Almost universally, one of parents’ deepest wishes for their children is a successful financial future. As their mom, dad or guardian, you want them to learn how to properly manage their money and save for the important things in life rather than living paycheck to paycheck. 

Even though you can’t guarantee positive spending habits for your kids, starting their financial education early is an excellent start. However, children have short attention spans and rely on hits of dopamine from pleasant experiences to tell them where they should spend more of their time. Making saving money fun for your kids will keep them focused on the goal and cement the learning. 

1.Turn Saving Into a Competition 

Young kids thrive on competition. They won’t clean their rooms without a fuss? Have them race the clock or a sibling, and all the barriers disappear. Use this same principle to gamify saving money.

Agree on a savings goal each participant will work toward. Then, race to see which family member can reach their individual target first. If the competition isn’t enough incentive to get your kids tucking away their money, try adding a financial incentive, like a monetary bonus to the winner.  

Another option is to have your kids race against the clock. Work with each child to create a realistic goal, setting an amount and a deadline. Encourage participation by agreeing to contribute an additional percentage of their savings if they reach their target by the deadline. 

2. Dangle a Carrot

Rewards make just about anything fun for kids. In all reality, the savings at the end should be enough, but kids would much rather have a toy or the latest tech. Wouldn’t we all?
To encourage your kids to save, use something they want desperately. Make it clear no one will be buying it for them. It’s entirely up to them to save for it. Work with them to find ways to earn enough money, especially if they’re young. 

Have you been longing to clear some of the toy clutter? Help your kids run a yard sale and let them have the proceeds. Do you need some yard work done that’s not part of their everyday chores? Pay your kids to take care of it. 

In these scenarios, everyone involved can benefit. Your home looks better, and your kids learn two valuable lessons — how to save money and the value of hard work. 

3. Make It Visual

What’s more fun than watching yourself visibly get closer to your goals? So many of our goals in life are intangible, which is especially frustrating to kids and inhibits their progress. Make an idea like saving money easier for them to grasp by turning it into a visual. 

Little kids can use piggy banks and work to fill them to the brim before buying something or adding it to their bank account — maybe even both. Clear containers work even better for visual learners since it’s easier to see how close they are to stuffing their banks. 

Another great tool is a savings printable. You can make your own or find a template online. Create a savings goal with your child and let them color in a portion or move a marker up the scale so they can watch their money grow. 

4. Save for a Family Trip

Turn saving for your next vacation into a family affair. This strategy works exceptionally well for kids with nothing on their current wish list or who suffer from wanderlust at a young age. Perhaps your little girl wants to meet princesses at Disney World, or your son who loves learning about Ancient Rome longs to visit Italy. Find ways as a family to work toward your goal of saving enough to take the trip of your dreams. 

5. Make Earning Fun Too

While you’re saving together for that lofty vacation goal or helping them reach a financial target of their own, you’ll need ways to make extra money. For most people, putting in the work to make money is as “un-fun” as having to save it. However, you can find ways to make any work fun. 

Work as a family to come up with creative ways to make money. Some idea starters include:

• Running a themed car wash

• Selling baked goods

• Starting an ice cream “truck” for your neighborhood

• Holding a yard sale

Your kids may need to adjust their idea of what a fun money-earning activity looks like. Make anything more enjoyable by sharing the load. Playing music and adding a dash of silliness transforms tedious tasks into something more extraordinary.  

6. Encourage Empathy

Does your child have a cause or topic they care deeply about? Saving a donation to a charity or foundation aligned with your child’s passions is a great reason to withhold spending. Help them research a trustworthy organization and decide how much to save. Your child can help further by running a fundraiser to add the donation or reach their goal faster. This activity will teach your kids about saving and help them become better citizens.

Kids Just Wanna Have Fun

They just wanna! Lectures about money will only get you so far with your children. In fact, it may even turn them off from financial topics altogether. However, appealing to their fun, creative sides will get you much further. So go ahead, play games, work on projects and create. You can only improve their financial futures by making saving money fun.