Making learning about money fun
Learning about money and its value is a key lesson for children. However, the changing way we use it means younger children may not actually come into contact with cash. So it’s more important than ever to teach them about money, where it comes from and why we need it.
I’ve been looking for some resources to help my kids with this and was delighted to come across “The Hoard Book”. It was created as a fun way to teach kids about money after the authors discovered that most leave education without the money skills they need. The book and resources are created utilising storytelling and imagination to teach that focus on financial concepts rather than just maths.
I was kindly gifted a copy of the book so I could review it.
The Hoard Book
The creators of The Hoard Book believe “…. teaching children about money early sets them up to make good financial decisions as they get older and prepares them for being financially independent adults. The Hoard Book follows a young dragon, Taj, as he creates his own first Hoard, and learns all about money on the way. The Hoard Book teaches children about concepts such as saving, loans, and investments in a fun way that lets them understand the underlying concepts behind these financial terms.
“You might feel a bit odd talking to young children about money. After all, they’re not usually responsible for paying bills or buying food, and we all want them to have their time just being children.
“But young children grow up into older children, then teenagers, and then adults. And somewhere along the way, they start being responsible for making some financial decisions. It might start out as what they can afford to do when they’re out with friends, buying a new game, or perhaps managing their phone bill. As adults, they will be expected to manage earnings, taxes, and credit cards, make decisions about rent and mortgages, and think about pensions.
“We need to set them up for success in those decisions that they will have to make. Understanding the concepts behind money are crucial for that. The evidence suggests that children who have discussions about money with their caregivers from a young age are more likely to manage money better when they’re older.”
A fun way for children to learn about money
The book is more than just pages of information. It’s an interactive tool that introduces children to financial concepts. Each chapter looks at a different concept and is designed for children from five to nine, but slightly older children will also find it useful. Our eldest daughter is 11 and her age group missed a huge chunk of schooling as a result of Covid which included a lot of learning about money. She’s found the book a good reminder and helped her learn about new concepts she hadn’t covered in school.
There are 10 chapters in total and to get the most from the book, it’s recommended that you work through them in order. Each chapter includes a letter, an explanation of a concept in more detail, colouring, activities and a craft. There’s also a fun certificate at the end to give to your child when they complete all of the chapters.
The chapters cover everything your child needs to know about money. It starts with earning which is a concept our youngest struggles with. She’s at an age where she thinks money just appears so it’s been really good for her to learn that that isn’t the case (imagine if it was!) and that you have to earn it, whether that’s by doing cleaning or tidying at home or from a job you are employed to do when you’re older.
Taj then takes you through a range of other topics including saving and spending, budgeting, exchange rates, loans, credit taxes and pensions. They’re all topics children need to know about as they grow into adults, so the earlier they’re aware of and understand them, the more likely they are to develop good habits and relationships with money.
The Hoard Book Resources
Both my children have enjoyed working through the book and learning about the concepts it contains. We’ve also had a look at some of the free resources on The Hoard Book’s website which has a wealth of information and support to help teach children about money.
I’d recommend Taj and The Hoard Book to all parents. It’s a book some young adults would benefit from reading too! The book is available to buy from Amazon*. You can now also buy “Taj and the Quest for Treasure” which is a digital download and The Dragon’s Treasure which is available from Amazon*.
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*Please note if you click on the links and buy the books, I get paid a fee from Amazon.
