One of the things we try to do as parents is give our children the tools they need to be capable (and hopefully successful) adults. But oftentimes we’re operating from our own level of ignorance. We are trying to teach our kids things we never learned and concepts we might not fully understand ourselves! Teaching about money is often one of those topics. The good thing is that nowadays there are tons of resources available to help. Here are 5 books to teach kids about money that are age-appropriate and help instill the foundation for a good financial future.
Teach That Things Cost Money: It’s Not Fair!: A Book About Having Enough by Caryn Rivadeneira
Roxy Ramirez has saved up for weeks to buy a chemistry set, and now she’s headed to the toy store to buy it! There’s only one problem: along the way, she keeps running into friends who are in trouble, and need her to dip into her savings to help. Will she have enough money left over to buy something for herself? Especially designed for kids 4-6, It’s Not Fair! teaches kids about money, choices, generosity, and what it means to have enough.
Teach That Money Is Earned: Earn It! by Cinders McLeod
Bun wants to be rich and famous. She loves to sing and knows she’s meant for a career on stage. It should all be pretty easy—her mom can just drive her to the concert hall to perform! But her mom reminds her that most good things, like the garden they are growing, take time and work. At first, Bun isn’t terribly excited by the idea of singing lessons and practice, but as she does the math and daydreams about her future singing career, the more she starts to like the idea of earning her way to stardom—a feeling just as good as being rich and famous!
Teach the Power of Saving: You Can’t By A Dinosaur with a Dime by Harriet Ziefert
Clink, clink, clink, clink…Clink, clink, clinkity… Money saved in a bank makes your brain think-thinkity! Children are fascinated by moneyhow it looks, feels, smells, and most of all, what it buys. And Pete is no exception. The rhymed verse describes how Pete saves his allowance, spends too much of it, has second thoughts, and starts over. Young readers will not only applaud Pete’s decisions, but join him in his computations as he saves, spends, and strategizes over future purchases. The lively combination of fact and fiction, plus humorous art, will prove both thought-provoking and thoroughly enjoyable.
Teach the Importance of Generosity: Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts
All Jeremy wants is a pair of those shoes, the ones everyone at school seems to be wearing. Though Jeremy’s grandma says they don’t have room for “want,” just “need,” when his old shoes fall apart at school, he is more determined than ever to have those shoes, even a thrift-shop pair that are much too small. But sore feet aren’t much fun, and Jeremy soon sees that the things he has — warm boots, a loving grandma, and the chance to help a friend — are worth more than the things he wants.
Teach about the Concept of Money: Curious About Money by Mary E. Reid
Shells. Coins. Paper bills. Credit cards. Bitcoins. People have used all kinds of objects to buy, sell, or trade. Aren’t you curious: what is money?
Developed with numismatic curators at the Smithsonian, this fascinating book looks at how people, money, and history intersect, right on up to what’s current about currency.
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