Financial literacy activity
Global Economics Explorers
Look at pictures of money from around the world — dollars, euros, pounds, yen — and design your very own pretend country's money!
Materials and setup
- play money in different colors
- world map
- product labels
- paper
- pencil
- markers
How this changes by age
Pre-K (ages 3–4)
Look at pictures of money from around the world — dollars, euros, pounds, yen — and design your very own pretend country's money!
Steps
- Show pictures of money from different countries: US dollar, Euro, British pound, Japanese yen.
- Talk about: people everywhere need money to buy food, clothes, and toys, but they use different types of money.
- Sort play money by 'country': make piles of different colored paper money and pretend each color is from a different country.
- Play 'world market': set up shops from different countries. You need the right money to buy from each shop!
- Draw money from your own imaginary country. What would it look like? What would it be called?
Learning objectives
- Recognize that different countries use different currencies
- Understand that all people engage in buying and selling
- Develop curiosity about money and trade around the world
Kindergarten (ages 5–6)
Explore international trade: why do countries buy things from each other? Learn about imports and exports through a trading game.
Steps
- Learn vocabulary: imports (things we buy from other countries) and exports (things we sell to other countries).
- Look at labels on products in your home. Where were they made? Find items from at least 3 different countries.
- Play a trading game: each 'country' (family member) has different resources (cards). Trade to get what you need.
- Discuss: why do countries trade? Because each country is good at making different things!
- Draw a picture showing something your country exports and something it imports.
Learning objectives
- Define imports and exports with examples
- Discover that household products come from many countries
- Practice trading to acquire needed resources
Early elementary (ages 6–8)
Study global economics: currency exchange, international trade, why some countries are wealthier, and how global events affect economies everywhere.
Steps
- Learn about currency exchange: $1 US might equal 0.85 Euros or 150 Japanese Yen. If a toy costs 10 Euros, how many dollars is that?
- Study comparative advantage: why does the US import bananas from Ecuador and export technology? Each country makes what they're best at.
- Research: where does your morning come from? Trace the origins of breakfast items (coffee from Colombia, orange juice from Brazil, wheat from US).
- Study how global events affect economics: if a hurricane destroys coffee crops, what happens to coffee prices worldwide?
- Create a 'Global Economics Map': draw trade routes showing how goods move between 5 countries.
- Discuss: what makes a country's economy strong? Education, natural resources, technology, stable government?
Learning objectives
- Calculate simple currency conversions
- Explain comparative advantage and why countries trade
- Analyze how global events ripple through interconnected economies
Upper elementary (ages 8–10)
Master global economics: trade agreements, developing vs. developed economies, economic indicators (GDP, unemployment), and the global financial system.
Steps
- Study GDP (Gross Domestic Product): the total value of everything a country produces. Compare GDP of 5 countries. What does GDP tell us? What doesn't it tell us?
- Research trade agreements (USMCA, EU): how do they affect trade between countries? What are tariffs and why do countries use them?
- Compare developing and developed economies: what metrics define each? What are the challenges facing developing economies?
- Study a global economic event (2008 financial crisis, COVID-19 economic impact, or supply chain disruptions). What happened and what were the worldwide effects?
- Analyze economic inequality: study the Gini coefficient concept. Why are some countries more equal than others?
- Create a presentation: 'The Global Economy Explained' covering trade, currencies, economic indicators, and how world economies are connected.
Learning objectives
- Interpret economic indicators: GDP, unemployment, and inflation
- Analyze trade agreements, tariffs, and their economic effects
- Evaluate global economic inequality and its causes
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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