6 Things Your 5-Year-Old Should Know About Money (2024)

When it comes to teaching kids about money, even young kids can learn something. Here are a few lessons your kids can learn before they turn five.

6 Things Your 5-Year-Old Should Know About Money (1)

Teaching kids that are barely out of toddlerhood about money may seem crazy, but even basic money lessons can begin young.

And starting these lessons young, can be advantageous. Research has found that teaching kids about money candecrease materialism and make kidsfeel more financially savvy.

While young kids undoubtedly won’t have mastered all these concepts by the time they’re five, introducing these concepts at a young age gives kids years to build on their understanding.

Many of these ideas come from the Money As You Grow website.

1) Moneyis Used to Buy Things

Using pretend money can be fun for kids as they play, but eventually, kids need to understand that money is used to buy things that we need.

One way to teach this lesson is to have your young child pay for things at a store. For example, if you’re getting ice cream, have your child hand over cash to the store employee. Young kids could also pay for transactions at the drugstore, toy store or when visiting a museum. If there’s time, talk to your kids about the price and the types of bills and coins you are giving to the cashier.

2) Coins and Bills Have Value

While your young child might not fully grasp the difference between a dime and a quarter by the time they’re five, these early years are a great time to begin teaching your kids about physical money.

As mentioned above, letting kids occasionally pay for things can increase their familiarity with coins and bills. If time allows, have your young child help count the coins necessary to pay for a pack of gum, for example.

There are also a number of games and activities you can do with your kids to help them better understand physical money. For a list of 17 fun money games for kids, click here.

The Kids Money Management Toolkit has everything you need (except money!) to begin giving your kids an allowance. In addition to guidance and advice, you’ll also receive Save, Spend, and Share jar labels, a Kids Money Ledger, a Savings Challenge Sheet, a Jobs-for-Hire Sheet, and a Kids Allowance Contract. Click here to learn more.

3) Delayed Gratification

Not giving into your child’s insistence that they need a cookie RIGHTNOW before eating dinner isn’t just good parenting, but is also teaching them a lesson that will serve them well financially.

Teaching kids that it is possible to wait for the right time to receive something they want is a valuable lesson.Debt is a serious problem in the United States, and while some families have found themselves in this state out of misfortune, others simply spend more than they make without thinking through the consequences.

4) We Have to Work for Money

At this young age, you can introduce to kids the concept that work and money are connected. Talking to kids about how the work that Mom and Dad does helps to pay for everything you own is a good place to start. Taking kids to a parent’s office or discussing how police, firemen, and store employees are all doing jobs to be paid money can also be a good teaching opportunity.

5) There is a Difference Between Something We Need and Something We Want

Kids tend to think that everything they want is a need. Now’s the time to teach them that some things are needs (food, shelter, clothing) while others are wants(candy, toys and more clothes than necessary). You can begin to incorporate the words “need” and “want” into discussions with your kids so they can begin to distinguish between the two.

As kids get older, this lesson can be further enforced when kids are given the opportunity to manage their own money.

6) Sometimes The Best Things in Life Don’t Cost Money

Going to an indoor playground costs money, having a fun day in the park with a friend is free. Talking to kids about why a trip to the children’s museum isn’t in the cards every day can begin to build an understanding ofthe necessary trade-offs when it comes to managing money. Getting kids to see that fun can be had even when no money is spent is also a great lesson to instill early on.

See related:

Kids Won’t Really Understand Money Until You Do This

How to Get Started on Kids Allowance – the Right Way

17 Fun Money Activities for Kids

6 Things Your 5-Year-Old Should Know About Money (2024)

FAQs

6 Things Your 5-Year-Old Should Know About Money? ›

Encourage imaginative play such as pretend store with a toy cash register, play coins, and plastic cards. Count and roll coins together in paper wrappers and allow your child to hand them over the counter next time you visit the bank. Decorate a clear jar as a savings bank and let it fill over time with spare change.

How do you teach a 5 year old about money? ›

Encourage imaginative play such as pretend store with a toy cash register, play coins, and plastic cards. Count and roll coins together in paper wrappers and allow your child to hand them over the counter next time you visit the bank. Decorate a clear jar as a savings bank and let it fill over time with spare change.

What are some money facts for kindergarten? ›

Money is made in factories called mints! The U.S dollar is the most commonly used currency in the world! The first Credit-Card like payment method appeared in 1950 when the “Diners Club” issued its first charge card. Before money existed, people used other systems to pay for goods, like bartering.

At what age should kids learn the value of money? ›

Age 7: How to understand the value of money

Louise Hill says, “It may feel very early to be starting serious conversations about money, but our research shows that by age seven, many money habits will be set. This is the perfect age to introduce the value of money.

Do 5 year olds understand money? ›

By around five and six, children are starting to understand and question money-related basics. They'll be able to understand that: different coins have different values.

What is the 50 30 20 rule? ›

The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings. The savings category also includes money you will need to realize your future goals.

How do you teach money to kindergarten? ›

A good way to teach them is to sort their coins by value and use as many of the biggest value coins as they can before they have to switch to the next value down (for example, use quarters to make the number as high as possible without going over until they need to switch to dimes or nickels).

How do you introduce money to kindergarten? ›

How to Teach Preschoolers and Kindergartners About Money
  1. Use a clear jar for their savings. ...
  2. Set an example with your own money habits. ...
  3. Show them stuff costs money. ...
  4. Show them how opportunity cost works. ...
  5. Give commissions, not allowances. ...
  6. Avoid impulse buys. ...
  7. Stress the importance of giving. ...
  8. Teach them contentment.
Jan 9, 2024

How do you teach rich kids about money? ›

Be clear and honest about what wealth has made possible for the family. Encourage your children's active, genuine participation in financial matters, such as deciding how much allowance they should receive, participating in family budgets, planning vacations and buying school supplies.

How do you teach financial literacy to kindergarten? ›

As parents or educators, it's essential to introduce the concept of money and its value to children at a young age. Use play money or create a simple allowance system to teach kids how money is earned, saved, and spent. Encourage them to set savings goals, such as purchasing a toy or saving for a special outing.

What parents should teach their kids about money? ›

To help combat the idea that money is meant for spending rather than saving, Gardner suggests that parents teach their kids all the different ways money can actually be used. He's developed four basic rules of managing money: 1) spend cautiously; 2) save diligently; 3) invest wisely; 4) give generously.

Why is it important to teach kids about money? ›

Teaching kids the basics of money management can help them develop the skills necessary to achieve financial success later in life. From saving and investing to creating and sticking to a budget, early money lessons can give your kids a leg up when it's time for them to make more significant financial decisions.

How do you teach kindergarten to count money? ›

Create a chart that has 100 squares, labeling each square in sequence with the numbers one through 100. Give your child a handful of different coins and tell them to place each one on the square representing the total value, having them begin with the highest-value coin and working their way down.

Is money taught in kindergarten? ›

Kindergarten is the ideal time to start introducing children to basic money concepts through play. Imaginative games can teach them about currency. Incorporate games like “Grocery Store” or “Pretend Shopping” where kids use play money to buy and sell items. This helps them grasp the value of coins and bills.

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