Financial Literacy Hands-On Activities
Did you learn about life skills like financial literacy and personal finance in middle or high school? I sure didn’t, and I wish I had! It is so refreshing to see many school districts nationwide adopt financial literacy classes and curriculum, but there are few teacher resources! Let’s look at some finance education resources to help you create a financial literacy curriculum for your students to help them get the best life skills education possible and prepare them for the future.
We will learn about board games, printable bell ringers about personal finance, and a financial literacy workbook for tweens and teens!
Teaching financial literacy in middle school isn’t just about dollars and cents; it’s about setting kids up for a future where they’re confident and savvy about money. Picture this: middle schoolers and high school students navigating the basics of budgeting, understanding how credit works, and making smart choices with their cash. It’s like handing them a practical toolkit for adulthood.
Financial literacy at this stage isn’t a lecture on economics; it’s a life skill that helps them make sense of the real-world stuff waiting for them down the road. Plus, it’s a bit like giving them a secret code to crack – making money matters less mysterious and much more manageable.
Financial Literacy Games
These board games are intended to engage students while they learn about check writing and credit cards. The vocabulary they learn through playing these games with their peers will help them become more knowledgeable in the subject areas. Students play in groups of 4 to 6 and move through the game board by asking each other the game questions. Each game also comes with a slideshow presentation so that you can review the vocabulary before the students play.
Free Financial Literacy Vocabulary BINGO–
- This is a fun way to have students learn important financial vocabulary. They fill in their game board by using the terms sheet. You choose definitions from a pile of cards, and students cross off the ones they have. You can allow them to use the definition sheet if they need extra help. You can play this multiple times because they can make many board combinations!
2. Board Games-
This board game includes a review slideshow. You can start class with the slideshow to go over the basic knowledge needed to play the game, and the better students pay attention, the better they do in the game! You can usually play a couple of rounds of the game in one 40-minute class because some students move through it pretty quickly. These games work well for middle and high school students and can make real-world content exciting and fun.
What’s needed? Some game pieces (coins work well), dice (there’s an app for that if you don’t have dice), and printed game boards and questions are included in the download.
⭐The check-writing game goes over how to write a check, how people balance a checkbook, check writing basic vocabulary, why to write a check, how to cash a check, and more.
⭐The credit game includes credit vocabulary, what interest means, how to pay a credit card, when you should use a credit card, the dangers of credit card use, interest rates, and more.
This is low prep and can take up at least half of a 40-minute class period. It should run itself once you set it up, and student groups can play independently.
More Financial Literacy Worksheets
3. Bell Ringers-
These worksheets come in a financial literacy bell ringer form and include over 90 prompts for each day of the semester. Questions cover money management skills, banking, setting financial goals, creating a personal budget, fun money facts, and more! This is a great way to start class each day while helping your students start thinking about financial planning and literacy.
In both Google format and a printable PDF, these are ready to go and require no prep by you! These are a great addition to any family and consumer science, business class, social studies, or vocational education class. This makes great independent work when students enter the classroom. To learn more about using bell ringer journals in the classroom, check out our blog post!
4. Free Financial Literacy Worksheets-
We also have a free sample of the financial literacy worksheets with the first 10 prompts for free. Download to see if you and your students would be interested in this!
Additional Financial Literacy Resources
5. ⭐ Financial Literacy workbook–
This one is on Amazon, and your students will love it! If you are looking for different resource types, this is great for homeschool middle school and tweens to help them understand life skills and money management. You could even use this in technical education classes to supplement instruction. This has 100 days of questions and facts for students to engage with that teaches them how to become a smart consumer, how to budget, facts about money, credit and debit, and more.
Young people need a lot of exposure and reinforcement when it comes to building financial success in the real world. There is more vocabulary than you realize when teaching students about their first budget, savings accounts, how to decide if a consumer item is a want or a need, deciding on spending money or saving money and more. The PBS website has free additional financial literacy worksheets and videos that can help you to reinforce these concepts and more! These work well for in-class middle school or homeschooled middle school-aged students, including 6th and 7th grade. It has numerous financial literacy lesson plans and supplemental resources that can be of great value!
Other Financial Literacy Activities
- Budgeting Exercises:
- Have students create a budget for a hypothetical scenario. Provide them with a set income and ask them to allocate funds for various expenses like housing, transportation, food, and entertainment. This hands-on approach helps them understand the importance of budgeting.
- Guest Speakers:
- Invite financial professionals or local experts to speak to the students. They can share personal experiences, discuss the importance of financial planning, and provide practical tips. This exposure to real-world examples can be invaluable.
- Stock Market Simulations:
- Use virtual stock market simulations where students can create and manage a simulated investment portfolio. This activity introduces them to the basics of investing and helps demystify the stock market.
- Personal Finance Projects:
- Assign projects that require students to research and present information about personal finance topics such as credit scores, types of loans, or the cost of living in different cities. This encourages independent learning and presentation skills.
- Field Trips:
- Take students on field trips to local banks, credit unions, or financial institutions. This provides them with real-world exposure to banking processes, and they can ask questions to professionals working in the field.
- Role-Playing Activities:
- Create scenarios where students play different roles, such as a consumer, banker, or business owner. This interactive approach helps them understand economic concepts, negotiation skills, and the importance of financial decision-making.
- Online Resources:
- Utilize online resources and educational platforms specifically designed for financial literacy in middle school. Websites like Practical Money Skills for Life offer lesson plans, games, and other educational materials.
- Classroom Economy:
- Establish a classroom economy system where students earn and spend “classroom currency.” This can simulate real-world transactions and provide a practical understanding of earning, saving, and spending.
- Discussion and Reflection:
- Engage students in discussions about financial news, current events, or personal finance experiences. Encourage them to reflect on their own financial goals and decisions, fostering critical thinking about money matters.
- Book and Film Analysis:
- Introduce books or films that focus on financial themes and discuss them in class. This can include novels, documentaries, or movies that highlight the impact of financial decisions on individuals and society.
Remember to adapt these activities to suit your students’ learning styles and interests. Making financial literacy relatable and engaging will enhance their understanding and retention of these essential life skills.
Teaching financial literacy to middle and high school students is paramount in preparing them for the complex financial landscape they will encounter in adulthood. Equipping students with essential financial skills early on not only empowers them to make informed and responsible decisions about money but also fosters a sense of financial independence. Understanding concepts such as budgeting, saving, investing, and managing credit becomes crucial as students transition into higher education or the workforce.
Financial literacy education helps students develop a solid foundation for personal financial management, enabling them to navigate real-world challenges like student loans, credit card debt, and homeownership.
Moreover, instilling financial literacy at a young age promotes a culture of responsible financial behavior, reducing the likelihood of future economic hardships and fostering a society of financially savvy individuals. By incorporating financial education into the curriculum, schools contribute to the overall well-being and success of their students, empowering them to make sound financial decisions that have a lasting impact on their lives.
