Learn Money Management With Games and Activities
Activities to Stimulate Children When Schools Close
In an era when items are purchased with a charge or debit card, it is difficult for youth to gain a realistic understanding of money. At any age providing activities that require them to interact with money or the elusive concept of money management, will prove valuable.
Caution: If real money is used, be sure to wash it as both coins and paper dollars carry germs. At the end of this post is some play money that can be printed.
Toddlers
Go Shopping — Pretend Play
Pretend play is rich in learning opportunities. If the environment is prepped, a child will lead the way.
- Print off money, (I love the way that sounds and wish it was that easier but play money is shared at the bottom of this post.)
- Give child a discarded purse or wallet (If none are available, make one. Sew a Purse Duct Tape Wallet )
- Set up the room to resemble a store (use items from around the house and go shopping. Pretend play is rich in learning opportunities.
Elementary
I love this next game and kids do too!
Coin War Money Game
How to Play:
- Start with the same amount of coins in two different cups (one cup for each player). Start with a small number of coins so your first game doesn’t take too long.
- Then play the game just like war. Without looking, pick a coin from your cup and put it on the table. Whoever has the highest valued coin gets to keep both coins. Continue and keep refilling your cup with the coins you collect.
- When you collect all of the coins, you win!
Counting Money
A picture is worth a thousand words so grab a piece of paper, some change, (real or play) and let the games begin. The best thing about these is nothing is needed other than paper and money. Easy to implement.
Secondary
Million Dollar Spending Spree
Give students this information. Today, you have a unique opportunity. A stranger who lives in your town has died and left you a million dollars — tax free. It seems he remembers a kindness you gave him. But the gift has certain conditions.
You may only purchase things in the local newspaper. The man who gave you the money wants to support the community.
- You are limited to 1 hour to create your list.
- You cannot spend more than $350,000.00 in one place.
- You cannot buy more than 1 on any item
- You cannot give money to anyone other than services advertised
- You must come as close to the total amount given as possible and cannot go a penny over.
- You should create a list of the items chosen with the amount.
After the activity, parents can ask the teen questions and discuss their thought process. Some ideas are provided.
- Which items are most important?
- What sections of the newspaper did you use?
- What influenced your decisions?
- What do you wish you could have found that wasn’t available?
JUMP START (This is a hyperlink, just click.)
This site provides teens a dose of reality and can be accomplished in a few moments. Kids will answer a series of question about how they foresee their future life. When they press ENTER, a result is returned that informs them of how much money they most make per hours and how much money they need each month followed by a few jobs that fall into that pay scale. JUMP START https://www.jumpstart.org/what-we-do/support-financial-education/reality-check/reality-check-result
Board Games
When was the last time the family gathered for a boardgame? Now is your chance. Look in the closet, blow of the dust and let the games begin. These games are excellent for teaching money management. (If you do not already own these, and your budget has a few pennies remaining, they could also be purchased online and delivered to your home.)
- Monopoly
- Life
- Payday
- Money
- CashFlow
- GoVenture
- EasyMoney
- Lemonade Stand
A Writing Activity About Money
Memoir of a Dollar Bill: A Creative Writing Activity
Click on the hyperlink to access the writing activity.
Just for Fun
This website provides a template of a dollar bill and allows you to insert your child’s picture onto the money. I did this with my granddaughters and they loved it.
https://www.rewardcharts4kids.com/printable-play-money/
The above hyperlink will take you to this activity. Just click.
Remember, I post daily! Each post offers new activities to stimulate children from home.
TOPICS
Sock Puppets, Scavenger Hunt, Tower Building, Journal, Cooking,
Airplanes, Bubbles, Games, Sew, Budget
Daily Life Tasks: Writing, Auto Repair, Diorama
Libraries are closed. We are out of books. What are the options?
Newspaper as Substitutes for Textbooks