Bankaroo – https://www.bankaroo.com/ – A virtual bank for kids, where you can teach them about the value of money in a safe environment. Kids will learn how to budget, save up for goals and spend responsibly.
Cha-Ching– https://www.cha-chingusa.org/educators/ – Explore a suite of no-cost, versatile resources to engage your K-6 classroom in meaningful conversations about money while empowering students to make smart choices when it comes to earning, saving, spending, and donating.
InCharge Debt Solutions– https://www.incharge.org/financial-literacy/resources-for-teachers/financial-literacy-for-kids/ – Lessons provide guidance, lesson plans and activities for teachers interested in introducing four to seven year old children (pre-school, pre-k, first and second grade) to early financial literacy concepts. (Further down the page are lessons for grades 3-6 students.)
PBS Learning Media – https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/ – PBS and your local station have curated free, standards-aligned videos, interactives, lesson plans, and more for teachers like you. The programming below is geared at financial literacy in particular.
Count On It!– K-2: This video series features two puppets, Blossom and Snappy, who both love finding math in everyday situations – shopping, event planning, decorating and visiting attractions!
Cyberchase (Let’s Go Shopping)– K-5: Guess how much your family spends at the supermarket. Use math and estimate the total cost of groceries using your CyberBucks in this Cyberchase activity.
Cyberchase (Making a Savings Diary) – K-5: A little bit of money saved can turn into a lot. Create a savings diary and use math as you learn how you can save money in this Cyberchasers activity.
Family and Community Learning– K-2: About financial literacy and introducing the concept of money and saving to children.
Sesame Street in Communities – Kindergarten: Every goal starts with taking the first step. Teaching kids to save money by collecting in a specific place—such as a piggy bank or a jar—shows kids concretely how much they are saving.
SmartPath– K-2:A fun way to learn about money that combines live-action, music videos, original songs, comedy, ventriloquism, and puppetry!
Young Explorers (Kids Bank)– Kindergarten: Meet experts who operate a bank in their school. The tellers, bookkeepers and board members are all kids, but kids and grownups can make deposits into real accounts
Young Explorers (What is Money?)– Kindergarten: Explains different types of bills and coins, and lists a few ways to use money including saving, donating or spending it on things that are needs instead of wants.
Money Savvy Kids– https://www.moneysavvy.com/assembled/money_savvy_kids.html – Money Savvy Generation, the pioneer in developing basic personal finance curriculum for elementary grades, now offers age appropriate instructional materials for the K-5 elementary years. The 6-level curriculum has a spiral construct that continually reinforces and builds on previously introduced concepts.
Practical Money Skills (U.S.)– https://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/ – Visa has developed an award-winning global program that offers interactive tools and educational resources to help individuals and communities build stronger financial futures. There are lots of materials and activities available (a few highlighted below). Also available in Spanish.
Cash Puzzler – put the scrambled pieces of the puzzle back together to complete the image of a dollar bill in Visa’s Cash Puzzler game. Choose between 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 dollar bill puzzles and learn fun facts about Benjamin Franklin, Ulysses S. Grant and more.
Lessons K-2: These activities for the very young include simple but important lessons like recognizing different coins and understanding what they’re worth.
Lessons 3-6: As children get older, they can start to learn about more complex financial topics like saving money, comparison shopping and managing their allowance.
Peter Pig’s Money Counter – kids practice identifying, counting and saving money while learning fun facts about U.S. currency. After completing the game, players are rewarded with a trip to the virtual store to buy accessories within budget and dress up Peter Pig in fun scenes.
Super Hero Saving Smash– one page worksheets that teaches students about the difference between wants and needs.
Sesame Street in Communities– https://sesamestreetincommunities.org/topics/financial-education/ – When children see people spend money or use the ATM, they are building an understanding of what money is. Guide that understanding with simple activities about making good choices, what has value, and spending, sharing, and saving.
SmartPath– https://www.economicscenter.org/smartpath/ – An innovative, fun and interactive financial and economic education platform created for students of all ages. The curriculum is standards-based, with lessons designed to deliver on state standards for Math, Social Studies, ELA and more for grades 1-8.
Take Charge America– https://www.takechargeamerica.org/financial-education/teaching-resources/ – Provides lesson plans for teachers to use with students from grades one to five. These lesson plans incorporate personal finance skills with children’s books to provide a fun, well-rounded learning experience.
U.S. Currency Education Program (Currency Academy) – https://www.uscurrency.gov/educational-materials/classrooms/currency-academy – Here at the Currency Academy, our mission is to have fun while learning about U.S. currency. If you haven’t heard of currency before, it’s another word for money. Sometimes people call paper money other things, like banknotes, notes, cash, and bills. Look for information on currency, educational materials, videos and circulation using the other webpages available.
The Seven Denominations – The Federal Reserve Board currently issues $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 notes. Learn more about their design and security features.
U.S. Mint Coin Classroom – https://www.usmint.gov/learn/kids/resources – Browse the U.S. Mint Coin Classroom’s K-6 educational resources to find at-home activities, lesson plans, and more. Use coins to teach kids math and finance concepts, as well as general information about the Mint and coins.
World of Cents– https://www.mycreditunion.gov/financial-resources/world-cents – A fun and engaging, kid-friendly game for ages 5 and up designed to help teach the value of money through the concepts of earning, saving and spending money, while incorporating basic math concepts.
Bankaroo – https://www.bankaroo.com/ – A virtual bank for kids, where you can teach them about the value of money in a safe environment. Kids will learn how to budget, save up for goals and spend responsibly.
