Teach Your Children About Money – Popular Kids Financial Literacy Products
Want to set your kids up with financial success for life? You can do that by getting started now!
We have combed through the Internet to find some of the most popular financial literacy products for kids available in the market today. Below you will find 30 different books, games, resources, and multimedia platforms that will get your child engaged in the world of money. From preschool to college, no matter how old your child is, there is something to learn that will benefit them financially for years to come.
*Disclaimer: The NFEC does not make recommendations on third-party products. This is a list of resources our research team found to be popular.
Books
Ages 3 to 5
“Sammy Says Book Series – Set of 4 Save, Earn, Spend, Give” by Sam X Renick
Sam X Renick created his Sammy Rabbit character to make it easy and appealing to teach kids about good money habits. The “Sammy Says” set of four activity books introduces children to basic personal finance concepts on saving, earning, spending, and giving. The books and activities serve as a catalyst for talking with kids about money while also helping them build reading, writing, vocabulary, and goal-setting skills.
“The Berenstain Bears’ Trouble with Money” by Stan and Jan Berenstain
A classic children’s book about earning and saving money. After Brother and Sister Bear carelessly spend all of their money, Mama and Papa Bear teach them about the value of a dollar by encouraging them to start a lemonade stand and a pet-walking service.
Ages 5 to 7
“It’s a Habit, Sammy Rabbit!” by Sam X Renick
This is the first book in Sam X Renick’s “The Adventures of Sammy the Saver” series. The storybook teaches children the importance of starting good money habits early, using an engaging and interactive technique where kids are asked to guess or “predict” the chapter titles. In the story, Sammy Rabbit learns a very important money secret. When he puts it into action, he saves the day for his whole family.
“Rock, Brock, and the Savings Shock” by Sheila Bair and Barry Gott
This is a fun book that teaches kids about the power of saving versus spending. Twin boys Rock and Brock are given one dollar each week from their Grandpa with the opportunity to get one extra dollar for each one they save. By the end of the summer, Rock has spent every dollar, whereas Brock now has $512.
“Alexander, Who Used to Rich Last Sunday” by Judith Viorst and Ray Cruz
Another classic! This is the story of a boy who receives a dollar every time his grandparents visit on Sunday. Each week, he quickly spends his money but then becomes sad when he has nothing worthwhile to show for it. Soon he begins to recognize the importance of using money wisely.
Ages 7 to 11
“Sammy’s Big Dream” by Sam X Renick
In this Sammy Rabbit book by Sam X Renick, Sammy is determined to make a big dream come true: he wants to ride the world’s first outer space rollercoaster. Can he earn and save enough money to do it? This story and activity book is designed to inspire children’s imaginations, encouraging them to “dream big” as they learn about the money habits and life skills that put them in position for life success.
“Danny Dollar Millionaire Extraordinaire – The Lemonade Escapade” by Ty Allan Jackson
This is a modern, light-hearted take on entrepreneurship. Danny Dollar is an 11-year-old kid who plans to make his fortune selling lemonade at the city festival. Despite bullies spiking the lemonade with vinegar, Danny doesn’t give up and innovates new ideas to save his reputation as well as his business.
Ages 11 to 15
“How to Turn $100 into $1,000,000: Earn! Save! Invest!” by James McKenna, Jeannine Glista, and Matt Fontaine
From the people behind BizKid$, this book is written to teach tweens how to think like real millionaires. Chapters include such topics as setting financial goals, making a budget, getting a job, starting a business, and smart investing. There’s even a two-page plan teaching them how to actually grow a million dollars.
“The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens: 8 Steps to Having More Money Than Your Parents Ever Dreamed Of” by David and Tom Gardner
From the popular investment website The Motley Fool comes a book specifically for money-savvy teens. They’ll be introduced to the world of stocks and learn how compound interest can multiply their earnings over time. There are also plenty of chapters on how to properly manage money as well as dodge many of the spending pitfalls that one’s peers may fall into.
Ages 16 to 21
“I Will Teach You to Be Rich” by Ramit Sethi
Sethi is a master of speaking to young adults. His content is direct, easy to understand, and mixed with a ton of sarcasm. Readers will be drawn to Sethi’s mantra to spend extravagantly on the things you love and cut costs mercilessly on the things you don’t. They’ll also appreciate his practical tips for how to use money to live what he calls your “Rich Life.”
“Financial Freedom: A Proven Path to All the Money You Will Ever Need” by Grant Sabatier
This book is a fantastic introduction to the concept of financial freedom. Sabatier tells the story of how he was 24 years old, out of work, and had only $2.26 in his bank account. Then just five years later, he had amassed a net worth of $1.25 million. Readers will not only learn lessons in money management, but they’ll also come to understand just how beneficial side hustles can be.
Games
Ages 7 to 11
Money Bags
Money Bags is a board game that takes learning how to handle coins and dollars to the next level. Players earn money as they move across the board, but there are rules about which coins can and cannot be taken out of the bank. This game encourages critical thinking as players create combinations of coins to result in the desired amount of money.
The Game of Life
This classic board game from Hasbro introduces kids to the financial realities of life. As they move around the board, players get jobs, marry, have children, pay taxes, and run into a variety of other unexpected surprises. Depending on which paths you choose to take, you might retire happily or wind up bankrupt.
Ages 11 to 15
Monopoly
Monopoly is the mother of all board games when it comes to money. Players go around the board buying up properties, building houses and hotels, and attempting to bankrupt one another. It’s a great way to introduce children to capitalism and how to make smart investment decisions.
Pay Day
Pay Day is another classic board game with a strong emphasis on budgeting and saving money. Similar to Monopoly, players are challenged with paying bills, debts, and buying properties. The goal is to make your earnings last as long as possible.
Ages 16 to 21
The Stock Market Game
This app has been used by classrooms for years to teach teens about what to expect when investing. Students are given a virtual brokerage account of $100,000 and must use it to research and buy stocks of their choice. The game then simulates real-world stock market fluctuations and challenges the students to determine if they’d like to buy or sell their investments.
Multimedia & Online
Ages 5 to 7
Counting Coins Song for Kids from NumberRock
A fun, catchy tune that describes the value of coins, how they each relate to each other, and how they can be combined to buy various things (like ice cream). Children will love the cartoon kids who sing the song and present the coins each time they’re introduced.
Ages 11 to 15
Biz Kid$
From the producers of Bill Nye the Science Guy, Biz Kid$ is an Emmy Award-winning public television series where kids teach kids about money and business. Viewers can find episodes on dozens of topics such as setting financial goals, being a smarter consumer, and developing a millionaire mindset.
Ages 16 to 21
eVolve Personal Finance Education Center – National Financial Educators Council
The National Financial Educators Council (NFEC) has created a dynamic, entertaining multimedia online learning platform for teaching kids of all ages – PK through college – about money and life skills. The lessons are age-appropriate to meet children at their current developmental levels. The state-of-the-art, interactive eLearning platform goes beyond simple teaching to also address behavioral and psychological factors, counteract negative influences, involve parents in the instructional activities, and help kids develop systems to manage their money.
The Financial Diet
The Financial Diet is a series of financial education videos made specifically for older teens and young adults. Each video is about 5-15 minutes long and deals with just about any financial topic you can think of, including budgeting, debt, and starting a career. There is also a special podcast portion where host Chelsea Fagan interviews various guests to talk about relevant issues like paying off student loans, mindful spending, and so much more.
Curriculum
Ages 3 to 5
National Financial Educators Council
The NFEC curriculum for ages 3-5 is based on the principle that children start building behavioral habits from birth. Kids are strongly influenced by what they see their parents do, and ordinary day-to-day decisions can become teachable moments for molding positive financial behaviors. Children at this age are in the preoperational stage of cognitive development and view the world from a mostly selfish point of view. Lessons focus on identifying needs vs. wants, understanding relative value, and how money affects day-to-day family life.
Ages 5 to 7
National Financial Educators Council
The NFEC’s curriculum package reaches children aged 5-7 by proactively addressing marketing, peer, and social influences that encourage kids to spend. Children in this age range are beginning to form their emotional relationships with money. They use and understand language, but still connect with only one aspect of a situation or object at a time. Lessons for this group encourage kids to move around, handle objects, and classify items into groups.
Ages 7 to 11
National Financial Educators Council
Children in the 7-11 age bracket have reached the concrete operational stage, according to Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development, where they begin developing logical, concrete thinking patterns. The NFEC’s curriculum encourages them to form positive sentiments about money and confidence in their ability to handle it. Lessons help kids understand mass and volume and symbolic representation – for example, the amount of money and purchasing power represented by a given piece of currency.
Curriculum Continued
Ages 11 to 15
National Financial Educators Council
The NFEC curriculum meets youth aged 11-15 where they are, which is at the formal operational stage of development. As they become able to think on an abstract level, kids are encouraged to develop foundational personal finance skills using project-based learning, games, case study illustrations, and brainstorming sessions. The curriculum uses backwards planning so lessons and activities build to support student progress toward pre-defined outcomes. The active learning methods include visual, social, and self-regulated components.
Ages 16 to 21
National Financial Educators Council
The NFEC has developed curriculum for young people at the high school through college level that not only presents content knowledge about money management, but also focuses on molding positive financial behaviors and sentiments, establishing systems, and setting and working toward goals. The lessons are designed to be scaffolded to adjust activities based on learner motivations, knowledge levels, and learning styles. Additional resources include a robust eLearning center and ongoing education that can be delivered through mobile, online, and social media platforms.
