Summer is here...and that also means it is the perfect time to find practicle ways to teach your kids about how to manage money.
With these family summer family afternoons....teaching out kids shouldn't just be thrown out the window this is a time to leverage the years we have these summers together.
To help you with this....I have built 10 ways you can build these life educational moments into the next few weeks ahead.
1. Start a Summer Side Hustle Together
Help your kids start a lemonade stand, flower booth, egg sales, or homemade crafts shop. Teach them how to calculate expenses, set prices, and reinvest profits.
2. Family Budget Challenge
Give them a mock “family budget” with play money or a spreadsheet. Let them “manage” it for a week—balancing groceries, bills, entertainment, and savings. This shows real-world decision-making.
3. Open a Kid-Friendly Investment Account
Use custodial investment apps like Greenlight or Fidelity Youth. Show them how $10 can grow over time and introduce the basics of stocks, mutual funds, and compound interest.
4. Host a “Build Your Own Business” Camp at Home
For a week, work with them on creating their own business—logo, name, mission, product, pricing. You can even host a "Shark Tank" night at the end for fun.
5. Teach the “3 Jars” System: Spend, Save, Give
Use labeled jars or envelopes. Every time they earn money (chores, gifts, etc.), they divide it up—learning balance, generosity, and delayed gratification.
6. Let Them Help Sell Something
Declutter the house and let them post items on Facebook Marketplace or host a garage sale. Teach pricing, negotiation, and the difference between value and sentiment.
7. Teach Time = Money with a Chore Pay Scale
Create a chore chart with different values (sweeping: $1, washing the car: $5, etc.). This helps them understand how effort, skill, and time translate to income.
8. Play Wealth-Building Board Games
Games like Monopoly, The Game of Life, Cashflow for Kids, or Pay Day can be both fun and educational, building a mindset around assets and strategy.
9. Read a Money Book Together
Choose age-appropriate books like:
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by Mary Nhin (ages 4–8)
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by Jacqueline Davies (ages 7–12)
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(teens)
Then discuss what they learned over a picnic or ice cream.
10. Create a Family Wealth Vision Board
Print photos of dream homes, trips, businesses, farms, and donations. Teach them that wealth is a tool to build a life of purpose, not just luxury. Keep it visible all summer!
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