Childhood is the perfect time for kids to learn important skills for managing finances. Once youngsters reach independence, they will need to understand everything involved with budgeting, saving, investing, using credit, and spending responsibly. Corporate incentive cards and loyalty programs are other areas to learn about, too. Use engaging games to teach relevant finance lessons. Worksheets and lesson plans are also effective ways to teach kids sound money-management skills.
Money Math Skills
- Money Math (PDF): Strong math skills are necessary for managing finances successfully. This booklet includes different lesson plans that will teach these skills.
- The Great Piglet Challenge: Play this game to learn about spending wisely and saving money.
- Price Challenge: This game involves choosing the coins needed to pay the price shown on the price tag.
- What’s That Word? Learn words that are commonly used with finances and money with this fun vocabulary game.
The Value of Coins and Dollars
- Coin Count: This coin-counting game shows a total money amount that players have to make with the coins provided.
- Dollar Dive: Kids can buy sails for a boat with the coins provided. Watch out for the sea monster!
- Change-Maker: Figure out the correct change from bills or coins in this change-maker game.
- Peter Pig’s Money-Counter: Race the timer to sort coins into the correct jars in this money-counter game.
- Counting Quarters (PDF): Practice counting quarters in this worksheet. Write the answers in the correct blanks.
- Identify Coins Worksheet (PDF): Identify the coins shown on this worksheet by drawing lines between the pictures and the words.
- Escape from Barter Island: Make important decisions in this game about economy, trading, and bartering as children try to escape from Barter Island.
Adding and Subtracting Money
- Sand Dollar City: There’s a whole world under the sea called Sand Dollar City. Play this game to learn about managing finances.
- Gen I Revolution: Kids can learn major skills for managing finances in this game that involves missions to solve.
- Financial Football: Youngsters who like football might like Financial Football. This game involves lots of fast-paced financial action.
- It All Adds Up: This game tests financial and math skills for managing cash.
- Buy It With the Little Farmer: The farmer in this game has some money, and he wants to purchase items. Click on the money he needs to pay for things.
- Fed Match: Play a matching game with finance vocabulary words to learn about these special terms.
- The History of Money: Explore the history of money by reading the interesting details on this Web page.
Money Lesson Plans for All Ages
- Check-Writing (PDF): Teach children how to write a check with this check-writing worksheet.
- Reality Check: Take a reality check to see what type of lifestyle kids want when they grow up.
- Fraud Scene Investigator: Children can be a fraud scene investigator in this interactive game that provides crimes to solve.
- Barter vs. Money (PDF): Show how a bartering system works with this fun lesson plan.
- Budget Buzz (PDF): Practice making a budget to manage money with this activity booklet. Kids can also explore earning money with a lemonade stand with the tips included in the booklet.
- History Quiz: Give a history quiz online to test kids’ knowledge of banking in the United States.
- How to Save and Invest: Saving and investing are two important skills. Explore how people can use both skills in managing their money.
- Money Basics (PDF): Teach the basics of money with this workbook. Topics include money math, money history, and counting money.
- Managing Your Money Worksheet (PDF): A budget involves planning income and expenses to make sure there’s enough money. These worksheets will help kids set up a personal budget.
- Money Worksheets (PDF): Organizing finances doesn’t have to be complicated when using these helpful worksheets for budgeting.
- Managing Your Money Worksheets and Resources (PDF): Managing money involves a combination of saving, spending, and investing. Use these worksheets for personal money management.
- Earning Money: Explore the world of earning money with the information included with this lesson plan.
- Money Money Everywhere (PDF): Give kids this short overview of money, and then have them answer the questions to see if they understand the information.
- The Basics of Saving and Investing (PDF): Saving and investing are important parts of a sound money management plan.
- Tortilla Factory (PDF): This lesson plan involves managing a tortilla factory. Explore the tasks involved and take this financial challenge.
