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Curriculum Resources & Printables

This page collects all the ready-to-use companion materials for the Financial Literacy for Kids curriculum. Every resource is designed to reduce facilitator prep time and make lessons more hands-on and engaging for learners ages 8–12.


How to Use These Resources

  • Print and cut card-based resources along the indicated lines.
  • Photocopy or reprint planning sheets so each learner gets their own copy.
  • Adapt freely — change names, amounts, or scenarios to match your group.
  • Mix and match — you do not need every resource for every lesson. Pick what fits your setting and time.

Quick Reference by Unit

Unit 1: Value Foundations (Weeks 1–4)

ResourceUsed InDescription
Value and Trade Scenario CardsWeeks 1–3Item cards, want lists, and trade scenarios for barter and currency activities
Household Decision Scenario CardsWeek 4Needs vs. wants sorting cards, surprise expense cards, and budget sheets for household economy lessons

Unit 2: The Flow of Resources (Weeks 5–8)

ResourceUsed InDescription
Payment Comparison CardsWeek 6Side-by-side comparison cards for cash, debit, credit, and mobile payments
Digital Safety Scenario CardsWeeks 7–8Kid-friendly scenarios for practicing digital money safety decisions
Spending Decision CardsWeek 8Fast-spending vs. thoughtful-spending scenario cards for the friction lesson

Unit 3: Strategy & Planning (Weeks 9–11)

ResourceUsed InDescription
Opportunity Cost Choice CardsWeek 9Two-option and three-option choice scenarios for practicing tradeoff thinking
Budget Planning SheetsWeeks 10–11Printable budget worksheets for weekly and project budgets, with a surprise-expense variant
Emergency Event CardsWeek 11Surprise event cards for the emergency fund simulation

Unit 4: Economic Systems (Weeks 12–14)

ResourceUsed InDescription
Bank Ledger & Account TemplatesWeek 12Printable account cards, ledger sheets, and transaction slips for the Classroom Bank activity

Unit 5: The Value Creation Project (Weeks 15–18)

ResourceUsed InDescription
Capstone Planning GuideWeeks 15–17Student-facing worksheets for problem finding, solution design, and project budgeting
Capstone Presentation GuideWeek 18Presentation prep sheet, audience feedback cards, and self-assessment checklist

Cross-Curriculum

ResourceDescription
Facilitator Quick ReferenceOne-page-per-unit summary of key concepts, common questions, and resource links
GlossaryKid-friendly definitions of all core financial terms used across the curriculum

Learner Handouts

For the most concept-dense weeks, optional student-facing reference sheets are available:

HandoutWeekTopic
Digital Money HandoutWeek 7How digital money works — key ideas in one page
Spending & Friction HandoutWeek 8Friction, impulse spending, and the Pause Rule
Budgeting HandoutWeek 10How to build a simple budget — step by step
Interest HandoutWeek 13How interest works for saving and borrowing
Inflation HandoutWeek 14What inflation means and why it matters

Tips for Printing

  • Most resources work well printed on standard letter-size paper (8.5 × 11 inches).
  • Card-based resources print best when cut apart along the lines. Consider cardstock for durability if you plan to reuse them.
  • Budget sheets and ledger templates can be photocopied for each learner.
  • If you do not have a printer, most activities can be adapted using index cards, sticky notes, or a whiteboard.