11 fun money ideas for families during Financial Literacy Month

April is Financial Literacy Month, which means now is the perfect time to get started. If you’re curious what Financial Literacy Month is — it’s an annual observance in the United States to raise awareness about the importance of financial education, especially for the future generations. 

Here’s one more to add to the list: family fun! Yes, you can have fun together while also getting in some valuable personal finance lessons. Try one of these games below, and share your experience on social media with the hashtag #GLfamilymoneyfun. Tag us on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok — and tell us what your kids and teens learned about money!

1. Price is Right

Bring a game show premise to the family budget. Kids can guess the cost of different expenses, like electricity, internet, phones, extracurricular activities, etc., and learn about monthly financial obligations with a “Price is Right” setup. Talk about the family’s bills and how they are paid each month from income. Get creative with colorful price tags for the big reveal. With multiple players: The closest person to the monthly cost wins! Talk about any surprises that come up, whether it’s not knowing there was a bill for water or not realizing how much something costs.

Bonus: Identify an area of discretionary spending where you can empower them to make choices. Illustrate trade-off decisions in real life and help them understand how money decisions are made. 

Be a financially smart family!

Be a financially smart family!

From saving for the future to understanding credit, see how families are thriving with Greenlight.

Try Greenlight today

2. Yes Day

Be prepared to let the kids lead the way on this one! Choose an open day where the adults must say “yes” to activities the kids suggest (within reason!) Determine whether the plans must be free or within a set budget, along with any other guidelines (timing, location, etc). Discuss how money is involved in leisure activities — maybe even if they are free. For example, an event at a local park may not have an admission fee, but there may be a transportation cost. Help the kids estimate the expense in various categories so they can stay within the total budget for their day of fun.

3. Shark Tank

Let the family’s entrepreneurial ideas shine! Just like the investor TV show, every family member can pitch a business idea they research and develop. Encourage your kids and teens to think big! What’s a product that doesn’t exist yet, but they wish it did? Or a service that people really need in your area? What are their passions or social causes they want to improve? Explain that a business plan includes all the essential information about the business, like the product, market, plans for where and how to sell it. The financial details also are essential, including how much profit is expected from each sale and how much money is needed to get started.

Bonus: With enough players, assign a judge panel or invite other friends or relatives. Consider a prize where the winner (or winners) gets a prize that can help put their business plan to the test.  

4. Imaginary Trip

Does your family have a dream vacation? In a Greenlight poll, a majority of kids and teens (40%) listed travel as their top spending preference when they grow up, ahead of an early retirement or a more expensive home. Talk to your kids and teens about their list. Budding planners can create a bucket list itinerary, including how much their trip would cost, with transportation, lodging, meals, activities, etc. Encourage them to get creative with their presentation, including pictures and visuals from their trip proposal. If you want to make it a reality, figure out the saving plan that would make it possible some day! 

Bonus: If your family is already planning a vacation, put your planners to work within a budget! Assign them to a specific category of expenses. With any outing or trip, you can put budgeting in practice for their souvenirs or other personal spending. Either provide them a total limit for the trip, or encourage them to earn and save for it in the months before.

5. 💲 Family Finance Vision Board 💲

Visualize your family’s money values and goals in a shared creative project. It’s a great way to think about your spending today and prioritize saving for the future. Discuss your kids’ ideas and plans for the future — like their education — and get them thinking about the lifestyle they envision when they grow up. Brainstorm ideas and create a collective list. Go through magazines or free clip art to find words and images that represent the aspirations, then cut and paste them onto your vision board.

Bonus: Display it somewhere that the family can regularly see to remind everyone of your future goals and the action plan needed to achieve them. Revisit your vision board regularly to reflect on your commitment to align your money with your values and to track your progress toward your financial goals.

6. Frugal Fun Fridays

Start the weekend off in budget style by brainstorming ideas for the 🏆best🏆 free or low-cost food & entertainment! Examples could include a cooking contest to see who can make the tastiest, best meal with only ingredients in the house, or at a low set budget. Brainstorm out-of-the box ideas… like a camp-out or local field trip… Or in the box with a board game marathon. Some classic games, like Monopoly, Game of Life, or Payday, offer money lessons, too! Talk about the benefits of a thrifty mindset, which allows money to be used in other ways. Money is a tool that allows us to pay for our necessary and desired spending, so we should get the best value and most enjoyment when we save and splurge.

7. Super Saving Saturdays

What’s one thing everyone in the family would be excited to buy? Let Super Saving Saturdays be your action day to make it happen. Make a plan for the week of ways to cut back or eliminate spending on things that aren’t in that #1 spot. Here’s the trick: When the money savings are 🔓 unlocked 🔓 directly transfer 👏 that 👏 money to the Saving Saturdays account. Someone makes a motion to not order food delivery one night to go toward the goal? Move it in. Someone finds a lower cost item to replace planned spending at the store? That, too! Every dollar counts. Check the progress each week, until it’s time to use your Super Savings!

8. Goalgetter Challenge

Hello, achievers! This activity reinforces how S.M.A.R.T. plans can help you reach your goals, milestone by milestone. This month is the perfect time to focus on a big goal your kids or teens have, such as earning money or saving up for a new hobby. Help them break the goal into achievable chunks and set a timeline to check back on progress. Here’s where perseverance and dedication pay off! Twist? Get that first step completed within a month! For example, a responsible teen who is great with younger kids and wants to earn more money can sign up for babysitter training to get their plan in motion.

9. Kahoot! Family money game

Play a live Kahoot! quiz together for a friendly competition on a family leaderboard. Learn a little about yourselves, each other, and the world of money. Find out who’s the financial pro in your home! You can play as teams or as individuals, from any device. Here’s your link to get started with a free online game.

10. Sign up for Greenlight — or share with friends and earn rewards!

Greenlight’s all-in-one money and safety app empowers kids to put their financial knowledge to work with practical experience as they learn to earn, save, and invest. Parents assign chores, send money instantly, and set flexible controls. Are you already a Greenlight family? Refer friends and family. Teens and parents can earn up to $600 per year in referral rewards!

11. Play Level Up

Take financial literacy to the next LEVEL in Greenlight’s app. Greenlight Level Up™ is the financial literacy game for kids and teens — with a best-in-class curriculum, educational challenges, and rewards that keep them coming back. Engaging animated videos and quizzes reinforce money skills from the K-12 national standards for personal finance education, from budgeting to investing.

Ready to learn about the world of money? Sign up for Greenlight today!