9 Fun Ways to Teach Your Kids the Value of Money

Everybody wants their children to grow up to be successful, responsible adults. To help them do so, it’s important to teach them, among other things, the value of money.

Children generally have short attention spans, so if you find budgeting and managing money boring, how can you teach the value of money to your children? Here are nine fun ways to help you do so.

Coin Identification

When they’re very young, help your children trace around the various coins, then draw and color the interior. You can teach them the name of each coin at the same time.

Play Store

Set up shop in your house. Put price tags on various items and use play money to play store with your kids. To start teaching them the value of money, you could tag some pencils $0.25, a coloring book $1.50, and a toy car $2. Give them $2 of play money and explain to them that with their $2, they can either buy the pencils with the coloring book, or buy just the car, but they can’t buy all three items. Let them choose. Take turns playing the customer and the cashier.

Allowance

Give your kids an allowance according to their age, and show them how to manage it. Their allowance should not be their pay for the regular chores they do around the house. Children should help out because they’re part of the family, not for money. However, offer them ways to earn extra money by doing extra chores.

Piggy Bank

Get your young kids a piggy bank, preferably a see-through one so they can see their progress. Explain to them that the more they wait to spend their money, the bigger the item they can buy.

Savings Account

Bring them to the bank and help them open a savings account. Explain to them the concept of interest—that the bank pays them for saving their money. Help them get into the habit of putting a certain percentage of their allowance in their savings account each week. If you can, offer to double the amount they put in their savings account. It will motivate them even more.

Coin Collecting

Coin collecting is another way to help your kids familiarize themselves with money and its value.

Include Them

Before going to the grocery store, ask your children to help you clip coupons. Once at the store, give them the coupons and ask them to keep an eye out for the products. They feel as if they’re helping, and it’s a good occasion to teach them how to save.

Back-to-School

Once they’re a bit older, turn back-to-school shopping into a friendly competition. Give each of your kids the money for their supplies, and the list of what they need to get. The winner is the one that gets everything on their list and still has money left over. Teach them how to shop smart, how for certain items it’s better to go for quality over price.

Be Their Role Model

Last but not least, there’s no better way to teach your kids than by setting the example. Make a budget and follow it. Talk about money issues openly with your children. They’ll follow your example and grow up to be just like you.