Should Young Children Learn About Money Before They Learn Maths?

By Sanower Ahmedi, LIfe skills Educator · 24 October 2026

Your child may know how to count from 1 to 20, recognise numbers, and recite the alphabet. But when they ask for a new toy every time you visit a shop, do they understand what money actually means?

Knowing numbers and understanding money are two very different skills.

Children don't need to master addition or subtraction before they begin learning about money. In fact, everyday experiences can introduce valuable money habits long before formal maths lessons begin.

Financial awareness in early childhood isn't about teaching children how to manage a bank account. It's about helping them understand choices, needs, wants, patience, and responsibility.

When children practise these ideas early, they begin learning to:

- Make choices: Understand that choosing one thing may mean waiting for another.
- Practise patience: Learn that they don't always need to get what they want immediately.
- Understand value: Recognise that different things have different costs.
- Develop responsibility: Begin making thoughtful decisions instead of simply asking for more.

These skills grow through practice, not lectures.

3 Simple Money Activities to Try at Home

You don't need worksheets, complicated games, or special learning materials. Everyday moments can become opportunities to learn.

1. The One-Coin Game

Give your child one coin and let them choose between two small items or picture cards.

Ask, “Which one would you choose today?”

Let them explain their decision. The goal isn't to judge their choice but to help them practise choosing thoughtfully.

2. The Wish List Game

Create three simple categories together:

- Today: Something they want now.
- Soon: Something they can wait a little for.
- Someday: Something they may need to save towards.

This introduces patience and prioritisation in a way young children can understand.

3. The Shopkeeper Game

Take turns being the shopkeeper and customer. Use household objects and pretend money.

Ask your child to choose an item, exchange the pretend money, and explain what they bought.

Keep it playful. The goal is to explore how money works, not to test their maths skills.

How Nurche Helps Children Build Money Smarts

At Nurche, we believe lifelong skills develop through small, meaningful everyday experiences.

Our Money Smarts activities help children explore spending, saving, making choices, and understanding value through guided play.

Because children don't just need to know the answers. They need opportunities to practise making decisions.

Start building your child's life skills today.

Book a free Nurche demo and discover how short, engaging activities can help your child develop skills that matter beyond the classroom.