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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Banking basics card game
Ideal for: High school (9-10), High school (11-12)
Students play a game to learn about common banking products and services and to consider which ones they might use now and in the future.
Creating a savings first aid kit
Ideal for: High school (9-10), High school (11-12)
Students learn the importance of developing an emergency savings fund to deal with unexpected challenges and unplanned expenses.
Saving each payday
Ideal for: High school (9-10), High school (11-12)
Students use a real-world simulation to learn how saving a little money each payday can be a successful strategy for saving.
Creating a buying plan
Ideal for: High school (9-10), High school (11-12)
Students practice creating a buying plan and apply this strategy to provide buying advice to others.
Reflecting on needs versus wants
Ideal for: High school (9-10), High school (11-12)
By thinking about their own expenses, students explore how differentiating between needs and wants can inform daily financial decisions and rules to live by.
Spending scenarios
Ideal for: High school (9-10), High school (11-12)
Students consider everyday spending decisions by working through real-world scenarios.
Choosing the best cell phone plan for you
Ideal for: High school (9-10), High school (11-12)
Students research the features and costs of cell phones and cell phone plans and use a decision matrix to compare options and determine the best one for their needs, wants, and budget.
Storing my savings
Ideal for: High school (9-10), High school (11-12)
Students read descriptions of common places to store their money and weigh the benefits and risks of each to decide which one(s) fit their financial goals.
Understanding redlining
Ideal for: High school (9-10), High school (11-12)
Students read a handout about the practice of redlining and answer questions about its impact on individuals and communities.
Exploring opportunity costs
Ideal for: Elementary school (4-5), Middle school (6-8)
Students read a book about the opportunity costs of starting a business, play a fill-in-the-blank game, and discuss things they could give up so they can have something else.