Piggy banks to portfolios: top financial education resources for kids

The money habits kids develop early tend to stick with them for life, which makes childhood the perfect time to start building a strong financial foundation. Financial literacy is a crucial life skill and teaching kids about budgeting, saving, and investing at an early age can set them up for future success.

While Greenlight’s entire platform was created to give kids hands-on experiences managing real money while parents guide them every step of the way, there are other tools and resources for all ages to instill these lessons in a fun and practical way. This guide covers some of the best financial education resources for kids, from interactive courses to engaging books and podcasts.

Books to build financial knowledge

Books can provide kids with a deeper understanding of money. Here are a few excellent options:

1. Little Critter: Just Saving My Money

Ages: 3–6

This Easy Reader children’s book follows Little Critter as he learns the value of saving money. Just Saving My Money teaches young children important financial lessons through a relatable and engaging story. With charming illustrations and a simple, easy-to-understand narrative, this book introduces kids to important financial basics.

2. Money Ninja

Ages: 4–10

Money Ninja introduces essential financial habits in a way that’s both fun and easy to grasp. Through its simple, illustrated format, the book covers key concepts like saving money, starting small businesses, and the importance of giving back to others. By making financial knowledge accessible and engaging, Money Ninja helps lay the foundation for responsible money management skills that kids can build on as they grow.

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3. The Everything Kids’ Money Book

Ages: 7–11

The Everything Kids' Money Book introduces key money concepts to kids. From learning how banks operate and how credit cards work to exploring the basics of saving and starting to invest, it covers essential financial skills for young readers. Complex topics are broken into simple, relatable explanations that empower kids to build a strong foundation in money management.

4. Finance 101 for Kids: Money Lessons Children Cannot Afford to Miss

Ages: 8–11

Finance 101 for Kids focuses on more complex financial topics, such as credit, the stock market, economics, currency, and foreign exchange. The book is chock full of financial lessons, broken down in a digestible way for kids to understand using relatable examples, clear explanations, and practical tips to help them build a strong financial foundation as they grow.

5. How to Money: Your Ultimate Visual Guide to the Basics of Finance

Ages: 12–18

Aimed at teens and young adults who are just starting to navigate the world of money, How to Money: Your Ultimate Visual Guide to the Basics of Finance breaks down the basics of earning, managing, and spending money, with the goal of helping readers feel confident about personal finance. Topics range from building a budget and landing a first job to understanding credit cards, student loans, and the fundamentals of investing.

Podcasts for bite-sized learning

Podcasts are great for teaching financial concepts in a low-pressure, ongoing way. Here are a few recommendations that kids will love:

1. Million Bazillion

Marketplace’s Million Bazillion podcast breaks down complex money concepts into digestible episodes. With humor, trivia, and fun stories, even tricky topics like taxes or credit are engaging and easy to understand.

2. Money with Mak & G

Kids will appreciate the relatable hosting duo of Mak and G, 15-year-old twins who, with their father Ben Jones who holds a CPA, CFA, CFP, and MBA, make financial concepts like investing or budgeting entertaining. Short episodes (under 10 minutes) are perfect for busy families.

3. Popcorn Finance

Popcorn Finance offers bite-sized episodes that tackle a wide range of financial topics in about the time it takes to make a bag of popcorn. Hosted by Chris Browning, who spent over a decade in finance as a financial analyst, bookkeeper, content creator, and producer, this podcast is perfect for both kids and adults, covering a plethora of financial topics.

4. Cash Kid Podcast

The Cash Kid Podcast is hosted by a kid and is for kids to learn the financial literacy skills they need to learn saving, budgeting, earning, and more at an early age. From stashing cash to building real wealth, this podcast brings in the experts and breaks down the strategies to help listeners make their money work for them.

5. Planet Money

Learning about the economy can help build a strong foundation of financial principles for your kids. Planet Money is an engaging and informative podcast from NPR that simplifies complex economic topics for listeners of all backgrounds. Whether it’s uncovering hidden market behaviors or breaking down financial systems, Planet Money explores how economics shapes our daily lives in surprising ways.

Websites and online resources

Online tools and websites can provide interactive lessons tailored to your child’s age and knowledge level.

1. Sesame Workshop Financial Education

Sesame Workshop's Financial Education page offers free, kid-friendly resources to help young children build smart money habits early. Featuring beloved characters like Elmo, Cookie Monster, Bert, and Ernie, families and educators can explore videos, printables, games, and guides that teach the basics of spending, saving, and sharing. With content available in both English and Spanish and resources for children as young as one, it’s a fun and accessible starting point for raising financially savvy kids.

2. Federal Reserve Bank comic books

For something unique, the New York Federal Reserve offers free comic books that explain financial principles in a fun and engaging way, complete with aliens, adventures, and relatable stories. These educational comics make complex topics like monetary policy, inflation, and the role of the Federal Reserve accessible and entertaining for learners of all ages.

3. MoneyTime

MoneyTime provides fun, interactive lessons to teach kids essential money management skills. Designed for flexibility, MoneyTime is perfect for teachers looking to integrate financial literacy into their classroom, homeschoolers wanting a structured curriculum, or parents seeking to add valuable life skills to their child’s learning at home.

4. Khan Academy financial literacy course

Khan Academy offers customizable financial literacy lessons that empower students with essential money management skills. Covering topics like budgeting, saving, and investing, these resources are designed to fit diverse educational needs and help students build a strong foundation in personal finance.

5. Level Up™

Level Up™ is Greenlight’s financial literacy game for kids and teens, with a best-in-class curriculum, bite-sized challenges, and rewards that engage while teaching valuable money skills. Each lesson is loaded with videos, minigames, and questions that empower players with money skills they can use now and for life.

Games and hands-on activities

Sometimes the best lessons come from hands-on learning.

• Board games: Games like The Game of Life and Monopoly teach kids about managing money in a fun, relatable way.

• Games that focus on resource management: Games like Catan can also help build skills that are useful in developing financial discipline.

• For younger kids: Creating a “mock store” at home where they can earn and spend play money can turn financial lessons into fun, interactive activities.

• Grocery shopping: Turn a trip to the grocery store into a bargain-hunting game. Example: Can your child find a $4 bottle of juice? Which juice is the cheapest? Which costs the most?

Real-world lessons

Beyond resources, one of the best ways to instill financial literacy is through real-life practice. These activities reinforce theoretical lessons with practical applications.

• Give kids opportunities to manage their own money through allowances and chores to start with and then part-time and chores once they reach high school.

• Help them set savings goals for something they really want, and discuss their spending and saving choices along the way.

Your kids’ financial education starts with Greenlight

All of the resources in this guide can help set your kids on the path to financial success, but Greenlight, the #1 family finance and safety app, was purpose-built for exactly that. Every feature in the app, from the debit card and savings tools to the Level Up™ game, is designed to help kids learn how to manage money in a real, hands-on way.

When it comes to raising financially confident kids, there’s no better classroom than real life. Get started with Greenlight.

The Greenlight® prepaid card is issued by Community Federal Savings Bank, member FDIC, pursuant to license by Mastercard International.

Requires the downloading of the Greenlight App and acceptance of Greenlight Level Up™ Program Terms. Does not require subscription to Greenlight prepaid debit card plan.