5 Fun Money-Related Activities for Kids This Summer

Summer holidays are the perfect time for children to learn about money without it ever feeling like a lesson.

Whether they're running a mini-business, planning a family day out or hunting for bargains, these fun activities teach money skills they'll remember long after the summer ends.

If you've already started helping your children grow their own financial forests by thinking of money as seeds that can be planted and grown, fantastic. If not, don't worry. Here are five simple activities to help your kids begin their journey towards becoming great with money this summer.

5 Fun Money-Related Activities For Kids

1. Start a Mini-Business

Summer is the perfect time for kids to start their own mini-business. With neighbours, friends and other families out and about, there are plenty of opportunities to earn their first "money seeds".

Encourage your children to come up with their own ideas first. Kids are often far more creative than we give them credit for.

If they need a little inspiration, here are a few ideas:

• Lemonade stand

• Selling homemade cookies

• Car washing

• Dog walking

• Babysitting (for older children)

  
  

Two real-life stories that I share in Frankie Fortune are of a girl who made and sold homemade slime and a boy who collected and sold lost golf balls from outside a golf course, with permission from the club.

Don't worry if the business isn't a huge success. The goal isn't to make lots of money. It's to experience what it feels like to earn it.

Running a mini-business helps children develop valuable skills such as selling, budgeting, negotiating, customer service and basic accounting. These are skills that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.

Money skills learned: Earning, budgeting, profit, customer service and entrepreneurship.

2. Plan the Family Day Out

If you have a family day trip or holiday planned this summer, let your children take charge of the budget for one day.

Ask them to plan everything, including:

• Meals

• Transport

• Activities

• Snacks

• Treats

  
  

Then encourage them to:

1. List all of the expected expenses.

2. Guess how much each item will cost.

3. Research the actual prices.

4. Create a budget.

5. Track what the family actually spends during the day.

   
   

For an extra challenge, give them a spending limit that they have to stick to. If they want to spend more in one area, they'll need to find savings somewhere else.

Many children are surprised by how different their guesses are from the real prices. They also quickly discover how lots of small purchases can add up.

Younger children will need more help with the planning and research, but involving them in the process helps them appreciate what family days out really cost.

Money skills learned: Budgeting, planning, prioritising and understanding where money goes.

3. Become a Price Detective

Turn your next shopping trip into a game.

Challenge your children to compare the prices of similar products in different shops to see who can find the best value.

Good items to investigate include:

• LEGO

• Books

• Toys

• Trainers

• Phone cases

• Chocolate

  
  

Older children could also compare prices online for larger purchases, such as hotels, flights, furniture or family activities.

If they manage to find a cheaper option, you could even reward them by sharing some of the money they've saved.

Once they've found the cheapest option, ask them one simple question:

This helps children realise that price and value aren't always the same thing.

Money skills learned: Comparing prices, understanding value and making smarter spending decisions.

4. The $5 Money Challenge

This is probably my favourite activity, especially for older children.

Give your child $5, or whatever amount you feel comfortable with, and challenge them to grow that money as much as possible over the summer.

Instead of immediately thinking about spending it, they'll begin asking a much more powerful question:

If they need a little inspiration, they could:

• Buy something and sell it for more.

• Buy materials to make something to sell.

• Save it in the bank to earn interest.

• Invest it (if appropriate for their age and with your guidance).

  
  

One university professor even gave this challenge to his students. Surprisingly, some realised that the $5 itself was a distraction and found creative ways to make far more money without using it. You can read more about that here: The $5 University Challenge

Whether they double their money or not doesn't really matter. The biggest lesson is helping children think differently about money. Instead of asking, "What can I buy?", they begin asking, "How can I make this grow?"

Money skills learned: Investing, entrepreneurship, creativity and delayed gratification.

5. Read a Fun Money Book

I'm guessing you're not surprised to see this recommended activity from me. I believe that reading stories together is one of the easiest ways to start conversations about money.

There are now some fantastic books that introduce topics like saving, investing, earning and generosity through fun stories rather than making it feel like homework.

If you're looking for somewhere to start, my books Grandpa's Fortune Fables and Frankie Fortune are written specifically to help children aged 6 to 14 build healthy money habits through entertaining stories. You can find out more here.

Sometimes a single story can spark a conversation that lasts far longer than any lecture.

A Summer of Growing Financial Forests

The greatest gift we can give our children isn't money itself. It's the ability to earn it, manage it and grow it wisely.

Hopefully one of these activities inspires your family this summer. Not only will your children have fun, they'll also be developing money skills that can benefit them for the rest of their lives.

If you try any of these activities, or come up with one of your own, I'd genuinely love to hear how it went. You can email me at will@bluetreesavings.com.

If you think other parents would enjoy these ideas, please share this blog with them. They can also subscribe for more money-related content here.

👉 What to read next ...

• 5 Mini-Business Ideas for Kids

• The $5 University Challenge

  
  

Thanks for reading,

Will

P.S. If you've read and enjoyed Grandpa's Fortune Fables or Frankie Fortune, it would mean the world to me if you could help more families discover them by leaving an online review.