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Find financial literacy activities

Find activities that can help you teach and nurture the building blocks of financial capability across the curriculum.

These classroom activities can be completed within a single class period. Each activity comes with a teacher guide and supporting student material, so it’s easy to implement whether you’re an experienced personal finance teacher, integrating financial literacy into another subject area, or supplementing your existing financial education curriculum.

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Showing 19 matches out of 136 activities

Showing 19 matches out of 136 activities

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  • Figuring out how much to tip

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8)

    Students use common tipping percentages to calculate three tip amounts.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Spend (Buying things, Giving to others)
    Activity duration:
    15-20 minutes

    Building block

    • Financial habits and norms
    • Financial knowledge and decision-making skills

  • Paying for a pet

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8)

    Students calculate the costs of owning a pet and practice choosing an appropriate pet.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Spend (Budgeting, Buying things)
    Activity duration:
    45-60 minutes

    Building block

    • Executive function
    • Financial knowledge and decision-making skills

  • Calculating energy costs

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8)

    Students calculate the yearly costs of operating energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs and compare them to the costs of using standard appliances and bulbs.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Spend (Budgeting, Buying things, Paying bills)
    Activity duration:
    45-60 minutes

    Building block

    • Executive function
    • Financial knowledge and decision-making skills

  • Brainstorming household budgets

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8)

    Students review monthly incomes and household expenses to practice making budget decisions, including about housing and roommates.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Spend (Budgeting, Buying things, Paying bills)
    Activity duration:
    45-60 minutes

    Building block

    • Financial knowledge and decision-making skills

  • Budgeting for needs and wants

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8)

    Students explore the difference between needs and wants and practice making budget choices.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Spend (Budgeting, Buying things, Paying bills)
    Activity duration:
    45-60 minutes

    Building block

    • Executive function
    • Financial habits and norms

  • Creating a monthly household budget

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8)

    Students determine how to balance their needs and wants when budgeting for household bills.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Spend (Budgeting, Buying things, Paying bills)
    Activity duration:
    75-90 minutes

    Building block

    • Financial knowledge and decision-making skills

  • Examining elements of a paycheck

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8)

    Students review a sample pay stub to understand the real-world effect of taxes and deductions on the amount of money workers take home.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Earn (Getting paid, Making money, Paying taxes)
    Activity duration:
    45-60 minutes

    Building block

    • Financial knowledge and decision-making skills

  • Turning hobbies into earnings

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8)

    After learning about the term “gig economy,” students brainstorm a list of fun hobbies or activities they enjoy doing that could be turned into money-making opportunities.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Earn (Becoming an entrepreneur, Making money)
    Activity duration:
    15-20 minutes

    Building block

    • Executive function

  • Counting cash

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8)

    Students practice handling money through simulated purchases and sales transactions.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Earn (Making money), Spend (Buying things)
    Activity duration:
    45-60 minutes

    Building block

    • Financial habits and norms
Activities align with the My Money Five principles introduced by the statutorily created federal Financial Literacy and Education Commission.