Summer is a great time to encourage the entrepreneur in every child!  Whether it’s setting up a lemonade stand or learning how to save, Zoodles has tracked down some fun ways for you and your child to learn about money together.

Make your own piggy bank

• Make a piggy bank using paper mache and a few simple materials.
• Talk about saving money with your child and discuss good strategies for using a bank.
• While the project does take a few days, the personalized outcome is worth the wait!
• For detailed instructions, see EnchantedLearning.com
• For a simpler version of the same activity, use a coffee can instead!

Enjoy an easy, one-day fundraiser

• Go classic with a lemonade stand, host a car wash, create your own inventions, bake cookies, or have a yard sale!
• Keep track of expenses, and of course profits too!

Share some funny jokes

• Why didn’t the dime jump off the bridge when the nickel did?  The dime had more cents.
• Where do penguins keep their money? In snow banks!
• Where can everyone always find money when they look for it? In the dictionary.
• Mother: Why did you just swallow the money I gave you?    Son: You said it was my lunch money!
• What kind of food is crazy about money?  A dough-nut!

Design your own currency

• Draw or print out dollar bill templates and start decorating!
• You can also visit Festisite to design dollar bills using your child’s own photo.
• Use them around the house and develop your own currency system!

Come up with a one week pledge

• Come up with a fun pledge that your child can make
• The pledge should be something simple but beneficial to your child, like wearing a pedometer and tracking the number of steps per day, counting the number of hours your child spends reading, or the number of hours they spend off the TV!
• Choose a cause together that your child can earn the money towards – maybe a charity or desired gift
• Call up friends, neighbors and relatives for small donation amounts
• Keep track of pledge amounts on a big and visual chart
• Kickoff the pledge and let the donations begin!

Check out 4 Zoodles-approved games and websites!

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 30th, 2009 at 4:25 pm and is filed under Family Activities. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.