8 financial literacy activities for high school students

Whether your teen already has a part-time job or will finish school first, they will eventually earn an income. Learning about personal finances early can prepare them to manage money wisely and avoid common financial stumbling blocks.

Thankfully, many states are adding financial literacy to high school curriculums. Still, your teen may not retain the information if they don't find it interesting and fun. Using engaging financial games to introduce money topics at home can reinforce their school learning. While it may not matter if your teen forgets the quadratic formula someday, you want their financial literacy to stick with them. 

Here are eight financial literacy activities for high school students that teens might enjoy while preparing for financial independence. They also provide great opportunities to talk to teens about money.

1. Practice with budget-planning worksheets or budgeting apps

A budget-planning worksheet can help your teen develop essential money-management skills in a hands-on way. 

You can teach them how to log income from their allowance, a part-time job, and monetary gifts. You might want to discuss the importance of prioritizing essential spending over discretionary spending — or needs over wants. The worksheet can also include a spot for listing and tracking financial goals. 

If you think your teen will find a tech solution more engaging than financial literacy worksheets, try a budgeting app like Greenlight.® It offers the same tracking ability as a paper budget but comes with additional cool features like Round Ups to reach savings goals faster and Settle Up to easily split the cost of a pizza with friends😀

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2. Play financial Bingo

Financial literacy games make learning financial skills less academic — and more fun! Consider money-themed Bingo. Your teen completes money-related tasks to achieve Bingo — and maybe a reward.

Bingo cards typically have five rows of five spaces. The middle space is free, so that's 24 different opportunities for financial learning. You could award a small prize for each Bingo earned — a card has 12 Bingo opportunities — or one big prize for completing the whole card. Get ideas, activities, and topics for financial literacy here.

If your kids like this Bingo game, they might also enjoy these financial literacy games for families.

3. Understand living expenses

A practical way to teach teens about living expenses is through real-world scenarios. You can start with your family's budget and let them see the big costs, like rent or mortgage, and the many small ones, like paper towels and toothpaste.

This activity can be eye-opening for teens who haven't thought much about living costs. You might use the opportunity to discuss the financial responsibility of prioritizing living expenses in the budget.

Older teens can research independent living costs and create personal budgets to understand how much money they may need to move out someday.

4. Grocery shop together

Grocery shopping is an excellent hands-on money management activity that can teach your teen about financial decisions and making cost-effective spending choices.

You can start at home by demonstrating how you pick meals and create a shopping list within your family's food budget. A good next step is to teach them to read the weekly sales flyer and check for digital coupons. 

At the store, explain shelf labels and how to compare prices. You can also point out the difference between store-brand and name-brand pricing. As you go, talk about how sticking to the grocery list helps you stick to a budget. Familiarize them with impulse buys and how they can lead to overspending.

5. Compare credit cards

Helping teens learn about credit and how to use it responsibly to build good credit is important. A part of that can be showing them how to compare credit cards and choose the right one. 

Consider discussing how to evaluate interest rates, annual fees, and cash-back rewards. You might explain how introductory offers work and how getting a new credit card can affect their credit score.

An interesting exercise could be to have them review online credit card offers. They can match card perks to spending habits or financial goals. They could also use the interest rate of a chosen card to determine how much more a purchase will cost when the card balance isn’t paid off each month. These practices help them understand what to look for and how to weigh the pros and cons when choosing a card. 

6. File mock taxes

Do you remember filing your first tax return? That form was probably a little intimidating.

You can help your teen confidently file their first return by filing a simplified mock return to learn the process. They might use online tax preparation tools or worksheets that simulate tax forms or print Form 1040 from IRS.gov to use as a template.

You might explain the taxes taken out of each paycheck, then discuss the process of reporting income and claiming deductions. Another important point is the consequences of not filing taxes by the deadline.

7. Evaluate careers and costs for college

A solid financial education includes lessons in making, managing, and growing money. So, financial literacy for high schoolers might incorporate discussions about careers and college and the financial requirements and opportunities of different job paths. This way, students can see how investing in their future can pay off — especially if they manage their money well and use a portion of their income to invest and grow wealth💰

Whether your teen has picked a college and career or is still exploring, they can research employment opportunities, the education required, and potential salaries. You could have them calculate the costs of college versus vocational training. Then, they can compare these costs with earnings from different careers.

8. Play Level Up™

If your teen likes games, especially on their phone, why not introduce them to one that makes learning financial literacy fun?

Level Up is a gamified educational app that engages kids while teaching essential personal finance management skills. Part of the Greenlight app, it features a curriculum that covers a wide range of financial topics, from budgeting to investing. As your teen plays through Level Up's challenges and earns rewards, they learn essential money skills they can carry through life. 

Find the best financial app for kids and teens

Financial literacy empowers teens with essential life skills. Parents play a crucial role in this journey. Your guidance on money matters sets the foundation for your child's financial future. By fostering these skills now, you're equipping them with tools for lifelong monetary success.

Teaching financial literacy to high schoolers is often easier when the lessons have a cool factor or a fun factor — or both. 

Greenlight is here to help. Sign up for Greenlight and help your teen put their new financial literacy skills into practice, from budgeting to setting savings goals to using a debit card responsibly.