Money lessons your students actually finish.
Classroom-ready projects, printables and activities that hold up for a full unit – not a worksheet they burn through in ten minutes. Pick your grade band below and start this week.
Start here: the Bill Pay Budget Project
A multi-day project: students take on a monthly income, real bills and the decisions in between. Runs as classwork, with a reflection piece you can grade.
- Runs roughly 8–10 class days
- Daily prompts, so you are not building the lesson each morning
- A reflection component that folds into a semester project
- Works for middle school and high school
“I have 3 classes of 30 Personal Finance students, and we are on day 8 of the project. I have had really good buy-in and they are enjoying being responsible.”
Jennifer Galbraith
Or jump straight to your grade band
Everything below is free and classroom-tested.
High School
Grades 9–12. Budgeting units, project ideas, financial literacy games and first-job prep.
Middle School
Grades 6–8. Consumer math, Shark Tank plans, market day and money board games.
Elementary
Grades K–5. Coin recognition, counting money, needs vs. wants and read-alouds.
High School
Free: Budget Scenario Activity
Give students a curveball budget and let them argue it out. A single class period, no prep.
“We worked on the Teen Budget Worksheets in class last week. It really opened up the students to seeing what they earn and spend weekly. Thanks again.”
Kelly Dodd, Child Development and Health Teacher
- How to Teach Budgeting (from Beginning to Advanced)
- Personal Finance Basics for High School Students
- 11 Engaging High School Business Class Activities
- 14 Personal Finance Project Ideas and Examples
- Free Printable Would You Rather Money Questions for Teens
- 19 Free Financial Literacy Games for High School Students
- 4 Budget Projects for High School
- Free Financial Literacy Movies for Students (Includes Summaries)
- Short-Term Financial Goals for High School Students
- 11 Helpful Teenage Goal Setting Printables
- 17 Financial Tips for High School Students
- How to Make a Resume for First Job (Teenagers)
Middle School
The Bill Pay Budget Project above is the one most middle school teachers start with. These pair well alongside it.
- Goal Setting for Kids (How to Explain Goals to a Child)
- 6 Alternate Ways to Play Monopoly (so that they'll Learn Actual Money Lessons)
- 23 Best Money Games for Kids
- 6 Budget Projects for Middle School
- Free Printable Would You Rather Money Questions for Middle School Students
- 11 Free Consumer Math Projects for Kids
- 7 Business Plan Templates for Kids
- 14 Shark Tank Lesson Plans for Middle School Students
- 22 Things for Kids to Make and Sell for Market Day
- 7 Free Stock Market Games for Kids
- 13 Free Printable Money Board Games
Free: turn Monopoly into money lessons
It all starts with introducing some financial hardships to game play. Where can I send yours?
Elementary
- 9 Books about Money for Preschoolers
- 16 Books about Money for Kindergarten
- 31 Money Worksheets for Kindergarten
- 9 Free Online Money Games for Elementary Students
- Best Play Register Games for Kids
- 7 Games to Play with Fake Money
- Teaching Preschoolers about Money (34 Activities)
- 19 Best Money Coloring Pages (Coin Values + Coin Recognition)
- 14 Counting Money Games
- 17 Free Money Worksheets for 2nd Grade
- 11 Needs Vs. Wants Worksheets
- 50 Banking Activities for Kids
Free: the 2nd Grade Money Projects bundle
Hands-on money projects built for the younger end of the room – print and go.
Mt. Everest Money Simulation: An Educational Adventure
A done-for-you money education program your students won’t snooze through. Self-study, so you run it on your own timetable – it has already taken over 600 students up the mountain. Created with the 2017 Plutus Foundation Grant.
You know your students need this. I’m here to help you teach it.
I’m Amanda L. Grossman, a Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI®), winner of the 2017 Plutus Foundation Grant to create a kid money program (the Mt. Everest Money Simulation: A Kid’s Educational Adventure), and a 17-year personal finance blogger.
I specialize in teaching kids and teens real-world money management through hands-on financial education systems. My resources are used by educators, parents and classrooms to teach financial literacy in a practical, engaging way.
Not only do I feel qualified to help you teach your students how to earn, save, and manage their money, but I darn well looooooovvvve these subjects.