Money Can Grow

What your kid learns

• A Save bonus

  Some grown-ups add a Save bonus. It is extra money when you save.

• Only saved money grows

  Spent coins are gone. Saved coins can grow.

• Banks add crumbs

  Banks add a tiny bit for saving. Grown-ups call it interest. It grows very slowly, like crumbs.

• These are pretend numbers

  How much extra you get can change. This story uses pretend numbers.

The story: Kai’s Save bonus

In a living room, Kai saves 5 cents, a grown-up adds a 1-cent Save bonus, and a pretend bank adds tiny crumbs.

1. Helper: Hi there! Kai is saving pretend coins.
2. Kai: I put 5¢ in my Save jar.
3. Grown-up: You saved 5¢. Here is a 1¢ Save bonus!
4. Helper: Now Kai has 6¢. Saving made it grow!
5. Kai: What if I spend my coins instead?
6. Grown-up: Spent coins don’t get a bonus. Only saved coins grow.
7. Helper: Banks add a tiny bit, too. It grows slowly, like crumbs.
8. Helper: Saved money can grow!

The game: Bank Crumbs

Move the birthdays. Watch 5¢ in a pretend bank. Does it grow fast or slow?

Games use pretend money and work with taps or a keyboard. Nothing is timed.

New words

Save bonus

extra a grown-up adds when you save

Also called: match

interest

a tiny bit extra for keeping money saved

Also called: interest rate, APY

Questions at the end

• What is a Save bonus?
• Kai spends coins on a toy. Do they get a bonus?
• Who can add a Save bonus?

Remember this

Saved money can grow.

Talk about it

What is something that grows slowly, like saved money?

Try it at home: Plant a seed

1. Plant a seed with a grown-up.
2. Water it and watch it grow slowly.
3. Saved money grows slowly, too.

No seeds? Draw a little plant each day, a bit bigger each time.

School standards

• Grade K
• C3 Social Studies Framework, Economics D2.Eco.10.K-2
• National Standards for Personal Financial Education: Saving
• National Standards for Personal Financial Education: Investing (foundation)