimum use age from the manufacturer is 2. We had a couple of kids that were 2 or about to be at his party and all were able to easily get on the pup and use the foot accelerator alone (with supervision of course). 

I couldn’t find a maximum weight limit. But we had 5-7 year olds riding it and it was fine. 

Care Instructions 

So I think the best part of this Paw Patrol plush ride on toy, aside for the kid’s joy of course, is the easy care for this toy. 

Someone was thinking when they made this toy! The entire plush dog comes off and can be thrown in your washing machine. 

And that is good because the birthday boy at our house decided to eat his cupcake while he rode Chase so we have some dried icing on our pup’s head to deal with. 

Pup House 

The other item that you get with your pup is the coordinating pup house. 

It is a plastic house with a working swing door. During the birthday party, many of the kids got inside the house to pretend they were a pup. 

The house will also contain the 6V ride on toy when it is not in use. 

Sounds 

I am not sure if all of the pups do the same, so I will just talk about the Chase. 

Each handlebar has a button that can be pushed to hear a sound. For the Chase, one sound is a police siren and the other is a barking dog. 

The kids seemed to enjoy the sound feature and I liked that it was not ridiculously loud or annoying!

Cons of the 6V Plush Paw Patrol Ride On Pup

We really like this toy and as I’m sure you can tell from this Paw Patrol 6 Volt Ride-On Toy Review, we recommend it. 

However, there are some things that you should know before buying. These are not deal breakers for us but it is always good to know before you buy.

6V Motor 

The toy is a 6V with a maximum speed of 2.5 MPH. This is actually a pro in my book because it means less chance for injury with my dare devil two year old. 

However, some people have stated that it is too slow for their four year old. My 5 year old really liked to ride on her brother’s new Paw Patrol ride and hasn’t complained about the speed but it is something to keep in mind if you are getting it for a preschooler. 

No Reverse 

The Paw Patrol plush ride on toy only goes forward. There is not a reverse feature. 

What this means is that they may get stuck more often. We were able to clear a path through our living room, dining room and kitchen that he can circle around with few incidents to eliminate the issue. 

Works Best On Smooth, Hard Surfaces

This toy works best on hardwood, tile or concrete. 

We have a large, thick area rug that the toy will roll on but occasionally it will get stuck trying to transition from the hardwood to the rug. 

Hopefully this Paw Patrol 6 Volt Ride-On Toy Review helps you in your decision as to whether or not to purchase this toy! 

Other Helpful Buying Guides

The Ultimate Frozen II Toy List

Best Outdoor Toys for Preschool Boys

Stocking Stuffers for 3-5 Yr Old Girls

Gifts from Elf On The Shelf Under $5