Pretty much everyone knows what the stock market is—a place to buy and sell shares of a company that reduces individual risk. But how many people do you know can tell you the ins and outs of how these stocks are bought and sold, what companies have what shares, and how to make a smart investment that will bring a nice reward? Not that many. Which is why it’s important to start teaching these difficult concepts early enough that children grow up to be both smart with their money and smart investors.
It can be hard to believe that one day, your little one will be choosing what shares in what company to buy and for how much. They grow up quickly, so it’s extra important to teach them these complicated concepts soon. The team at Intuit Turbo put together a list of handy printables to facilitate these conversations with your child, so that before you know it, you’re raising a money smart little one.
Start simple with the concept of risk vs. reward as a game of dice.
Give your little one five candies, and tell them if you roll a 3 or a 6, they can have three more candies. If you roll a 1 or a 2, they lose all the candies they have. Let them choose whether or not they want to roll the dice, or keep the candies they already have. Use a risk and reward scale to help them visualize the differences, and soon you can work up to more complicated concepts, like investments.Speaking of investments, these can be easy to teach at the beginning.
If you give your little one an allowance, set up two mason jars labeled with saving and investing labels.When they get money, let them choose if they want to save or invest. Explain that they can take money out of the saving jar at any time, but the longer and more money that is in the investing jar, the more money you will add at the end of each month. This will get your child to start thinking about not only the value of saving, but the value of investing to get even more money.
Another interactive activity to get your child aware of the stock market is simply to track stocks themselves.
Together, look up three or four stocks and write down their current price in a stock tracker. Each week, remind your kid to check the price of the stocks. Over time, they’ll understand the way stocks fluctuate up and down, and the importance of investing in a strong and steady stock.
No matter how you choose to teach your little on about the stock market, the important thing is to raise money-smart kiddos who understand the value of a dollar. These concepts can be difficult, so help them through it with hands-on activities like these!
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Thanks Emily! Some great content and ideas for young kids who want to be savvy with their money.
Emily Borst is the Junior Content Marketing Specialist at siegemedia.com
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Wow! Emily, some great companies use Siege Media. I wonder if they can help me and my brands of Enjoy Learning Something, Kids Menu Books, and Kids Math Teacher : )
