Educating Your Children

It's never too early to start teaching your children the basics of money management. Exposure to financial education at an early age can lay the foundation for a more successful financial future. Consider these fun, age-appropriate activities to help your kids become well versed in money management. Teaching children about money through "edutainment" or "gamification" is effective in making what can seem a dull subject more exciting. By utilizing compelling and familiar mediums — video games, comics, and apps — Practical Money Skills enables teens to learn while having fun.

Ages 4–6

Young children can learn the basics of money, such as differentiating coins and understanding how to put some funds aside. Here are four basic money management concepts for young children:

• Knowing the difference in appearance and value between coins and bills
• Putting money aside to save for later
• Understanding the value of earning money by completing tasks
• Comprehending the difference between wants and needs

Peter Pig's Money Counter
This game helps kids ages 4 to 7 practice sorting and counting coins with the help of wise Peter Pig. It’s available on iOS and Android devices as well as online or via a free CD from Practical Money Skills.
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Money Sort
Practice sorting everyday places into categories: Identify where you need to use money — and where you don’t.
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Pretend Play
Use suggested scenarios and props to get creative and act out activities, like going to work or going shopping.
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Ages 7-12

Once children have a basic understanding of the value of money, introduce them to these more complex financial topics: 

• Managing, saving and spending an allowance
• Tracking purchases
• Shopping to compare prices
• Making — and sticking to — a budget
• Avoiding impulse buying 

The following games and resources can help solidify these concepts:

Guardians of the Galaxy: Rocket’s Powerful Plan
Join the Guardians of the Galaxy in this exciting new comic from Visa and Marvel about the importance of saving money and identifying the difference between wants and needs.
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Avengers: Saving the Day
This unique and exciting comic book combines Marvel's iconic superheroes with financial literacy concepts like saving, banking and budgeting. It’s available for viewing online in eight different languages.
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Bingo on the Go
Check off the places you see as you travel and talk about how each place is funded — public, private, nonprofit, or a combination.
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Ages 13-17

Help your teen put concepts learned into real-life practice and build solid money management skills before entering adulthood. Teaching teens about these financial concepts can help improve their money management skills: 

• Managing money earned through work (like a summer or a part-time job) 
• Making financial goals (short- and long-term)
• Understanding and learning about the wise use of credit
• Protecting against identity theft
• Managing debt
• Saving toward a goal (like a bike, car or college fund)

These games and apps can enhance children’s financial education:

Financial Football
A fast-paced, interactive game that challenges players to compete by answering financial questions to earn yardage and score touchdowns. The game is available as a free iOS app or as a free CD from Practical Money Skills.
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Plan'it Prom
A free Android and iOS app that helps students and parents make a realistic, detailed prom budget and then helps everyone stick to that budget by tracking spending as they shop.
Download for iOS Download now for Android.

Family Members’ Jobs
Research and compare the jobs held by family members and what education and training it took to get there.
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College Scorecard
Whether college is years away or just around the corner, you can explore and compare schools online.
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Ages 18+

Developing money management skills requires ongoing education throughout adulthood. Practical Money Skills’ suite of online and mobile calculators helps young adults explore their own financial information in greater detail. Below are a few of the most relevant calculators as well as fun educational games. 

Buying a Car:
Determine how much you can afford to spend on a new car.
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Emergency Savings:
Prepare for the unexpected by calculating how much to put away each month just in case.
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Budgeting:
Track everyday expenses to take control of your finances.
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Saving for a Goal:
Whether it's a new TV or a special trip, this savings calculator can help you reach your goal.
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Building an Education Fund:
Paying for college involves more than tuition. Don't forget about books, materials, housing and food.
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Financial Football:
A fast-paced, interactive game that challenges players to compete by answering financial questions to earn yardage and score touchdowns. Download the free iOS app, play online or order a free CD from Practical Money Skills.
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