Now that everyone is home due to Coronavirus COVID-19, it’s a great chance to spend that quality time together brushing up on subjects that school may not focus on, like learning about money! Here are some suggested activities that can make learning about money FUN!! Some ideas come from personal experience, but I found neat ideas from others too, so click through the links to learn more. And of course, there is one more fun activity you can do on family game night — Monopoly! Happy studying, ACE!
Activities (Sorted By Grade Level)
- Preschool – Kindergarten
- Share, Save, Spend – Review the purpose of each bucket before beginning. Give play money (or real coins), one bill/coin at a time, for your child to place in 1 of 3 buckets. At the end, count the money in each bucket. Was the total amount distributed evenly?
- Compound Interest In Marshmallows – The Marshmallow Game is all about delayed gratification and the rewards that come with it. If your child likes something better than marshmallows, use that treat.
- Grades 1 – 6
- Mini Society – Find goods around the house to buy and sell to each other. This exercise teaches negotiation, pricing, supply and demand, entrepreneurship. You set the rules in this market!
- Heads Up! Money Style – Ellen Degeneres’ popular cell phone game, Heads Up!, may not have a category for finance/money, but that shouldn’t stop you from making one. Write money phrases or words on index cards, and then place all the cards on a table, with the words facing down. The words can be simple, like “credit card,” or a little tougher, like “401(k).” Now let the guessing begin! Do your kids understand each financial concept?
- Grades 7 – 9
- Get A Job! – Parents should post chores around the house as jobs for hire. Children can practice writing a resume and then interviewing for the part. Parents can either pay real wages or reward with TV/tablet time. This mom actually held a job fair for her kids!
- Stock Market Investor – Starting with a hypothetical investment of $10,000, pick 10 stocks for your portfolio. Track the investments over a year, and see how they perform. Just because it is fake money, don’t make decisions that you wouldn’t normally make! Get to really know your risk tolerance and investment style.
- Grades 10 – 12
- Beans for Budgets – This activity is brilliant and works for college kids too! It’s better with small groups, but it can still work on an individual. You start with 20 beans that you decide where to “spend” them on. Occasionally something happens that causes you to re-think where you put your money!
- Decoding Documents – It’s time to get acquainted with what bills and paychecks look like. Take a handful of real statements — paystub, investment, credit card — and learn what each line means. Are you ready to graduate from the school of personal finance?
Homework: What other activities help to learn about money? Contribute your ideas in the comments!
Spring Break: Ace Academy will skip the next two weeks’ lessons and be back in session during the first full week of April. Stay safe and healthy!
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