Children learn best when they’re having fun - and money skills are no exception.
While lessons in school lay the foundation, some of the most memorable financial learning happens around the kitchen table, during a shopping trip, or through an imaginative game at home.
At ThinkPieces, we’ve always believed that learning through play builds deeper understanding - whether it’s solving one of our jigsaw puzzles or exploring simple money games that help children connect numbers, choices, and everyday life.
Why Play Matters in Financial Learning
Money can sometimes feel abstract to children, especially as so many of our transactions now happen online or with contactless cards. Games help bring those concepts back to life - allowing children to see, touch, and make choices about money in safe, low-pressure ways.
Across the UK, leading education organisations continue to highlight the importance of early, practical money experiences:
- Young Enterprise stresses that children begin forming financial habits long before secondary school - meaning playful, hands-on learning in the early years is essential for confidence and curiosity.
- The National Literacy Trust has shown how stories, vocabulary, and everyday conversations about money help children connect financial ideas with real-world meaning.
- The PSHE Association encourages schools to embed financial education across the wider curriculum, not as a one-off topic but as part of wellbeing and life-skills learning.
- And the Bank of England’s “Money and Me” programme provides free classroom materials that turn complex economic ideas into simple, interactive activities.
Together, these initiatives share one message: children learn best when money lessons are active, creative, and relevant to their own lives.
When children play with money, they practice:
- Counting and mental maths - adding, subtracting, and making change.
- Decision-making - comparing costs and values.
- Patience and goal-setting - saving for bigger “rewards.”
- Negotiation and fairness - working with others to make deals.
And most importantly, they start linking money with confidence and curiosity - not anxiety or confusion.
1. The Family Shop
Transform your living room into a mini supermarket.
How it works:
- Give children a small amount of play money (coins, notes, or paper cut-outs).
- Set up items from around the house - toys, books, snacks - each with a price label.
- Children “buy” and “sell” items, practising giving the right amount and calculating change.
Learning outcomes:
- Reinforces adding, subtracting, and real-world maths.
- Builds understanding of value versus price.
- Encourages polite communication (“please,” “thank you,” “how much does this cost?”).
Extension idea:
Introduce special offers or sales (e.g. “20% off toys today!”) to explore percentages and budgeting.
2. The Savings Race
A visual way to help children understand delayed gratification and goal-setting.
How it works:
- Each child picks a goal - perhaps a book, a small toy, or a family trip treat.
- Create a “Savings Thermometer” chart on paper and colour it in as they add coins or earn small amounts through chores.
Learning outcomes:
- Builds patience and planning.
- Encourages discussion around “needs vs wants.”
- Helps children experience pride in reaching a goal through saving.
Top tip:
Match their efforts - for every £1 they save, you add 50p as a “family bonus.” This mirrors real-world incentives like interest or workplace savings schemes.
3. The Bank of Mum, Dad (or Grandma and Grandad!)
Turn pocket money into a mini learning system.
How it works:
- Create a simple “bank account” ledger on paper or digitally.
- Record deposits (pocket money or earned tasks) and withdrawals (small purchases).
- Encourage children to review their “statements” monthly and talk about how they might spend or save differently next time.
Learning outcomes:
- Introduces record-keeping and budgeting.
- Builds numeracy and accountability.
- Promotes family conversations about spending priorities.
For schools:
This works brilliantly in class as a team exercise - pupils can simulate being “tellers” or “customers,” reinforcing practical maths and PSHE learning outcomes.
Pocket Money Ledger Example (Download Here)
4. Budget Challenge Night
Make budgeting a family game.
How it works:
- Give each participant an imaginary budget (e.g. £50).
- Present them with a list of choices - meals, entertainment, travel, gifts - each with a cost.
- Everyone plans a day or weekend “within budget.”
- At the end, discuss which choices felt easiest and which were hardest.
Learning outcomes:
- Demonstrates trade-offs and opportunity cost.
- Highlights how families prioritise spending.
- Builds empathy - there’s rarely just one “right” answer.
Bonus twist:
Run the challenge again a week later with prices changed due to “inflation” - helping children understand why budgets need updating in real life.
Budget Challenge Night Example
Making budgeting a family game (Download Here)
5. Board Games That Teach Money Without Trying
Sometimes, the best lessons are hiding in plain sight. Classic board games can help children practise counting, risk-taking, and strategy - all vital financial skills.
Top recommendations:
- Monopoly / Monopoly Junior – introduces property, rent, and budgeting.
- Pay Day – reinforces monthly planning, saving, and bills.
- The Game of Life – prompts discussions about jobs, education, and choices.
- ThinkPieces printable games (coming soon!) – short, creative classroom activities for KS2.
Tip for teachers:
Adapt these for the classroom by removing “competition” elements and focusing on decision-making discussions instead.
Making Everyday Moments Count
Not every money lesson needs a board or a plan - sometimes, it’s as simple as noticing everyday moments:
- Let your child compare prices in the supermarket.
- Ask them to estimate the cost of a family outing.
- Encourage them to choose between spending their pocket money now or saving for later.
Every question like “Why did you pick that?” or “What could you do instead?” helps build critical thinking about money.
A Piece to Think About
Financial confidence doesn’t start in the classroom or the bank - it starts with the tiny choices children make every day.
When we turn money learning into play, we show them that managing money isn’t about fear, stress, or numbers - it’s about freedom, creativity, and choice.
The next time your child sets up a pretend shop or counts their pocket money, remember they’re not just playing; they’re practising a skill that could shape their future.
ThinkPieces: Financial confidence starts before double digits.
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