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Financial literacy activity

Team Building

Set up a pretend store and give each family member a job! Make name tags — cashier, stocker, greeter — and run the store together.

DiscussionAbout 20 minutesScreen-freeParent help expected

Materials and setup

How this changes by age

Pre-K (ages 3–4)

Set up a pretend store and give each family member a job! Make name tags — cashier, stocker, greeter — and run the store together.

Difficulty 1 of 3

Steps

  1. Set up your pretend business with family helpers.
  2. Talk about different jobs: cashier (takes money), stocker (puts things on shelves), greeter (says hi to customers).
  3. Let each family member pick a job. Make name tags with their job title.
  4. Run the store together. Each person does their job!
  5. Talk about it: 'What was your favorite job? Could one person do ALL the jobs alone?'

Learning objectives

  • Identify different roles in a business
  • Understand that businesses need different people doing different jobs
  • Practice working as a team with assigned roles

Kindergarten (ages 5–6)

Plan your dream team for a business! Decide what jobs are needed, match people to jobs based on their strengths, and practice working together as a team to run a pretend business.

Difficulty 2 of 3

Steps

  1. Choose a business: restaurant, pet grooming, toy shop.
  2. List all the jobs needed: boss, cook, server, cleaner, cashier, decorator.
  3. For each family member, discuss: 'What are you good at? Which job fits you best?'
  4. Make job description cards: Job Title, What You Do, Tools You Need.
  5. Run the business for 15 minutes with everyone in their role.
  6. Debrief: 'Did everyone like their job? What happened when we worked together? What was hard?'

Learning objectives

  • Create job descriptions with responsibilities
  • Match team members to roles based on individual strengths
  • Experience the coordination required for a team to function

Early elementary (ages 6–8)

Design an organizational chart for a business. Define roles with job descriptions and qualifications, conduct pretend 'interviews' to hire team members, and evaluate team performance after running the business together.

Difficulty 2 of 3

Steps

  1. Choose a business and list every role needed (at least 6 positions).
  2. Write a job description for each role: title, 3 responsibilities, skills needed, and who they report to.
  3. Draw an organizational chart showing the hierarchy: owner at top, managers in the middle, workers at the bottom.
  4. Conduct pretend 'job interviews': family members apply for roles and answer questions about why they would be good at the job.
  5. 'Hire' your team and run the business together for 20 minutes.
  6. After, hold a 'team meeting': What went well? What needs improvement? Rate the team's performance 1-5 in Communication, Efficiency, and Fun.

Learning objectives

  • Create an organizational chart with clear reporting structure
  • Write professional job descriptions with specific qualifications
  • Conduct interviews and evaluate candidates for roles
  • Assess team performance using specific criteria

Upper elementary (ages 8–10)

Study organizational management and leadership styles. Design a complete team structure for a growing business, develop hiring criteria, create a training plan for new employees, and analyze different leadership approaches.

Difficulty 3 of 3

Steps

  1. Research 3 leadership styles: Authoritative (leader decides), Democratic (team votes), Collaborative (everyone discusses). What are the pros and cons of each?
  2. Design an organization for a business with 10+ employees: departments (marketing, operations, finance, customer service), roles within each, and the chain of command.
  3. For 3 key positions, write detailed hiring criteria: required skills, experience, and personality traits. Design 5 interview questions for each.
  4. Create a 'New Employee Training Plan' for one position: Week 1 goals, skills to learn, who mentors them, and how you evaluate if they are ready.
  5. Run a team simulation: assign roles and operate the business. Halfway through, switch leadership styles. How does the team's work change?
  6. Write a reflection: Which leadership style worked best for your team? Why? How does the right team structure help a business succeed?

Learning objectives

  • Research and compare different leadership and management styles
  • Design organizational structures for businesses with multiple departments
  • Develop hiring criteria and interview questions for key roles
  • Analyze how leadership style affects team performance and morale

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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