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Lesson Plan September 23, 2026Learning Clubhouse
Needs vs. Wants: Preschool Financial Literacy Plan
Help preschoolers understand the difference between essential needs and fun wants with this week-long financial literacy lesson plan, featuring daily activities across all developmental domains.
Needs vs. Wants: Early Financial Literacy
Teacher: ____________________
Classroom: ____________________
Week of: ____________________
Theme & Learning Goals
- Theme: Things We Need vs. Things We Want
- Goal 1: Children will identify basic human needs (food, water, shelter, clothing).
- Goal 2: Children will differentiate between essential needs and optional wants (toys, treats).
- Goal 3: Children will practice basic counting and sorting using play money or tokens.
Materials Needed This Week
- Play money (coins and paper bills)
- Grocery store flyers and child-safe scissors
- Two large sorting bins labeled "Needs" and "Wants"
- Blank paper, crayons, and glue sticks
- Building blocks and dramatic play grocery items
Weekly Activity Grid
| Day | Circle Time & Read-Aloud | Math & Science | Language & Literacy | Creative Arts | Physical & Outdoor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Introduce concept: What do we need to survive? Read: "Those Shoes" by Maribeth Boelts. | Sort items into "Needs" (water, apple) and "Wants" (teddy bear, candy). | Vocabulary building: Introduce words "Survive," "Essential," and "Wish." | Draw a picture of one thing you need and one thing you want. | Needs Relay: Run to a basket and grab a "need" item, bring it back to the team. |
| Tuesday | Discuss shelter. Why do we need a home? Read: "A House is a House for Me." | Science: Observe different animal habitats (bird nests, ant hills) as animal "needs." | Letter tracing: N is for Need, W is for Want. | Build a shelter using popsicle sticks and playdough. | Outdoor block building: Work together to build the biggest "house" using foam blocks. |
| Wednesday | Discuss clothing and weather. Read: "The Jacket I Wear in the Snow." | Math: Count play coins. How many pennies make a nickel? | Group discussion: What clothes do we need in winter vs. summer? | Design a winter coat using fabric scraps and glue. | Dress-up relay: Put on a coat, hat, and mittens, run to the cone, and take them off. |
| Thursday | Discuss food and water. Read: "Eating the Alphabet." | Grocery Store Math: Assign prices (1 coin, 2 coins) to plastic food and "buy" them. | Cut out pictures from grocery flyers and paste them on a "Healthy Needs" poster. | Create a paper plate meal using cut-out magazine pictures. | Water relay: Carefully carry a cup of water across the yard without spilling. |
| Friday | Review Needs vs. Wants. Open discussion: What is something you want but don't need? | Token Economy: Earn tokens for helping clean up, "spend" them on a special sticker. | Story sequencing: Put pictures of a shopping trip in the correct order. | Free paint: Paint a picture of your favorite "want" (toy, pet, vacation). | Obstacle course: "Trip to the store" riding tricycles and stopping at stop signs. |
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