For Parents & Teachers · Ages 5–6 · Free Printable

How to Teach Money to Kindergarten Kids:
5 Simple Activities

Kindergartners are ready to learn about money — they just need the right activities. Here are five that work in a classroom, at the kitchen table, or during storytime.

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🌱 Why Kindergarten Is the Perfect Time

At age 5 and 6, children are naturally curious about how the world works. They see adults exchanging money at stores, they notice coins and bills, they ask "how much does that cost?" — and they're ready to start understanding the answers.

Kindergarten money lessons don't need to be complicated. They need to be concrete, playful, and repeated. The activities below check all three boxes.

5 Activities That Actually Work

Each one can be done in under 20 minutes with supplies you already have.

  1. 1
    🪙 Penny Connection

    The Penny Sort

    Gather a handful of real coins — pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters — and ask your kindergartner to sort them into groups. Talk about what makes each one different. Which one is Penny's coin? (The penny, of course!) This activity introduces coin recognition in the most hands-on way possible.

    🐷 Penny's episode to watch first: Penny Finds a Shiny Coin — Penny discovers a coin and wonders what it can do. The perfect lead-in to this activity.
  2. 2
    🛒 Needs vs. Wants

    The Grocery Store Game

    Make a simple pretend grocery store with objects from around the house — an apple, a toy, a book, a piece of candy. Give your child 5 "pennies" (real or drawn) and let them shop. Afterwards, ask: "What did you buy? Did you need it or want it?" Let them answer — don't correct, just explore the idea together.

    🐷 Penny's episode to watch first: The Candy Store Problem — Penny has to decide between a want and a need at Milo's Market.
  3. 3
    🐿️ Saving

    The Acorn Savings Jar

    Inspired by Sunny the Squirrel, set up a simple savings jar with your child. Cut small paper "acorns" (or use coins, buttons, or dried beans) and let your child add one every day they do a helpful task. Count them each week together. When the jar is full, decide together what the savings "bought."

    🐷 Penny's episode to watch first: Sunny's Secret Acorn Savings — Sunny shows Penny how a little saved each day adds up to a lot.
  4. 4
    💼 Earning

    The Helper Chart

    Create a simple chart with 3–5 tasks a kindergartner can do: make their bed, put away toys, help set the table. Each completed task earns a penny (real or paper). At the end of the week, count the earnings together. This is the first and most important money lesson: money comes from effort.

    🐷 Penny's episode to watch first: Penny Earns Her First Dollar — Penny helps her neighbors and discovers that effort has a reward.
  5. 5
    🦔 Sharing

    The Giving Jar

    Alongside your savings jar, introduce a giving jar. When your child earns coins, let them decide how much to put in each jar. Talk about who the giving jar is for — a friend, an animal shelter, a neighbor. When the jar is full, involve your child in the decision of where it goes. Generosity learned young is generosity that lasts.

    🐷 Penny's episode to watch first: The Sharing Day — Penny learns that giving to a friend feels even better than keeping for yourself.

Free Printable for Every Activity

Each of Penny's episodes comes with a free coloring page and money activity sheet perfectly matched to the lesson. Get them all free when you join Penny's Clubhouse.

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What Comes After Kindergarten?

These five activities build the foundation — coin recognition, needs vs. wants, saving, earning, sharing. Once a kindergartner has those anchors, first and second grade can build on them: simple addition with coins, setting savings goals, understanding that prices mean trade-offs.

Penny grows with your child. Season 1 is built for ages 4–6. As the series expands, the concepts deepen — always through story, always through Penny's world. The best thing you can do right now is start the habit of watching and talking about money together. The rest follows.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What money concepts should kindergartners know?

By the end of kindergarten, children benefit from five core ideas: coins are different from each other (pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters); money is exchanged for things; some things cost more than others; saving means keeping money for later; and helping others can be a form of earning. These are best absorbed through play, stories, and real-life exposure — not formal lessons.

Is kindergarten too young to learn about money?

Not at all. Cambridge University research shows money habits form by age 7 — which means kindergarten is exactly the right time. The concepts at this age aren't about budgets or bank accounts; they're about building the intuitions (saving feels good, spending has consequences, earning comes from effort) that inform every financial decision a person makes for life.

How do you introduce money to a 5-year-old?

Start with physical coins. Let them sort real coins by size and color. Let them hand money to a cashier at a store. Set up a simple "penny store" at home with items priced at 1–3 coins. Read picture books and watch short episodes where a character faces money choices. At age 5, the goal is making money tangible and playful — not theoretical.

What are the best money activities for kindergartners?

The five most effective activities for kindergartners are: coin sorting (recognition and differentiation), the grocery store game (pretend shopping with a small budget), an acorn savings jar (saving one coin daily), a helper chart tied to earning (connecting effort to reward), and a giving jar (introducing generosity alongside savings). All five can be done at home with no special supplies.