And your children have even less context for how much things cost. That may be why your child asks for an expensive toy with little understanding about why they can’t have it—costs, scarcity, and value, for kids, can be a hard concept to grasp.

And a shopping trip is the perfect opportunity for a parent to touch on these subjects; There’s no better way to learn than through experience, after all. But you don’t necessarily need to head to a store–you can practice buying things at home!

Teach your kids about how much items cost

Download the activity sheet

Getting started

What you need for the activity:

• “How Much” activity sheet — [Download and Print [PDF]]
• A sales circular or newspaper ad from a grocery or office supply store
• A dollar or two worth of coins and loose change

You’re going to embark on a simulated shopping trip with your child, so have your list ready!

Note: Consider rewarding your child for their great saving habits by contributing to a Stash custodial account.

Activity instructions:

1. Have your child make a list of small, inexpensive school supplies or snacks to pack in their backpack or lunchbox, from the sales circular.
2. Ask your child how much they think each item costs. If their estimate is off, try to understand their reasoning, and ask them to explain their thinking.

Example: “You said the shampoo is $1 and the candy bar is $7, does that make sense?” Their initial impression may not have included a comparison to another item’s value. Let them rethink it.

Discuss the value of the items you plan to buy—where does their value come from? Talk about scarcity and value.

1. With your money, help your child practice counting out the value of an item. Encourage them to experiment with different combinations of coins and dollars.
2. After counting out the money for one item, have your child put it aside as if it was used. Follow the same steps for the remainder of your list.

Afterward: Talk to your kids!

Completing the activity is one thing, but you’ll want to make sure your kids understand what they were taught, and can take something away from it. Try asking these questions, and continue the conversation to reinforce the lesson:

• Are items we purchase regularly more or less expensive than you thought?
• Do you think that (list an item they have selected) is worth more than (another item of lesser cost)?
• Why? Why not?
• Evaluate your child’s impression about how quickly the money they have been counting “disappears.”
• This activity will help you evaluate how well your child is grasping the concept of value

The post How Much Does it Cost? Teach Your Kids a Simple Shopping Lesson appeared first on Stash Learn.

That’s why learning how to count money is still an important life skill for kids to master.

In a prior lesson, your child learned about skip counting. That’s counting using numbers other than the number one, for example counting by 2s, 5s, 10s, or 20s. Knowing how to skip count can help children when they learn arithmetic, but it’s also a handy tool for learning how to count money quickly.

The following lesson will help to reinforce skip learning, while teaching your kids how to count money.

What’s this activity all about?

“I Can Count My Money” is a beginning skip-counting activity, good for children in kindergarten through second grade. This lesson will use coins of different values to teach kids how to count using 1s, 5s, 10s, and 25s.

Skip counting is a precursor to developing fluency in calculation, number sense, and it’s the basis of multiplication and division.

What do you need?

You’ll need a pile of coins, including pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. Or you can use the downloadable, cut out coin sheet.

Materials:

I can count my money! Practice page

Teach your kids about saving and investing

Download the activity sheet

Directions:

1. Practice skip counting. Do the “I can count my money!” activity page.  Download and Print [PDF]
2. Check the practice page and discuss corrections. If the skill is not secure, continue to practice, varying the number of coins.
3. Next, try the “Skip Counting” activity with real money.

Talk to your kids

It’s important for you to have conversations with your children about what they’ve learned.

Here are some questions to consider asking them, to reinforce what they’re learning:

• Can you hear or see a pattern as you count?
• Have you noticed that when you count by twos, you wind up with even numbers?  
• Can you see that when you count in 5s, the numbers end in 5 and then 0?
• How about when you count using 10s? Can you see that 0 is always in the “ones” place,  and the tens place increases by one?

The post I Can Count My Money appeared first on Stash Learn.

That’s what’s known as skip counting, and it’s a useful concept to teach your children. It can help them increase their fluency in counting and adding sums, and boost their confidence in making transactions with money.

What your kids will learn

In this activity, your kids will learn to skip count. It’s an important skill to master, as it’s the precursor to developing fluency in calculation, number sense, and it’s the basis for multiplication and division—not to mention counting money. Skip counting is a suitable skill for kids in kindergarten through third grade.

Teach your kids about saving and spending

Download the activity sheet

What you’ll need

• Skip Counting Money activity sheet Download and Print [PDF]
• 30 pennies, 12 nickels, 12 dimes, 6 quarters

Instructions:

• Pour the coins onto a table and put them into piles by coin type (pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters).
• Work with your child to skip count using different coins and values.

Talk to your kids

It’s important to talk to your kids to reinforce what they’ve learned. Use these tips to further their learning:

• Ask your child if they notice any patterns (e.g. while counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s).
• Older kids may recognize that skip counting is like multiplying. Help your child make the connection if they are ready.
• If your child has trouble identifying coins by name, name a coin to count and pull one out of the pile. Use the name of the coin often, while extracting it from the pile.
• Repeat this activity with other coin types and values. If skip counting is still shaky for your kids, continue practicing by changing the number of coins they are counting. That will force your children to figure out another total value.

The post Teach Your Kids ‘Skip Counting’ appeared first on Stash Learn.

It probably didn’t seem like much fun at the time. But doing chores can be really instructive for children.

Chores can teach kids how to take responsibility and feel proud of a job well done. They can give kids a sense of self-confidence for their accomplishments, and make them feel like they’re part of how your household functions. Best of all, chores can help kids develop good habits and a strong work ethic.

When paired with an allowance, chores can introduce kids to the concepts of employment and income. Even children as young as pre-school can benefit from simple chores, such as putting away toys or helping you to set the table for dinner.

These lessons are likely to carry over into adulthood, helping your kids understand the importance of work to achieve goals.

Teach your kids about their chores

Download the activity sheet

Getting started

In this activity parents and kids can work together to identify chores and organize a schedule within a chore chart.

What you’ll need

• Chores Chart Activity Sheet – Download and Print [PDF]
• Crayons, color pencil, stickers for decorating (optional)
• Laminating (optional)

Instructions

1. Brainstorm a list of possible chores with your child. Make sure they are age-appropriate so they can be successful (see our suggested list in printable).
2. Choose a few chores. Consider adding a few extra that can be done to earn an allowance. Determine how often each chore should be done.
3. Create a weekly chore chart and hang it someplace where you can see it, monitor it, and discuss it.
4. On the attached chart:

• Write your child’s name in the blank.
• Add the agreed upon chores to the boxes.
• Allow your child to decorate the chart.
• Laminate for repeated use (optional).
• Add dates to the calendar.

Talk to your kids!

It’s important for parents to ask their children questions about what they’re doing to check for understanding. What conversations can you have with your kids about their chores?

You might start by asking them why chores need to get done, or how it helps you around the house. If your children are very young, consider making some chores a game, for example, a race to put the toys away.

The post Teach Your Kids About Chores appeared first on Stash Learn.

It may seem basic to you now, but you had to learn how to make sense of change as a child. And learning to count change quickly is actually an important building block of financial literacy for your children.

What’s this lesson all about?

We call it “Money Grab,” and it’s an activity that can help your kids learn and practice counting a collection of coins of different values. Your child will use skip counting strategies to count up different coin values. This activity is for children in the 1st through 4th grades.

In another lesson, we’ll describe what skip counting is. This new lesson will build on skills learned in that lesson. Skip counting should be a secure skill before working on this activity.

Teach your kids about the value of coins

Download the activity sheet

What you’ll need

• Activity Sheet Download and Print [PDF]
• A variety of coins of different values (pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters)

Getting Started:

1. Pour the coins onto a table.
2. Grab 2 coins.
3. Ask questions to ensure understanding of basic skills. What is the name of the coin? What is the value? Check that naming and coin values are secure skills. If not, review and support.

Sample question: “If a nickel is worth 5¢ and a dime is worth 10¢, what is the value of these two coins together?

1. Repeat multiple times with a new “grab” of 2 coins at a time.
2. If counting 2 coins is secure, grab 3 coins. Put like coins together and organize them from greatest value to least. These strategies make skip counting easier.
3. When counting the value of 3 coins is secure, move onto more coins.
4. It is important that the child stay organized when counting. Model if necessary.
5. Add dollar bills to the activity, finding the total value.

Talk to your kids

It’s important to have conversations with your children about what they’ve learned, to reinforce the lessons.

As a conversation starter, take two piles of coins with the same number of coins but a random mix of coin values.

Sample questions: Are these piles the same value? Why does one have a greater value or a smaller value?

Encourage your child to use any strategy to solve the problem. Examples include counting up the change, making a drawing, or using mental math.

The post The Big Money Grab appeared first on Stash Learn.

To get ready, you’ll need to do some back-to-school shopping, for new sneakers, notebooks, pencils and all the other items that your kids will need for a new year of classes.

But do your children know how much it will cost to buy all of that gear? It’s important for kids to learn the value of money, and how much things cost, whether that’s for a new hobby, game, or all that back-to-school merchandise.

In this activity, your children will learn how to create a budget and a spending plan. This activity will help your child practice these skills when it comes to making purchases for school. This activity is for children between 3rd and 8th grades.

What will your kids learn?  Most children participate in preparing to go back to school. New clothes, shoes, backpacks, school supplies, haircuts, and technology are often found on wish lists, but they can be budget breakers. Teaching children to classify “needs” versus “wants,” prioritize needed items, and spend within a set budget, are valuable life lessons. While working on this activity, children will practice and learn valuable lessons about budgeting and buying.

Teach your kids about back to school budgeting

Download the activity sheet

What You’ll Need

• Back-to-School Shopping printables — Download and Print [PDF]
• Access to sales circulars or shopping websites

Getting Started

• Set a dollar amount for your child’s back-to-school spending budget.
• On the “Back-to-School Wishlist,” create a list of items your child wishes to buy.
• Decide which of these items are needs, and which are things you want, but could do without. Circle your selection.
• Have your child prioritize the list. Number the most important item on my list as 1.
• The child will transfer the list to the “Back-to-School Shopping List.”  Help your child research each item to determine its price, and where to buy it.
• The child will find the total cost of the list. Does it if within his or her budget? If not, work together discussing priorities and possibly needing to save for an important item.

Talk to your kids!

Parents should check in with their children to make sure they understand what they’ve learned.

It is important that your child understand needs versus wants. When working on the list or reviewing after your child has completed it, discuss different opinions. Children need sneakers for school. Do children need the latest popular sneaker? There is a computer available to them at school, do they need their own?

• What do you need to start the school year? Encourage your child to set a reasonable budget and stick to it.
• Do they need to spend all of their money? What can they do with any extra? (encourage savings)
• Have a discussion about the best time to buy certain items. Although stores have back-to-school sales on clothes during the summer, if you wait those same items are permanently discounted in early fall.
• Assist your child in researching where they can get the best price. Don’t make purchases until a plan is in place.
• How can you save for items that fall outside the budget? If your child wants something you deem extravagant, make a plan.
• After completing the activity, encourage your child to continue the practice of keeping a list, identify needs vs. wants and prioritizing. Talk about continued planning for other items and events.

The post Back-to-School Budgeting appeared first on Stash Learn.

But cash and coins are still important. And it’s critical for your children to develop numeracy and an understanding of the currency they’ll use in adolescence and as adults.

What is this activity all about?

In “Sorting Coins,” your child will learn to identify the different attributes of each coin—for example, size, color, and value. This activity is intended for pre-K to kindergarten, or students new to identifying U.S. coins.

What will your kids learn?

Having a concrete knowledge of coins and currency is the first step toward understanding spending and saving. Kids will learn the value of each coin and how to count money.

This activity will help your child become more independent in identifying coins and their value. Learning the value of dollars and cents is an important part of being financially literate.

Teach your kids about sorting coins

Download the activity sheet

What you need

• Activity page — Download and Print [PDF]
• A variety of coins—pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters

Getting started

1. Fold the answer key under the top part of the paper. Pour coins onto the table.
2. Encourage your child to look at how the coins are alike and different. Have them look at both sides of the coins. Listen for keywords such as colors, sizes, and images.
3. Have the child sort the coins using one of the identified characteristics.  Ask them questions like: How many piles did you make? Why? (eg. 4 piles, all different sizes, 2 piles—different colors)
4. Continue this activity until you have explored the different attributes of the coins.
5. Allow the child to look at the answer key. Add attributes not listed.

Talk to your kids!

It’s important to have a conversation with your children about what they’ve learned. It can help them retain valuable knowledge

• After classifying the coins, have the child describe their reasoning. Assign appropriate vocabulary to the categories (copper, silver, heads, tails, etc.).
• When the child has identified size and color, begin giving the coins the appropriate name. For example,  pennies are the only copper coin. A penny is equal to 1¢, and so on.

This activity will help you assess what your child knows and can be repeated later in your child’s discovery until it is a concrete skill.

The post Sorting Coins appeared first on Stash Learn.

Here’s the thing. Many of these things we want (and need) cost money. This activity can teach kids how they can save for their goals and learn how long it takes (and how awesome it is) to achieve a goal.

No need to get fancy or be boring. All you need is a plan, plus four jars and a few simple craft supplies.

Teach your kids about saving and investing

Download the activity sheet

Let’s get started

Each jar will have a label for each “Stash” to be labeled: Needs, Wants, Goals, Causes.

What’s a “need?” – Something kids will use every day. Maybe new sneakers for basketball or a new writing journal.

What’s a “want?” – Something that’s special that may take a little while to save for. Think a new guitar or a tickets to see a favorite team.

What’s a “goal?” – Does this child want to get better at something? Or be something special when he or she grows up? A goal could be years into the future. Maybe foreign language camp? Or a fancy set of turntables to become an amazing DJ? Goals take time, this jar may take a while to fill.

What’s a “cause?” – Kids want to make the world a better place. Maybe he or she wants to donate money to support finding a cure for a disease or keeping their public library open. A little bit of change over the course of a year can make for a big donation. It’s never too early to be a philanthropist!

Final note! Consider rewarding your child for their great saving habits by matching their contributions in their Stash custodial account. You can use Stash dollars to signify each deposit!

What You Need

• Wants, Needs, Causes and Goals activity sheet — Download and Print [PDF]
• 4 jars or containers
• Scissors
• Tape or glue
• Writing or drawing utensils, decorations (optional)

Instructions

1. Brainstorm a list of wants, needs, goals, and causes that the child cares about.
2. Use scissors to cut out each label.
3. Adhere one label to each jar using tape or glue. (Optional: personalize your jars with decorations)
4. Place your jars somewhere safe, but in plain sight (so you don’t forget!).
5. Add money, loose change, or Stash dollars to them regularly. Spread the money among your four Stashes.

Talk to your kids

How is a want different from a need? Is clothing a want or a need?

What’s the difference between a need and a goal? Is owning a house a need or a goal?

How much money do you need for your Wants? Needs? Goals? Causes?

How much time do you have to save for these?

How much money should you contribute each day?

How will you spread your money across all four jars? Are some jars more important than others?

The post Got Four Jars? You Can Teach Your Kids About Money appeared first on Stash Learn.

But if you’re a kid, a pile of change is more confusing than anything. So many coins, with so many shapes, sizes, pictures, and colors—how can they make sense of it?

It can be fairly easy to teach your kids the value of all of those coins, and all you need to start is a handful of pennies. Soon, they’ll be able to count how much they’ve stashed away in their piggy bank without having to ask for help.

Teach your kids about the value of money

Download the activity sheet

Get Started

What you need for the activity:

• 30 pennies
• “How Many Pennies” activity page — Download and Print [PDF]
• Optional: pennies page—it is important that this page is printed in color as color is an identifying factor of coins

Using pennies, you and your kids will count up to find equivalents—10 pennies, for example, is equivalent to a dime, etc.

Full instructions:

1. Read the activity directions
2. Place pennies on the floor or on a table, or cut apart pennies from penny page.
3. Read and refer to the table at the top of the page.
4. Read the first question, and ask your kids questions: “If a nickel is equal to five cents, how many pennies are equal to a nickel?” Count out the pennies that are equal to a nickel. Encourage your child to count; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5: it’s a one to one correspondence.
5. Work through the remaining questions. How many pennies are equal to a dime? (Encourage the child to use the table independently).
6. Repeat for the quarter.
7. Bonus question: How many pennies are equal to a half dollar? (Check for prior knowledge. If they do not know, introduce the topic. A dollar is equal to 100 cents. Half of 100 is 50. Therefore, a half dollar coin is equal to 50¢. There are not enough pennies to make 50¢. Does your child understand the one to one correspondence or do they need to count? At this point in the activity, they should realize that 50¢ is equal to 50 pennies. If they do need to count, encourage them to draw the additional coins needed.)

Talk to your kids!

Completing the activity is one thing, but you’ll want to make sure your kids understand what they were taught and can take something away from it. Try asking these questions, and continue the conversation to reinforce the lesson:

• Which coin has the greatest value? How do you know?
• Extend the activity: Using one penny, nickel, dime, and a quarter; Put the coins in order from smallest to largest.
• Place one nickel and five pennies in two separate piles. Ask your child to describe the two piles. Which has a greater value? Repeat with other coins.

The post Teach Your Kids About Value With a Handful of Pennies appeared first on Stash Learn.

The ability to tell the difference can help get you and your kids through the back-to-school shopping season while teaching them a lifelong lesson in personal finance.

You can’t create a budget unless you know what you need to buy vs. what you want to buy, right?

This short and fun activity can help—it’s perfect for kids in pre-k or elementary school, and only involves a little sorting. By the end, they should be able to define and identify examples of needs and wants.

Teach your kids about saving and investing

Download the activity sheet

Getting started

What you need for the activity:

• Needs vs. Wants activity sheet — Download and Print [PDF]
• Scissors
• Extension: prepare pictures of items your child has expressed wanting or needing and add them to the activity

After cutting out the pictures (and adding some others if you’d like), your child will sort them into the appropriate column: “Needs” or “Wants”.

If you need an easy way to define the two:

What’s a “need?” – Something kids will use every day. Maybe new shoes, or a lunchbox for school.

What’s a “want?” – Something that’s special that may take a little while to save for. Like a new skateboard, or a trip to Six Flags.

Note: Consider rewarding your child for their great saving habits by matching their contributions in their Stash custodial account. You can use Stash dollars to signify each deposit!

Full instructions

1. Cut apart the activity pictures.
2. Read the heading on the two columns, but do not discuss the meanings.
3. Have the child sort the pictures into the column they think the item belongs in.
4. Define need (something you can’t live without) and want (something that would be nice to have, but you can live without).
5. Look at each item they have classified and ask, “Can we live without this?” Reclassify the items if needed. Discuss misconceptions
6. Extension: Share pictures of items you collected. Ask your child, Is this an item you need or item you want? Discuss misconceptions.

Talk to your kids!

Completing the activity is one thing, but you’ll want to make sure your kids understood what they were taught and can take something away from it. Try asking these questions, and continue the conversation to reinforce the lesson:

• What do you need to be healthy?
• Why is a _____________ an item you “need”?
• Why is ______________ considered a “want”?
• Name an item not previously discussed. Is it a want or need?

The post Needs vs. Wants: Do Your Kids Know the Difference? appeared first on Stash Learn.

Try planning a picnic. It could make lunch more interesting, and it could make it easier for your kids to swallow a critical lesson about money.

Note: Consider rewarding your child for their great saving habits by contributing to a Stash custodial account.

Teach your kids about saving and investing

Download the activity sheet

Getting started

What you need for the activity:

• “Plan a picnic on a budget” activity sheet — Download and Print [PDF]
• Calculator, if needed
• Optional: a website or grocery store flyer from your local grocery store

Your kids are going to plan a picnic, and the goal is to stay within a budget for this activity. If you need help explaining what a budget is, try this:

Budget—It’s a plan for your money. It tells you how much you have, and what you plan to spend it on.

The goal here is to relay the idea that your kids can’t buy everything; They’re working with limited resources, and have to achieve the goal (throwing a picnic) while staying within their budget.

Activity instructions:

1. Print the activity.

2. Engage with your child: Share real-life experiences about how you budget for day to day and special occasions.

3. Explore: Your child should first plan the menu based on what they’d like, and their budget of $15. Encourage the child to choose at least 5 items.

4. Activity Modification: If the attached menu is too limited or does not interest your child, encourage them to create a menu that grabs their attention. Use your local grocery store’s website to find the cost of items.

5. After creating the menu, your child should list the grocery items needed and the cost of each. Calculate the total cost. Is the total greater than, less than, or equal to the budgeted amount?

6. Explain: Discuss changes they might want or need to make in the menu. Can they add more variety? Do they need to modify the menu to stay within the budget? After changes have been made, add and evaluate.

7. Elaborate: After completing the activity challenge the child to plan a party, a gift for a friend or family member, a school project, also using a budget.

Afterward: Talk to your kids!

Completing the activity is one thing, but you’ll want to make sure your children understand what they’ve learned, and can continue to apply what their new knowledge. Try asking these questions, and continue the conversation to reinforce the lesson:

• Why is it important to set a budget before we shop?
• Were you able to get everything you wanted?
• What did you need to do when you did not have enough money in your budget for the items you wanted?

The post Teach Your Kids About Budgets: Plan a Picnic! appeared first on Stash Learn.

Unsurprisingly, many of us also feel that we missed out on some important financial lessons when we were kids. Had we learned at a young age some basics such as making a budget or saving for the things we want, perhaps we would have made better money decisions when we became adults.

That’s why we’re thrilled to introduce Stash Academy for kids.

Teach your kids the lessons you wish you’d received

Stash Academy is a series of interactive activities for children that will help parents teach their kids about money. This series is available on Stash Learn, and accessible both on the web and in the Stash app. The first activities will be available this summer, and parents can expect to see more engaging videos, ebooks, and games weekly through winter 2018.

We partnered with educators and designed a series based on financial literacy standards from national financial education leaders, Jump$tart, and The Council for Economic Education (CEE). Jump$tart and CEE are national leaders in K-12 financial education. Stash Academy is geared to grades K through grade 8 and includes lessons in saving, investing, and more.

Our goal is to empower Stashers to be the financial grownups they needed when they were kids. With Stash Academy, you’ll have access to interactive activities as well as educational tips that will help you and your child get the most out of the learning experience.

Prepare your kids for a better financial future.

How can you help ensure that your child has a financially sound future? Increasing your child’s financial literacy can enable them to make the most of financial opportunities, avoid common money pitfalls, and set themselves up for long-term success.

Our first five activities are geared to the K-5 audience, and cover topics including the value of money, distinguishing needs from wants, and budgeting.

Check out our learning activities using the links below:

How Many Pennies?

Needs vs. Wants

Wants, Needs, Goals, and Causes

Plan a Picnic on a Budget

How Much Does It Cost?

Families can learn together

One of the best ways to become an expert in a topic is to teach it to someone else. In addition to increasing a child’s financial literacy, you might find you’ve increased your own financial savvy as well.

With Stash Academy, we hope to provide you and your family with an opportunity to learn together.

The post Introducing Stash Academy appeared first on Stash Learn.