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Financial literacy activity

Saving Jar Goals

Decorate a savings jar and start saving coins toward a small goal! Watch the jar fill up and count your progress each week.

Hands OnAbout 30 minutesMay use a screenParent help expected

Materials and setup

How this changes by age

Pre-K (ages 3–4)

Decorate a savings jar and start saving coins toward a small goal! Watch the jar fill up and count your progress each week.

Difficulty 1 of 3

Steps

  1. Find a clear jar and decorate it with stickers and markers.
  2. Together, pick a saving goal: a small toy, a special outing, or a treat.
  3. Draw a picture of the goal and tape it to the jar.
  4. Add a few coins to start. Count them together!
  5. Each day or week, add coins and count the total. Celebrate when you reach the goal!

Learning objectives

  • Understand that saving means setting money aside for a future goal
  • Practice counting coins and tracking growth over time
  • Develop patience by working toward a goal over multiple days

Kindergarten (ages 5–6)

Set a savings goal with a specific dollar amount. Create a savings tracker chart and calculate how long it will take to reach the goal at different rates.

Difficulty 2 of 3

Steps

  1. Choose a savings goal and find out the cost (e.g., a $5 toy).
  2. Draw a savings thermometer on paper with marks for each dollar.
  3. Decide how much to save each week: 'If we save 50 cents a week, how many weeks until we reach $5?'
  4. Count together: 50 cents x 10 weeks = $5. Mark it on a calendar.
  5. Each time you add money, color in the thermometer. Celebrate milestones along the way!

Learning objectives

  • Set a specific, measurable savings goal
  • Calculate how long it takes to reach a goal at a given savings rate
  • Track progress visually and practice delayed gratification

Early elementary (ages 6–8)

Set up a 3-jar savings system: Save, Spend, and Share. Create a savings plan with weekly deposits, track progress on a chart, and learn about interest by earning bonus coins for consistent saving.

Difficulty 2 of 3

Steps

  1. Set up 3 jars labeled: SAVE (long-term goal), SPEND (fun money), SHARE (charity/gifts).
  2. Decide on a split: for every $1 earned, put 50 cents in Save, 30 cents in Spend, 20 cents in Share.
  3. Set a savings goal for each jar and create a progress chart.
  4. Each week, add your allowance or earned money according to the split.
  5. Bonus: for every 4 weeks of consistent saving, parent adds a small 'matching bonus' of 25 cents (like a parent match on retirement savings — not the same as a bank's interest rate, which is usually 1–4% per YEAR).
  6. After reaching the Share jar goal, choose a cause or person to give to. Discuss how it feels to share.

Learning objectives

  • Divide income into saving, spending, and sharing categories
  • Track multiple savings goals simultaneously
  • Understand the concept of earning interest on savings
  • Practice generosity through intentional sharing

Upper elementary (ages 8–10)

Create a savings-and-growth plan that compares safer and riskier ways money can grow over time. Keep the focus on concepts, not personal financial advice.

Difficulty 3 of 3

Steps

  1. Set 3 financial goals: short-term (1 month), medium-term (6 months), long-term (1 year). Research the cost of each.
  2. Create a savings plan: How much must you save per week to reach each goal on time?
  3. Research compound growth: If you save $10/month and earn 5% annual growth, how much do you have after 1 year? 5 years? 10 years?
  4. Create a spreadsheet or table showing monthly balance growth with interest for 12 months.
  5. Compare: savings account (lower growth, safer) vs. stocks (higher potential return, riskier). What are the trade-offs?
  6. Write a one-page savings plan for the next year with your goals, weekly savings rate, and projected growth.

Learning objectives

  • Calculate compound interest and understand exponential growth of savings
  • Compare risk and return across different savings and investment options
  • Set and plan for financial goals across different time horizons
  • Create a structured savings plan with projections

Safety and evidence note

Read the full activity before beginning. An adult should supervise tools, heat, food, outdoor work, movement, and experiments as appropriate. Completion records that the activity was done; the child’s explanation, work sample, photo, or demonstration is stronger evidence of learning than a completion check alone.

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