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The Detective's Toolkit: Needs, Wants and Jars

A Money Detectives lesson. This page is for grown-ups: preview it before your kid plays, or talk about it after.

Before money moves, ask two questions: “Need or want?” and “Which jar?”

For ages 8–10 (grades 3–5) · about 15 minutes · read-aloud on every screen

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What your kid learns

  • Need or want?

    A need keeps you safe and healthy. A want is nice to have. Some things are both. Shoes are a need. The light-up part is a want.

  • Which jar?

    Save is money for later. Spend is money for now. Some families also use a Give jar, for helping others.

  • Waiting can win

    Waiting can get you something better. You might find a better one, or stop wanting it. Every family does this differently, and that’s OK.

The story: The Case of the Birthday Money

In a bedroom, Diego and Amara decide which jar each part of a pretend $10 birthday gift goes in.

  1. Helper: New case, detectives! Diego got a pretend $10 for a birthday.
  2. Diego: I want slime. I also need new socks.
  3. Amara: Detectives ask two questions. First: need or want?
  4. Diego: Socks keep my feet warm. That’s a need. Slime is a want.
  5. Amara: Second question: which jar?
  6. Diego: Socks money goes in Spend. The rest waits in Save. Slime can wait.
  7. Helper: Case closed! Need or want? Which jar? Ask before money moves.

The game: Two-Question Check

Tap a money moment. Then tap Need, Want or Both.

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

New words

need
something that keeps you safe and healthy
want
something that is nice to have
both
a need with a want part, like light-up shoes
jar
money set aside for one job
Also called: budget category

Questions at the end

  • Shoes that fit, with sparkly laces. Need, want or both?
  • Mei is saving for a bike. Which jar holds that money?
  • Why can waiting before you buy help?

Remember this

Need or want? Which jar?

Talk about it

What’s one thing in our home that’s both a need and a want?

Try it at home: Draw a need and a want

  1. Draw one need and one want. Made-up is fine.
  2. Point to the jar each one would come from.

Draw any need and any want. Made-up is fine.

School standards

  • National Standards for Personal Financial Education: Spending
  • National Standards for Personal Financial Education: Saving

Builds on

Leads to

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Lessons teach how money works. They are not financial advice.