Teaching kids about money early on can set them up for a lifetime of good financial habits.
Financial literacy is the ability to understand and practice smart, informed ways of making decisions about money. It’s an important set of skills for any adult and it’s never too early to start teaching our kids how to save, budget, invest, and more. By the time kids reach seven years old, many of their habits around spending are already formed.
Learning about money is a great way to begin exploring concepts like basic math for early learners, personal responsibility and setting goals, and for older kids the types of things or experiences we value.
Whether it’s doing household chores in exchange for an allowance, starting up a piggy bank or savings account, or by helping budget your next family vacation, kids gain invaluable skills through an early understanding of money and create healthy habits that last.
Check out the resources below to help develop your kids’ financial awareness, from smart spending habits to long-term saving savvy.
Jump to article sections:
Learn About Financial Literacy
Bank & Money Field Trip
Grades PreK-K
Penny and the KidVision VPK Kids visit SunTrust Bank and explore a real money collection. They learn how to identify money, how to count money, how much money is worth, and how to manage a bank account. Join them and help to count all the money!
3 Questions for Teaching Young Kids About Money
Grades PreK-3
Having open, regular conversations now helps our children grow in their understanding of money for the future. Here are three questions to think about when teaching kids about money.
7 Tips for Helping Your Child Make Smart Money Choices
Grades PreK-3
Your child is never too young to develop smart saving and spending habits. Here are seven ways you can help.
Money Moments: Financial Education
Grades 3-8
Money plays an important role in many of life’s big moments. From your first savings account all the way to retirement—these events mark new chapters in our lives. KSPS and the Spokane Teachers Credit Union (STCU) teamed up to share how we can all handle these big moments with financial savvy.
The Citi Collection for Financial Capability
Grades 6-12
This collection of resources, drawn from the best of public television, is designed to engage students in financial awareness, economic empowerment, and personal responsibility. The 25 resources that comprise the collection conceptually illustrate and practically apply lessons regarding savings, investment, creditworthiness, entrepreneurship, and commerce.
Activities, Crafts & More
Monkey Money Printable
Grades K-2
Cut out this Curious George play money and open a pretend store!
Mega Mall Game | Peg + Cat
Grades K-2
Peg is taking a trip to the mall and needs your help to pick out items for her list based on requested shape and color attributes. After finding the right objects, practice money skills by adding together the cost of the items and paying the correct amount at the register.
Guess the Coins
Grades K-3
These money games, played with pocket change, are brain-teasing ways to pass the time while waiting at a restaurant, in the doctor’s office, or taking a long ride!
Make a Buzz Bank | Cyberchase Activity
Grades K-5
Choose whether to save or spend your money after constructing your own bank to look like Buzz from Cyberchase. Use math to determine how much you want to spend or save.
NOVA Financial Lab
Grades 9-12
Managing money can be hard. In NOVA’s Financial Lab, students learn about built-in biases that often keep us from making smart decisions, and practice overcoming them by taking care of their pet through three fun and challenging mini-games.