EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

Money activities for
everyday family life.

Choose a subject for ten hands-on activities, or read our five parent guides. Explore money together with everyday materials, simple questions and room for your child’s own answers.

Choose the counting or conversation level that suits your child, and help with reading or writing as needed. An adult should supervise any activity with real coins. Every activity below can use large paper coins instead.

01 · TRY IT TOGETHER

Money basics

Make money something you can count, use and talk about.

For children beginning to countSet up a pretend shop

You’ll need Three large paper coins, two familiar objects and two price labels.

Learn

Money can be exchanged for things. A budget gives us an amount to choose within.

Do

  1. Label one object “2 paper coins” and the other “3 paper coins”. Each paper coin has the same value.
  2. Give your child three paper coins and let them choose an item. Count the payment together.
  3. Count what is left. Take turns being the shopper and shopkeeper.

Discuss

“Why did you choose that item? What could you do with any coins left over?”

For children ready to add small numbersOne amount, two ways

You’ll need Large paper coins labelled 1 and 2, and a piece of paper.

Learn

The same amount can be made in different ways.

Do

  1. Write the number 4. Ask your child to make that total using four coins labelled 1.
  2. Try again with two coins labelled 2.
  3. Find another way: two coins labelled 1 and one labelled 2. Count the value, not just the number of pieces.

Discuss

“There are fewer coins this time. Is the total smaller, or is it still the same?”

Read alongside: The ABC$ of Finance board book.

02 · TRY IT TOGETHER

Saving

Choose something worth waiting for, then notice what changes.

For children who enjoy drawingDraw a savings goal

You’ll need Paper, crayons and five large paper coins.

Learn

A savings goal names something you want to work towards.

Do

  1. Draw something your child would like to save for. For this pretend activity, give it a price of five paper coins.
  2. Draw five empty circles beside it and place two coins on the circles.
  3. Count the empty circles together. Add another paper coin and see what remains.

Discuss

“What are you saving for? How many more coins would complete this pretend goal?”

For children comfortable countingCount, add and compare

You’ll need Large paper coins, a pencil and a sheet of paper.

Learn

Keeping a record lets you see how a saved amount changes.

Do

  1. Start with any small number of paper coins. Count them and write or draw the total.
  2. Add two more coins. Count the new total and record it beside the first.
  3. Compare the two amounts. Repeat with a different starting number.

Discuss

“What changed? How can our record help us remember where we started?”

A place to practise: the clear acrylic money bank.

03 · TRY IT TOGETHER

Spending

Practise choosing and explaining what matters to you.

For children who can count to tenTwo choices, one budget

You’ll need Ten large paper coins and drawings of two things your child likes.

Learn

Choosing one thing can leave less money for another.

Do

  1. Give the drawings pretend prices of six and seven paper coins.
  2. Count out ten coins. Check whether that amount can pay for both.
  3. Let your child choose one, choose to wait, or suggest a different plan. Count the coins that would remain.

Discuss

“What matters most to you about your choice? Would you choose differently another day?”

For children ready to explain their choicesWhat do we need today?

You’ll need Paper and pictures or drawings of familiar items.

Learn

What we need can depend on the situation.

Do

  1. Choose a situation together, such as a walk in the rain or a picnic.
  2. Draw a few possible items: a raincoat, water, a toy or a snack.
  3. Sort them into “needed for this plan” and “nice to have”. Let your child explain where each belongs.

Discuss

“Would these groups change on a different day? Why might another family choose differently?”

Keep the conversation going with words and pictures from the board book.

04 · TRY IT TOGETHER

Giving

Explore who you care about and the ways you can help.

For children who like talking about people and animalsWho could we help?

You’ll need Paper and crayons.

Learn

Giving can begin by noticing something or someone you care about.

Do

  1. Draw three people, places or causes your child cares about, such as a relative, a park or animals.
  2. Ask your child to choose one and name something that could help.
  3. Draw one possible action. Keep it a choice to discuss together; there is no required donation.

Discuss

“Why did you choose this? How could we find out what would actually be helpful?”

For children ready to plan a kind actionMoney, time or care

You’ll need Three pieces of paper labelled Money, Time and Care.

Learn

Helping does not always involve spending money.

Do

  1. Choose a familiar example, such as cheering up a relative or caring for a shared space.
  2. Think of one way each card could help: contributing money, spending time or making something thoughtful.
  3. Choose one action you can do with a grown-up, then talk afterwards about how it went.

Discuss

“Which kind of help suited this situation? What would the other person appreciate?”

The bank’s Donate compartment can give a chosen giving goal a place.

05 · TRY IT TOGETHER

Goals

Put an idea on paper and decide on a next step.

For children trying simple subtractionMake a three-part plan

You’ll need Paper, a pencil and large paper coins.

Learn

A goal becomes easier to describe when you know the cost, the amount you have and the difference.

Do

  1. Make three headings: “It costs”, “I have” and “I still need”.
  2. Try a pretend goal that costs six paper coins when you already have four. Use the coins to find the difference.
  3. Let your child choose another pretend goal and work through the three headings together.

Discuss

“What could our next step be? Who could help us check the numbers?”

For children who have tried making a goalWhen a plan changes

You’ll need Your three-part plan or a new pretend example.

Learn

A plan can be reviewed when the numbers or your preferences change.

Do

  1. Start with a pretend goal costing six paper coins and four already saved.
  2. Change the price to eight. Work out the new difference together.
  3. Talk about the options: keep saving, choose another goal or pause the plan. Let your child explain a choice.

Discuss

“Do you still want the same thing? What would make this plan work better for you?”

A place to keep a plan: My First Financial Planner Sold out.

KEEP TALKING

One activity can be enough for today.

Follow the question your child asks next. You can repeat an activity, change the pretend amounts or come back to it another day.

Ask us a question

THE PARENT READING CORNER

A little guidance.
A conversation to try.

Five short guides for talking about money at home. Pick the question your child is asking, read together and try a small activity.

Adapt the numbers and reading to your child. Use large paper tokens for pretend play; a grown-up should supervise real coins.

SAVING · 2 MIN READMake saving something they can see.Start with a small wish, notice progress and leave room to change the plan.

Give waiting a purpose

“Save your money” can feel abstract. Begin with something your child can describe: a book they would like, a small outing or a contribution to a shared plan. Saving means setting money aside for later. The amount can be modest, and a pretend goal works when using real money does not suit your family.

Ask what makes the goal interesting. You may discover that the exciting part is choosing independently, doing something with a friend or enjoying an experience together. That conversation matters as much as the number.

Try a simple progress trail

  1. Draw six stepping stones on paper. In this pretend example, the goal costs six equal-value paper tokens. Write or draw the goal at the end.
  2. Place two tokens on the trail. Count what is already there and how many spaces are empty. Add one more and notice what changes.
  3. If you move to a real goal, check its full price together. Record money actually set aside and choose a time to look at the plan again.

Make room for real life

There is no required pocket-money amount or saving percentage for this activity. Choose what your family can comfortably manage. Keep essential needs an adult responsibility, and avoid comparing one child’s balance with another’s.

If your child decides to spend some money, count what remains and revisit the goal calmly. The lesson is noticing what a choice changes. A different goal or a longer timeline is a useful reason to talk, rather than a failed lesson.

Ask together: “What are you looking forward to, and what is one small step we could take next?”

Further reading: CFPB: children and saving; MoneyHelper: pocket money and saving.

SPENDING · 2 MIN READNeeds, wants and the choices between.Use a familiar situation to talk about priorities without making wants feel wrong.

Start with a situation

A need is something important for health, safety or daily life. A want is something we would enjoy having. The distinction becomes easier to discuss when it relates to a real plan. Shoes that fit may be a need; a particular colour or an extra pair may be a preference. Context matters, and different families may choose differently.

Wanting something is ordinary. The useful question is whether it fits today’s plan and budget. Try explaining one of your own everyday choices: “We came for lunch ingredients. I like those flowers too, but they are not in our plan today.”

Try a pretend picnic budget

  1. Draw four items: drinking water, lunch, a toy and a fancy decoration. Ask what you would need for your particular picnic and what would be an extra.
  2. Give each item a simple pretend price and set a budget of ten equal-value paper tokens. Let your child arrange the choices, then count the total together.
  3. Change one part of the story: you already have a water bottle, or rain means eating indoors. Explore how that changes what you would buy.

Explain the trade-off

When there is not enough for every option, show what choosing one item leaves for another. Your child can also choose to wait. Avoid turning this into a test with a single perfect answer; ask them to explain their thinking.

On a real shopping trip, keep the learning task small. Finding one item on a list or comparing two suitable choices may be plenty. Finish the conversation later if either of you is tired.

Ask together: “What do we need for this plan? Which extra matters most to you, and why?”

Further reading: MoneyHelper: shopping trips with children; MoneyHelper: learning about money by age.

GIVING · 2 MIN READThere is more than one way to give.Explore money, useful belongings and time, starting with something your child cares about.

Begin with care

Giving can start with a simple observation: someone could use help, an animal needs care or a shared space needs attention. Ask your child what they notice. You do not need to begin with a donation amount, and a family does not need spare money to have this conversation.

Talk about three possibilities: contributing money, giving useful belongings or offering time. Explain that donating an item means letting someone else keep it. Sharing or lending usually means you expect to use it again. Let your child understand that difference before offering anything that belongs to them.

Try a “care, ask, choose” plan

  1. Draw a person, place or cause your child cares about. Perhaps it is a local animal shelter, a neighbour or a community garden.
  2. Think of two possible ways to help. A grown-up can check what is actually useful and whether children can take part.
  3. Choose one manageable action together. It might be making a card, helping with an agreed task or setting aside a small amount for a chosen cause.

Keep the choice thoughtful

There is no required amount to give. Avoid measuring generosity by how much money a child has. If they are not ready to part with a favourite toy, help them think of a different contribution. They can learn about another person’s needs while keeping a meaningful belonging.

Afterwards, ask what happened and what you learned. Focus on the recipient’s needs and the action you chose, rather than a reward for being generous. You can also remember times when someone helped your family; care goes in many directions.

Ask together: “What might help here, and how could we find out before we decide?”

Further reading: CFPB: learning about giving; CFPB: giving and community activities in the Those Shoes parent guide (PDF).

MONEY BASICS · 2 MIN READWhere does the money go when we tap?Connect coins, prices and cashless payments with a small shop you can make at home.

Make the exchange visible

Children see a phone or card touch a reader and a purchase come home. What they cannot see is the money moving. Explain the method you are using in simple terms: a debit-card payment usually takes money from a bank account; a credit-card purchase creates an amount the cardholder must repay. A tap is a way to pay, not a source of free money.

Begin with the part your child is curious about. “How much does it cost?” and “What will be left?” are useful questions whether you pay with cash or a card. You do not have to explain every kind of account at once.

Try a tiny shop at home

  1. Choose two familiar objects and label them with pretend prices of two and three tokens. Make five large paper tokens of equal value.
  2. Let your child buy one item by handing over the correct number. Count what remains. Swap roles and try again.
  3. Repeat using a pretend debit card and a paper “account” showing five. When the card pays for the three-token item, cross out three marks. The account now shows two.

Connect it to an everyday moment

Next time you shop together, point out one price and the amount on the receipt. You can show the purchase amount without sharing account numbers, passwords or other private details. Explain that online shopping also uses real money, even when nothing physical changes hands.

If counting is still new, use one item and one token first. If your child is ready for more, introduce change. Keep each version short enough that taking turns still feels like play.

Ask together: “We started with five and paid three. How can we show what is left?”

Further reading: MoneyHelper: explaining digital money to children; CFPB: financial terms glossary.

GOALS · 2 MIN READTurn “one day” into a small next step.Make a clear plan, check the numbers and practise changing course when you need to.

Describe the goal together

A goal gives a wish a direction. Let your child say what they want to work towards and why it matters. It could involve money, such as buying a small item, or another resource, such as setting aside time to finish a project. Planning practice can begin with ordinary family life.

For a money goal, check the full cost before choosing a timeline. Include any costs that actually apply, rather than guessing. Keep the first plan manageable; a short pretend exercise can make the steps clear before you decide whether to use real money.

Try a three-box plan

  1. Draw boxes labelled “Goal cost”, “Already saved” and “Still to go”. Try a pretend cost of eight equal-value tokens with three already saved.
  2. Count or draw the missing five. Ask what could happen next. If the pretend plan adds one token each week, mark five weekly steps on paper.
  3. Choose a check-in point. At that point, record what actually changed and decide whether the same next step still makes sense.

Practise changing the plan

Now imagine that the price rises to ten, or that the child wants a different item. Work out the new gap together. Options include waiting longer, choosing something else or pausing. Changing a plan after learning something new is part of planning.

With a real goal, avoid promising money that has not been agreed. If contributions are irregular, track progress without a fixed finishing date. Celebrate the actions your child can describe: checking a price, keeping a record or asking a thoughtful question. Those give you something useful to discuss whatever the balance is.

Ask together: “What do we know now, and what would make the next step realistic?”

Further reading: CFPB: setting a savings goal; CFPB: how planning skills develop.

Written by Coiny Minds for everyday family learning, with further reading from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and MoneyHelper. Activities can be done with ordinary paper and pencils; no purchase is needed.