Saving and Spending Activities for Kids

In this set of activities adaptable for grades K-3, parents and educators will find ideas for teaching about saving and spending money, and using money wisely.. These activities are designed to complement the BrainPOP Jr. Saving and Spending topic page, which includes a movie, quizzes, online games, printable activities, and more.

Classroom Activities for Teaching About Saving and Spending

Penny Harvest

Putting aside a penny a day might not seem significant to many kids, but it all adds up! Have students in the class each collect a penny a day. This is a great opportunity to use estimation skills and have students predict how much money the entire class will save by the end of the month. Set a goal or time frame for the harvest and then choose a way to spend the money together. You may want to buy something the whole class can share, or donate the money to a good cause.

Class Business

Start a class business together. You may want to hold a bake sale, a lemonade stand, or make goods to sell, or even collect used books to sell. Brainstorm different ideas, discussing the advantages and disadvantages of each. Make sure students take into consideration the time and money required to make or collect the goods. Then run the business together! Keep track of expenses and profits. Then choose what to do with the profits together.

Family and Homeschool Activities for Teaching About Saving and Spending

Allowance

If your child receives an allowance, create a budget together. Make sure your child keeps track of all expenses, and budgets for saving. You may want to discuss community needs and decide on a charity your child will save for as well. If she or he wishes to make a large purchase, discuss the pros and cons. Research prices together and model ways to spend money wisely.

Saving Up

Together with your child, discuss special expenses in the future, such as a first car or college tuition. Predict the total expense, and then create a plan to save money. If an eight-year-old saves a dollar a week, he or she will have over $3,000 by sixteen years of age. This could be put toward a first car!