Kids learn quickly, so starting them off young will help them build a strong foundation of financial knowledge. With that base of knowledge, children will develop money habits that will help them mature and develop with confidence. Good money behaviors develop into good habits. The earlier that they are taught, the faster they catch on, and with practice, the routine will become a habit. By gaining basic financial knowledge early, later decisions such as buying insurance, paying bills, saving for major purchases, won’t be so daunting.
A STEAM kit that we have recently added to our collection at FDL is the Money, Math, and Economics Kit.
The Money, Math, and Economics Kit introduces the concept of money recognition, money management and math skills using play money in a hands-on play environment. The kit encourages interactive play to help children buy, sell and learn the value of money and teach basic financial literacy concepts.
This kit includes:
- A fun game, Buy it Right. This game gives players the opportunity to make purchases based on what is needed and how much the item costs. Hint: It took me a few minutes to read the directions and get the game board set up. You might want to do all of that first, then call the kids to play.
- An ATM machine that lets you deposit and withdraw money.
- A book, Math at the Store. This book shows a family at the grocery store doing their shopping. It features the skills, counting, adding, subtracting, greater than/less than, and using money.
You can find a list of STEAM kits at FDL on the
Library of Things page.
– Kris, Youth Services Specialist
