What started as an ordinary day at home turned into an unforgettable — and expensive — surprise for one father.

A five-year-old child, left to entertain herself with what she believed was harmless “arts and crafts,” reportedly cut up 500 banknotes, causing an estimated $7,200 in financial loss. What she saw as paper for creativity turned out to be real currency carefully stored away.

For the parent, it was a moment of shock. For the child, it was simply imagination at work.

How It Happened

Young children don’t understand the concept of money in the same way adults do. To a five-year-old, paper bills may look no different from colored sheets or craft supplies. Without supervision — and without knowing their value — the child used scissors to cut the notes into small pieces as part of a creative project.

By the time the father discovered what had happened, the damage was already done.