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Official website of Urban Financial Literacy, LLC

Find financial literacy activities

These urban financial literacy lessons contain activities that can help your children begin learning about money and minimizing risk. They are free of charge to you.

Each of the activity units can be completed within 15 to 90 minutes. The activities can help supplement your childrens' existing financial education in your home or in their school classroom. And there is a complimentary teaching guide, so it’s easy for you to implement at home.

Although a print version is available on Amazon, you can download the activity workbook for free here.

A print version of the teaching guide is available on Amazon, but you can also download the digital edition of the teaching guide for free here.

Illustration of teacher and student activity books
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List of activities

List of activities

  • Protecting your identity online

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8)

    Your children answer true-or-false questions about safe online behaviors and consider ways to protect themselves online.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Protect (Managing risk, Preventing fraud and identity theft)
    Activity duration:
    45-60 minutes
    Available in Spanish

    Building block

    • Executive function
    • Financial habits and norms

  • Meeting your future self

    Updated

    Ideal for: Elementary school (4-5), Middle school (6-8)

    Your children imagine their lives in 10 years and write a fill-in-the-blank letter from their future selves to their current selves.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Earn (Learning about careers, Making money), Save and invest (Saving for long-term goals)
    Activity duration:
    45-60 minutes
    Available in Spanish

    Building block

    • Executive function
    • Financial habits and norms

  • Mapping your money journey (middle and high school)

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8), High school (9-10), High school (11-12)

    Your children complete a short survey to find out about their current money skills and explore things they can do to manage money better.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Earn, Save and invest, Protect, Spend, Borrow
    Activity duration:
    75-90 minutes

    Building block

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

  • Exploring entrepreneurship

    Updated

    Ideal for: Elementary school (4-5), Middle school (6-8)

    Your children read a book about starting a business, think of an idea for a product they can create or improve, and design a plan for selling it.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Earn (Becoming an entrepreneur, Learning about careers, Making money)
    Activity duration:
    75-90 minutes

    Building block

    • Executive function
    • Financial habits and norms

  • Drawing your own business comic strip

    Updated

    Ideal for: Elementary school (4-5), Middle school (6-8)

    Your children explore entrepreneurship by reading a story about entrepreneurs and drawing a comic strip about starting a business.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Earn (Becoming an entrepreneur, Learning about careers, Making money)
    Activity duration:
    75-90 minutes

    Building block

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

  • Exploring opportunity costs

    Updated

    Ideal for: Elementary school (4-5), Middle school (6-8)

    Your children 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.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Earn (Becoming an entrepreneur, Learning about careers, Making money), Spend (Buying things)
    Activity duration:
    75-90 minutes

    Building block

    • Executive function
    • Financial knowledge and decision-making skills

  • Playing a business game

    Updated

    Ideal for: Elementary school (4-5), Middle school (6-8)

    Your children read a book about starting a business and then play a game to explore things that can happen when you run a business.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Earn (Becoming an entrepreneur, Learning about careers, Making money)
    Activity duration:
    45-60 minutes

    Building block

    • Financial knowledge and decision-making skills

  • Using a buying plan

    Updated

    Ideal for: Elementary school (4-5), Middle school (6-8)

    Your children read a scenario and then practice creating a buying plan and comparison shopping for a computer.

    Key information

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

    Building block

    • Executive function
    • Financial knowledge and decision-making skills

  • Comparing higher education choices

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8), High school (9-10), High school (11-12)

    Your children explore higher education options by comparing similarities and differences between two colleges near where they live.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Earn (Learning about careers, Making money), Spend (Paying for college)
    Activity duration:
    45-60 minutes

    Building block

    • Financial knowledge and decision-making skills

  • Starting your own business

    Updated

    Ideal for: Elementary school (4-5), Middle school (6-8)

    Your children practice being entrepreneurs by thinking of businesses they might start based on their own ideas, talents, or passions.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Earn (Becoming an entrepreneur, Making money)
    Activity duration:
    75-90 minutes

    Building block

    • Financial knowledge and decision-making skills

  • Bouncing ball money choices

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8), High school (9-10), High school (11-12)

    Your children play a game to share how they think and feel about money.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Save and invest (Choosing how to save), Spend (Buying things)
    Activity duration:
    15-20 minutes

    Building block

    • Financial habits and norms

  • Protecting your Social Security number

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8)

    Your children read about the importance of protecting their Social Security number and decide if statements about Social Security numbers are true or false.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Protect (Preventing fraud and identity theft)
    Activity duration:
    45-60 minutes

    Building block

    • Executive function
    • Financial habits and norms

  • Understanding who shapes your money decisions

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8), High school (9-10), High school (11-12)

    Your children read a handout and then identify how both they and the people in their lives make choices about money.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Save and invest (Choosing how to save), Spend (Buying things)
    Activity duration:
    45-60 minutes

    Building block

    • Financial habits and norms

  • Understanding ways to pay for education after high school

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8)

    Your children conduct Internet research to build their awareness of options for paying for education after they graduate from high school.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Save and invest (Saving for college), Spend (Paying for college), Borrow (Getting loans)
    Activity duration:
    45-60 minutes

    Building block

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

  • Understanding minimum payments

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8)

    Your children watch a video and answer questions to learn how long it takes to pay off a credit balance when making only the minimum payment.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Borrow (Managing credit)
    Activity duration:
    15-20 minutes

    Building block

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

  • Avoiding debt

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8)

    Your children read a short story and a handout to learn about excessive debt and ways to avoid or reduce debt.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Borrow (Getting loans, Managing credit)
    Activity duration:
    45-60 minutes

    Building block

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

  • Building a good borrowing reputation

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8)

    Your children analyze the profiles of three different people to decide what kind of borrowing reputation they have.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Borrow (Getting loans)
    Activity duration:
    45-60 minutes

    Building block

    • Executive function
    • Financial habits and norms

  • Getting a credit card and using it wisely

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8)

    Your children conduct research to learn about how credit cards work and some tips for using them.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Borrow (Managing credit)
    Activity duration:
    45-60 minutes

    Building block

    • Executive function

  • Managing credit card payments

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8)

    Your children use a simple formula to calculate the true cost of items bought with a credit card.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Borrow (Managing credit)
    Activity duration:
    45-60 minutes

    Building block

    • Financial knowledge and decision-making skills

  • Borrowing money for a house

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8)

    Your children “buy” a local home and calculate payments based on the principal, interest rate, and length of mortgage loans to learn how different loan terms affect the overall cost.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Borrow (Getting loans, Managing credit)
    Activity duration:
    45-60 minutes

    Building block

    • Financial knowledge and decision-making skills

  • Figuring out how much to tip

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8)

    Your children 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)

    Your children 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)

    Your children 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)

    Your children 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)

    Your children 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)

    Your children 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

  • Paying bills

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8)

    Your children explore different payment methods while using a Venn diagram.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Spend (Paying bills)
    Activity duration:
    45-60 minutes

    Building block

    • Executive function

  • Protecting yourself against risk

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8)

    After reviewing a handout about insurance, your children will match types of insurance to the scenarios they cover.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Protect (Managing risk, Using insurance)
    Activity duration:
    15-20 minutes

    Building block

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

  • Playing an insurance game

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8)

    Your children play a game to explore types of insurance and how they help protect people.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Protect (Managing risk, Using insurance)
    Activity duration:
    45-60 minutes

    Building block

    • Financial knowledge and decision-making skills

  • Learning about budgets

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8)

    Your children learn about budgeting rules and then apply their understanding in an interactive budgeting activity.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Save and invest (Saving for long-term goals, Saving for short-term goals), Spend (Budgeting, Paying bills)
    Activity duration:
    45-60 minutes

    Building block

    • Executive function
    • Financial knowledge and decision-making skills

  • Contrasting long-term and short-term savings goals

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8)

    Your children learn the difference between short-term and long-term savings goals and apply their knowledge in an exercise-oriented game.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Save and invest (Choosing how to save, Saving for long-term goals, Saving for short-term goals)
    Activity duration:
    15-20 minutes

    Building block

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

  • Using idioms to promote saving

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8)

    Your children explore idioms, which are expressions that use figurative speech, to better understand financial concepts like saving and earning.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Save and invest (Choosing how to save)
    Activity duration:
    45-60 minutes

    Building block

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

  • Preparing to pay for education after high school

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8)

    After brainstorming ways to save for education after high school, your children create an interactive graphic organizer that highlights ways to pay for postsecondary education.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Save and invest (Saving for college, Saving for long-term goals)
    Activity duration:
    45-60 minutes

    Building block

    • Executive function
    • Financial knowledge and decision-making skills

  • Saving and investing card game

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8)

    Your children play a game to learn the difference between saving and investing and explore when to save or invest.

    Key information

    Topic:
    Save and invest (Choosing how to save, Saving for long-term goals, Saving for short-term goals)
    Activity duration:
    45-60 minutes

    Building block

    • Executive function
    • Financial knowledge and decision-making skills

  • Examining elements of a paycheck

    Updated

    Ideal for: Middle school (6-8)

    Your children 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,” your children 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)

    Your children 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 are based on the Consumer Finance Protection Agency and they align with the My Money Five principles introduced by the statutorily created federal Financial Literacy and Education Commission.
GettingMoney4Life Urban Financial Literacy Activities | https://gettingmoney4life.org
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