Spending money is easy.  Ask any kid.  For most, the list of things they want is endless.  And spending money is not bad, it’s just important to spend it wisely.  That was the idea behind a lesson I did with a group of second graders.  But I didn’t tell them that.  I thought it would be more fun if I tempted them and let them figure it out.

So I printed a whole bunch of stickers for items that kids would love to have. Having a friend who is a second grade teacher really helps.  She knows exactly what second graders are in to.  And amazon.com helps, too!

Then I gave them a starting budget of $25.  That’s a lot of money for a second grader. In came the temptation.  I described each item for “sale” in a way that even I wanted to have it.  But I also made it clear that they didn’t have to buy anything if they didn’t want to.

To keep it simple, there were certain parameters such as being able to only choose up to 2 items the first go-around.  Then, to give them a little extra money and underscore the idea of saving, I matched their balance at a particular point.  Those who didn’t spend much had more matching.  

We went through two rounds of spending, the second one included new items.  Then I threw in the kicker.  I described paradise.  Water Wonderland. All day with your bestest buddies.  12 slides.  Lunch under a waterfall. Swimming with dolphins.  Boat ride in the crystal caves.  You get the idea. And if you had the money, you could go.  All of a sudden some of those have-to-haves didn’t seem so important as about half the class couldn’t go to Water Wonderland.

Now my intent is not to depress kids.  I made it clear that Water Wonderland does not exist.  At least, I don’t think it does.  And, that if it did, I am sure they would figure out a way to get there.  But my goal of getting kids to understand that we have choices with our money really made an impact. Even on the kids who “got to go”.   Here’s what Ben had to say, “I learned that if I spend my money on things I don’t really want, I can’t get the things I really, really want.”  Fait accompli!

By the way, there were two kids who didn’t spend any money at all and had the funds to go to Water Wonderland.  They chose not to go because they didn’t want to spend any money.  Spending money wisely allows us to participate in opportunities that can enhance our life.  Not spending any money is not necessarily a wise choice.