Preschool Money Lesson Plan: Teaching Financial Literacy

Preschool Money & Financial Literacy Lesson Plan

Theme: _______________________ Week of: _______________________

Age Group: _______________________ Lead Teacher: _______________________

Weekly Learning Goals

• Math & Cognitive: Identify basic coins (penny, nickel, dime, quarter) and understand that money is used to exchange for goods.
• Language & Literacy: Learn and use new vocabulary (coin, dollar, save, spend, bank, register, price).
• Social-Emotional: Practice taking turns, sharing, and role-playing community helpers in the dramatic play "store."
• Physical & Motor: Develop fine motor skills through coin sorting, tracing, and handling small objects.

Materials Needed

• Play money (plastic coins and paper bills)
• Toy cash registers and play wallets
• Empty grocery boxes, cans, and sticky price tags
• Piggy banks or slotted sorting cups
• Books: The Coin Counting Book, Bunny Money, or similar titles

Day-by-Day Activity Grid

Day	Circle Time & Read Aloud	Math & Science	Creative Arts & Sensory	Physical & Outdoor
Monday	Introduce coins. Pass around large play coins. Read: Bunny Money.	Coin sorting by color and size using sorting trays.	Coin rubbing: Place coins under paper and rub with unwrapped crayons.	"Find the Gold Coin" scavenger hunt in the play yard.
Tuesday	Discuss: What is a bank? What does a cashier do?	Counting pennies: Drop specific numbers of pennies into piggy banks.	Decorate DIY paper wallets using stickers and markers.	Relay race: Carry a "bag of coins" (beanbag) on a spoon.
Wednesday	Needs vs. Wants: Discuss things we need to buy (food) vs. want to buy (toys).	Matching price tags to items (e.g., 1 dot on tag = 1 penny).	Sensory bin: Washing plastic coins in soapy water with scrub brushes.	"Cashier Says" (A variation of Simon Says with store actions).
Thursday	Discuss earning money through jobs and helping out.	Dramatic Play: Grocery store checkout with toy cash registers.	Design your own dollar bill using green construction paper.	Sidewalk chalk store: Draw items on the concrete to "sell" to friends.
Friday	Saving vs. Spending: Talk about saving up for something special.	Grouping: Show how 5 pennies equal the same as 1 nickel.	Clay coin stamping: Press plastic coins into playdough to leave impressions.	Outdoor Farmers Market: Set up tables outside to "sell" playground items.

Teacher Notes / Adjustments:
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