What age did your kids "get"/enjoy pin trading?

2019TripIdeas

Mouseketeer
Joined
Feb 6, 2018
A few people have mentioned how fun this can be for kids, particularly in Epcot?

My daughter will be 4 (almost 5) on our trip next year and I think it's the kind of activity she'd enjoy she's definitely not shy and loves chatting up random adults.

Any experience with 4/5 year olds and how well they did with the concept? I figure if we do it, I'll just buy a set of cheaper pins so this isn't a fancy/spendy activity.
 
We have held off on this with our 4 year old because once something is "her's" she doesn't necessarily want to give it to someone else. The trading part is where the activity would fall apart with us. If you plan to go again in the future, them maybe this trip is focused more of acquiring pins and then she has a base to trade from at a later date when giving things away isn't so hard. Just my opinion, though :)
 
I got into pin trading myself (online) in the year leading up to our trip, and my four-year-old was with me the first time I made a trade in the parks. She thought it was super cool and wanted to participate every time I did it. Whenever we were at the resort gift shop, she'd wander over to the pin board and start looking for one she wanted. Definitely make sure you get a supply of cheap traders or things you're otherwise okay parting with- a 4-year-old is going to have an interesting definition of what makes a good trade! :rotfl: But it was fun to have her talk to people (mostly CMs) and have her pick out what she wanted from them, then what she thought we should trade in return.
 
Does she collect pins already? Does she find them fun/cute/interesting? I ask because not all kids are into pins in the first place - and then its not an activity for them.....

This is really kid-dependent.
 
My husband and I got my MIL into pin tradition last month at Disneyland. We plan on taking our twins to WDW in two years right before they turn 3. Since it is something that we enjoy, we will be sure that we have a supply for them if they want to participate they can, if not, we hold on to them for the next trip :) I agree with buying a supply of cheap traders so it doesn't matter what happens to them.
 
My DGD was 4. She had ten pins to start and a Nana who was terribly confused. After a conversation with a CM she took off! The child was thoughtful with her pins, and with the exception of that firt time whe I bought her more pins to trade, she saved her money and bought her own. She never came home with duplicates, and as she got older she the hobby grew with her.

My favorit memory of her trading dats was when she was 8 years old. We went to a huge pin trading event ot POR, and of course she joined us with her pins. She was old enough to understand fair trading, however she did not know that some of those pins had different "values" than others. She perused all of the tables with her little book of trading pins and would mull over her choices. When my son in law tried to explain that she was supposed to choose which pin she "gifted" the trader, and that not all pins were one for one, the traders woudl stop him. She was so thoughtful in how she was trading with all those adults, they insisted on using her rules. I did see a few put their very special pins under the tables though. LOL!! My DGD is 16 now and still trades however, she continues to be generous with her pins, gifting a set for friends to start with.
 
Little ones enjoy pins, but not really trading them.

With our kids it's around 8 when they started getting interested in trading.

Then by 11 it's one of the many things they look forward to.

They know what they're looking for by that time.
 


My DS and DD were 6 and 7 when they got into trading. It was a great way for them to talk to cast members or others while waiting in lines.
 
Gwendolyn was 5 when we started her on the pin trading. At 17 she shows no sign of slowing down.
 
Does she collect pins already? Does she find them fun/cute/interesting? I ask because not all kids are into pins in the first place - and then its not an activity for them.....

She doesn't though I think she'd enjoy it (She does collect Pez dispensers ha! And gets very into finding certain ones) That said, as a previous poster asked, she's not territorial about her stuff (2 little siblings means nothing is really "hers" and she's cool with it ha) so I don't think she'd have a problem making trades. She definitely wouldn't understand the value ratio though.

Enough people are mentioning their 4/5 year olds got it and enjoyed it :) - I think we'll go for it and buy some cheap ones. Thanks for all feedback!
 
My kids did this year, my 5 year old did a little, but didn’t like the idea of give away his pins, my 10 and 12 year olds liked it a lot. My daughter, who is 12, really got into it. I think it’ll be a life long tradition for he, maybe the boys, but for her for sure.
 
Did it with 4 yr old in August. Bought a bunch of cheap pins on eBay and a Minnie lanyard for her to wear. She loved the concept of pin trading but we did have the problem of her fidgeting with the pins and losing a couple.... 7 yr old sister got into it a lot more.
 
I agree that it's kid dependent... a shy child might have a difficult time going up to cast members, or people in line. My son has done pin trading at 5, 7 and 9 and by 9 was really the age where it sunk in and he was on a mission to find very specific pins. I would say that at 5 he enjoyed Agent P more, as well as the passport stamping at Epcot. Have fun and if you do decide to do pin trading, buy the better pin backs so that they "stick" and don't fall off easily. They can be found on ebay and I"m guessing amazon.
 
The last time my kids did pin trading they were 4,7,10. My oldest was the one who really was into it, the other 2 just followed along.
 
Our 5 year old enjoys it, he loves when we get the mystery pin packs and inevitably we end up with doubles and we trade those
 
I hope that I don't regret it, but I've decided against pins for my 3 and 5 year olds. I'm worried about giving my 3 year old small, shiny, pointy objects, as she's pretty rambunctious and still puts things in her mouth occasionally. YMMV!
 

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