The four books in the Moneybunny series by Cinders McLeod are great, very simple introductions to financial literacy for young children. Starting with EARN IT!, kids learn the early lesson that money doesn’t grow on trees but is earned over time through hard work and perseverance.
Of course after kids earn their money, the first thing most will want to do is spend it – especially since that is often the impetus for needing to earn it. In SPEND IT!, the young entrepreneurs will discover that their earnings will only go so far and it may take some time before they earn enough money to purchase exactly what they want .
After the disappointment of that reality sets in, let’s hope that kids will appreciate the message in SAVE IT! – that with a little patience and sometimes sacrifice, they can save their hard earned money (along with any money that has been gifted to them by generous friends and relatives) and eventually reach their intended goal. Along with their new purchase also comes the satisfaction of knowing that they were able to accomplish this on their own.
And perhaps the best lesson that we can teach children is the idea of giving and recognizing that there are people in every community that need help. GIVE IT!, the fourth book in the series, is a lesson in using your resources to help others and the power that goes along with such a simple act of kindness.
Pair the Moneybunny books with a plastic bank that allows kids to separate their earnings into three compartments – spending, saving, and sharing and you have a perfect gift for anytime of the year.