Consumer FinancialProtection Bureau Learn more at consumerfinance.gov
The activityThrough pretend play and everyday activities young children can develop thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors that will lay the foundation for their later financial well-being. Children as young as three years of age begin to understand that you use money to purchase things, that you earn money by working, and that you can save money and wait to purchase things later.
You can help young children explore these concepts through pretend play—an activity that helps kids:
§ Practice and apply the things they’ve seen and learned in life
§ Use their imagination to learn about themselves and the world around them
§ Develop flexible thinking to solve problems and work through situations
§ Learn patience as they interact and take turns with others
§ Use self-control to stay in character
§ Plan and develop strategies for their play, and more
Set up Use simple, everyday items in pretend play and let your children’s imagination do the rest. Listen to your kids, follow their lead, and help them stick to their “roles” and incorporate new ideas.
What to do Use the suggested scenarios and props to get started. Then, follow and play off your children’s imagination while weaving in different situations based on your role. Help your child go on a pretend shopping trip, visit a bank, open a new store, or even invent a new country with new types of money.
Things to do afterwardsAfter the pretend play, try these everyday activities to support these same skills and abilities:
§ Free play in which young children can direct their own play, be creative, and use their imagination
§ Games and sports in which young children must wait their turn, follow directions, focus, and use their memory
§ Shopping in which young children can help you prepare and stick to a shopping list (young children can make a collage using pictures from weekly store flyers or magazines), clip coupons, compare and decide between items, and identify whether items are needs versus wants
§ Problem solving when playing or when resolving issues between siblings or friends
§ Following house, daycare, or school rules
§ Household activities in which young children can help plan and prepare a meal or pick their clothes for the next day
EARLY CHILDHOOD
Pretend play
Goi
ng to
wor
k an
d ea
rnin
g m
oney
Gro
cery
shop
ping
B
anki
ng
As a
wor
ker,
you
mig
ht:
§W
ork
hard
and
list
en to
you
r em
ploy
er o
r bos
s §G
et e
xcite
d ab
out p
ayda
y an
d ge
tting
you
r pa
yche
ck §D
epos
it al
l or p
art o
f you
r pay
chec
k at
the
bank
§Ta
lk a
bout
how
you
’re g
oing
to sp
end
som
e of
yo
ur p
aych
eck
As a
n em
ploy
er o
r bos
s, yo
u m
ight
: §H
elp
wor
kers
lear
n th
eir j
ob a
nd d
irect
them
on
wha
t the
y ne
ed to
do
§Pa
y w
orke
rs fo
r the
ir w
ork
Prop
s you
mig
ht u
se:
§Pl
ay to
ols a
nd to
olbo
x or
tool
bel
t for
a
cons
truc
tion
wor
ker,
mec
hani
c, b
uild
er,
engi
neer
, and
oth
er si
mila
r job
s §A
n ap
ron;
pla
y fo
od, c
ookw
are,
and
dish
es; a
pa
d, a
nd p
enci
l or p
en fo
r a se
rver
or c
ook
§A
whi
te b
utto
n sh
irt o
r jac
ket,
play
med
ical
ca
re k
it or
lab
set,
note
pad,
and
pen
or p
enci
l fo
r a d
octo
r, nu
rse,
vet
erin
aria
n, sc
ient
ist,
rese
arch
er a
nd o
ther
sim
ilar j
obs
§A
play
lapt
op fo
r com
pute
r or a
dmin
istr
ativ
e as
sista
nt jo
bs §C
lass
room
pla
y se
t or p
aper
, stic
kers
, dry
er
ase/
chal
k bo
ard,
dry
era
se m
arke
rs/c
halk
, an
d a
poin
ter f
or a
teac
her
§Pl
ay m
oney
and
che
cks
As a
cus
tom
er, y
ou m
ight
: §C
heck
the
pric
es o
f ite
ms,
look
at l
abel
s, a
nd
ask
ques
tions
abo
ut th
e fo
ods
§Te
ll th
e ca
shie
r you
wer
e ch
arge
d to
o m
uch
§N
ot h
ave
enou
gh c
ash;
then
figu
re o
ut w
hat t
o do
(writ
e a
chec
k, u
se a
deb
it ca
rd, o
r pic
k on
ly
the
item
s you
can
pay
for w
ith th
e ca
sh yo
u ha
ve)
§Pa
y w
ith c
ash
and
need
cha
nge
As a
cas
hier
, you
mig
ht:
§Ri
ng u
p cu
stom
ers
§Pr
ovid
e ch
ange
to c
usto
mer
s §H
ave
a br
oken
cre
dit c
ard
mac
hine
or n
ot h
ave
enou
gh c
hang
e
Prop
s you
mig
ht u
se:
§Pl
ay o
r rea
l foo
d ite
ms
§Pl
ay m
oney
; pre
tend
or n
onus
able
che
cks,
gift
ca
rds,
and
cre
dit c
ards
§A
play
regi
ster
, mon
ey b
ox, o
r cal
cula
tor
§A
smal
l car
t or b
aske
t (fo
r gro
cery
shop
ping
)
As a
ban
k cu
stom
er, y
ou m
ight
: §O
pen
a ch
ecki
ng o
r sav
ings
acc
ount
§D
epos
it ca
sh o
r a c
heck
—som
e in
sav
ings
and
so
me
in c
heck
ing
§W
ithdr
aw c
ash
from
a c
heck
ing
acco
unt
§A
sk fo
r inf
orm
atio
n ab
out d
ebit
and
cred
it ca
rds
§A
sk fo
r you
r acc
ount
bal
ance
§A
sk fo
r mon
ey (a
loan
) to
buy
a ca
r or a
hou
se
As a
ban
k te
ller,
you
mig
ht:
§H
elp
cust
omer
s ope
n an
acc
ount
§D
epos
it cu
stom
ers’
cash
or c
heck
s §G
ive
them
cas
h, d
ebit
card
s, or
cre
dit c
ards
§Te
ll cu
stom
ers t
heir
acco
unt b
alan
ces;
som
e m
ight
be
high
and
som
e m
ight
be
low
whe
re
they
nee
d to
dep
osit
mor
e m
oney
so th
ey d
on’t
get c
harg
ed a
low
bal
ance
fee
§Le
nd o
r not
lend
cus
tom
ers m
oney
for a
car
or
a ho
use
base
d on
thei
r fina
ncia
l situ
atio
n
Prop
s you
mig
ht u
se:
§Pl
ay m
oney
§Pr
eten
d or
non
-usa
ble
chec
ks a
nd c
redi
t car
ds §W
ithdr
awal
and
dep
osit
slips
§A
play
regi
ster
or m
oney
box
§A
calc
ulat
or
Pret
end
play
scen
ario
s
Pretend playCut out these coins and bills to use in pretend transactions.