Any parent who has dragged offspring through an antique shop, garage sale, flea market or show knows that there’s a limit to children’s patience. Getting the youngsters interested in collecting can be the key to extending your own shopping time. The trick is finding items that are plentiful enough, inexpensive enough and small enough in size for kids to work with. Keys fit the bill perfectly.

Keys of all types can be found just about anywhere. They come in a variety of shape and sizes and capture the imagination of children. (This could be the key to a treasure chest, Dad!) We’ve seen them priced from 25¢ to $5. Most kids can buy them with their own pocket or allowance money.

You can easily create a display for your child’s key collecting by using an inexpensive shadow box or small tabletop display case. If your child enjoys actually playing with the keys you won’t want them behind glass, instead toss them into a neat wooden bowl or basket. Buying a small key ring and allowing your child to carry collected keys will bring the pleasure of discovering doors, cabinets and locks their keys might actually open.