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Daisy Financial Literacy Activities for Kids
Now practice selling imaginary items using play money to count and make change for customers.
(Leverage the video above to help your planning.)
Activity Details
Time needed: 20–30 minutes
Materials needed:
- Play money (paper money and coins)
- Paper
- Sticky notes
- Pens
- Items to pretend to sell (such as a ruler, cup, pencil case)
Activity:
Volunteer says: “Now that you know what paper bills and coins are worth, let’s practice how to use money. Do you know what a dollar and cents symbol look like? The dollar symbol looks like a capital ‘S’ with two lines running down through it. The cents symbol is a small ‘c’ with a diagonal line running through it.”
Have Daisies (Kindergarten and 1st graders) draw these two symbols.
Next, have Daisies take turns acting as shop owners and customers.
Volunteer asks: “Have you ever participated in a Girl Scout Cookies booth sale? If you have, you were a cookie salesperson. You had to talk to your customers, sell cookies, and maybe even make change! Today you’ll take turns pretending to be store owners and customers.”
Have store owners set up their pretend shops around a meeting room. Daisies can gather small items, such as a pencil, ruler, and craft supplies, or bring random household items from home.
Store owners use sticky notes to write prices on items using the dollars and cents symbols. Volunteers make sure they have play money to make change and help Daisies make change with each purchase.
Give customers play money to buy items.
When everyone’s had a chance to play both roles, find out if it was easier to be a store owner or a customer and why. Ask what it was like making change. What did they like more—making money or spending it?
Troop Leaders: The instructions for all badge steps are available free of charge in the Girl Scout Volunteer Toolkit.
Girl Scout Activity Zone activities have been adapted from existing Girl Scout programming.
Adapted from Step 3 of the Daisy Money Explorer badge. Contact your troop leader or your local Girl Scout council to become a Girl Scout member and learn all the requirements needed to earn the pin.
Made possible by a generous grant from Charles Schwab.
