Financial literacy activity
Marketing & Advertising
Make a colorful poster to advertise your pretend business! Use bright colors, big letters, and a picture that makes people want to buy your product.
Materials and setup
- poster board
- markers
- colored pencils
- paper for flyers
- scissors
How this changes by age
Pre-K (ages 3–4)
Make a colorful poster to advertise your pretend business! Use bright colors, big letters, and a picture that makes people want to buy your product.
Steps
- Choose what you are advertising: lemonade, toys, cookies, or your pretend store.
- Talk about what makes a good poster: big pictures, bright colors, easy-to-read words.
- Draw a BIG picture of your product that looks yummy/fun/exciting.
- Write the product name in big letters (with help).
- Add a price and hang your poster where family can see it. Did anyone want to 'buy' something?
Learning objectives
- Create a simple advertisement with a picture and product name
- Understand that ads are designed to make people want to buy things
- Use color and size to attract attention
Kindergarten (ages 5–6)
Create a full advertising campaign! Make a poster, a flyer to hand out, and practice a 'commercial' — a short speech telling people why they should buy your product.
Steps
- Design a poster with: product picture, name, price, slogan, and your logo.
- Make a small flyer that people can take home with the same information.
- Write and practice a 30-second 'commercial': 'Are you thirsty? Try [product]! It is delicious and only $1!'
- Perform your commercial for family. Use an excited voice and big gestures!
- Discuss: 'Where do you see ads? TV, signs, online? How do they make you want things?'
- Family votes: would your ad make them want to buy? Why or why not?
Learning objectives
- Create multiple advertising materials with consistent messaging
- Write and perform a persuasive commercial
- Recognize advertising in everyday life and understand its purpose
Early elementary (ages 6–8)
Study real advertising techniques, then create a multi-channel marketing campaign for your business. Design a poster, write a radio script, create a flyer with a coupon, and analyze what makes ads effective.
Steps
- Study 5 real ads (from magazines, signs, or online with parent). For each, identify the technique: humor, celebrity, emotional appeal, limited time offer, or comparison.
- Choose 3 techniques to use in your own campaign.
- Create: (1) A poster using one technique, (2) A flyer with a coupon or special offer, (3) A 30-second radio script using a different technique.
- Perform your radio ad for family. Hand out your flyers.
- Track results: How many people used the coupon? Which ad format got the best reaction?
- Write a reflection: Which technique worked best? What would you change?
Learning objectives
- Identify and analyze common advertising techniques
- Create marketing materials using different persuasion strategies
- Execute a multi-format advertising campaign
- Evaluate campaign effectiveness and reflect on results
Upper elementary (ages 8–10)
Develop a professional marketing strategy with target audience analysis, multi-channel campaign execution, A/B testing of ad versions, and ROI analysis. Study media literacy and the ethics of advertising.
Steps
- Define your target audience in detail: age, interests, where they spend time, what they care about, what would convince them to buy.
- Create 2 versions of each ad (A/B test): two different poster designs, two different slogans, or two different coupon offers.
- Show Version A to 5 people and Version B to 5 different people. Record which version gets more interest or 'purchases.'
- Calculate ROI (Return on Investment): If you spent $5 on marketing materials and earned $20 in sales, your ROI is ($20-$5)/$5 = 300%.
- Research media literacy: How do ads manipulate emotions? What are ethical vs. unethical advertising practices? Find a real example of each.
- Create a 'Marketing Strategy Report' with: target audience, campaign plan, A/B test results, ROI calculation, and ethical advertising guidelines.
Learning objectives
- Develop detailed target audience profiles for marketing
- Conduct A/B testing and analyze results to optimize campaigns
- Calculate return on investment for marketing spending
- Analyze advertising ethics and develop media literacy
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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