Homeschool Money Curriculum for Ages 4–8: A Simple 10-Week Plan

Quick answer: A simple homeschool money curriculum for ages 4–8 covers one idea per week for 10 weeks: work, saving, wants and needs, earning, helpers, the wider world, friendship, responsibility, chores and words. Each week takes about 60 minutes in three short sessions: read a picture book on Monday, do a hands-on activity on Wednesday, and practice with real money on Friday. Younger children do the base activity; 6- to 8-year-olds add counting, writing and budgeting. The Teddy Complete Collection gives you one book for each week ($109.99, free US shipping).

Homeschool families rarely need a thick money workbook for young children. What works at 4 to 8 is a short story, a real conversation and real coins. This plan fits one subject block a week, works with siblings of different ages, and uses things you already have at home.

We run Caring Parents’ Choice, a small family store that sells the Teddy books by Ryan Cohen, so the plan uses one Teddy title per week. Alternative picture books are listed for every week if you prefer your library’s shelf.

One book per week, all 10 weeks

Teddy Complete Collection, 10 books

10 illustrated hardcovers · $109.99 · free US shipping

See the Complete Collection →

Start with weeks 1–5

Teddy Volume 1, five books

$69.99 · free US shipping

See Volume 1 →

Curriculum at a glance

Ages	4–8, works for siblings together
Length	10 weeks, about 60 minutes per week
Weekly rhythm	Monday read (15 min) · Wednesday activity (20–25 min) · Friday real-money practice (15–20 min)
Covers	Earning, saving, spending choices, giving, and the character habits behind them
Materials	10 picture books, three clear jars, real coins, a notebook per child, sticky notes, a few toys with price tags

The 10-week plan

Week	Theme	Book	Ages 4–5	Ages 6–8 add	Real-money Friday
1	Money comes from work	Teddy Goes to Work alt: Lemonade in Winter	Draw a grown-up at work	Interview a parent: 3 questions about their job	Name and sort coins
2	Saving for a goal	Teddy and the Piggy Banks alt: Just Saving My Money	Set up Save, Spend, Share jars	Write a goal and its price; count how many weeks to get there	First deposit into the jars
3	Wants and needs	Teddy Says Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees alt: Those Shoes	Picture sort: want or need	Sort your family’s grocery list	Grocery store: choose one item within a set amount
4	Earning on your own	Teddy and the Corn Stand alt: Bunny Money	Play store at home	Plan a real stand: price, costs, sign	Run a small stand or craft sale; count the earnings
5	People who help us	Teddy and the People Who Make the World Go Round alt: A Chair for My Mother	Helper hunt on a walk	Write a thank-you note to a helper	Pay at a counter yourself and say thank you
6	The wider world and trade	Teddy Goes to China	Find where three toys were made	Mark the countries on a map	Look at coins or bills from another country, if you have any
7	Friendship and sharing	Teddy and His Best Friend Jerry	Make a gift for a friend	Plan a small gift within a budget	Choose where the Share jar goes
8	Responsibility	Teddy Gets a Puppy	Pet or plant care chart	Estimate what a pet costs per month	Price pet food or plant supplies at the store
9	Chores before play	Teddy Plays in the Snow	Make a “first, then” chart	Track chores for a week; discuss paid vs. family jobs	Start or review an allowance
10	Words, confidence, review	Teddy Says Words Can Never Hurt You	Practice kind, calm answers	Write “three things I learned about money”	Open the Save jar: did we reach the goal?

Books are ordered for teaching, not as an official series order. See all 10 Teddy books in order.

How a week runs

1. Monday: read and talk (15 min). Read the book aloud, then ask: What did the character want? What did they choose? What would you do?
2. Wednesday: hands-on (20–25 min). Younger children do the base activity; older children add the extension. Siblings can work side by side.
3. Friday: real money (15–20 min). Coins, jars or a short errand. This is where the lesson sticks.

Teaching mixed ages together

• Read once, together. Picture books work for the whole 4–8 range.
• Split the task, not the topic. The 4-year-old sorts coins; the 7-year-old adds them up.
• Make the older child the helper. Explaining saving to a younger sibling is great review.
• Keep it short. Stop while it is still fun; you can always continue on Saturday at the store.

Progress checklist

By week 10, my child can…	Ages 4–5	Ages 6–8
Explain where money comes from	“People work”	Names two jobs and what they earn money for
Save toward a goal	Adds to the Save jar	Tracks progress and weeks left
Tell wants from needs	Sorts pictures	Explains a choice in their own words
Use coins	Names three coins	Counts coins and makes simple change
Give	Helps choose where Share money goes	Explains why the family gave

Keep each child’s notebook, drawings and a photo from the stand as a simple record of the unit for your homeschool portfolio.

What you need

• Books: the Teddy Complete Collection ($109.99), or Volume 1 and Volume 2 separately ($69.99 each), or library alternatives.
• Three clear jars labeled Save, Spend and Share.
• Real coins, a few dollars’ worth.
• A notebook for each child.

Homeschool co-op ordering for several families? See bulk orders.

Frequently asked questions

What age should homeschoolers start teaching money?

Around 4, with coins, saving in a jar and simple wants-versus-needs talks. Counting money and budgeting fit better from about 6.

How much time does a homeschool money curriculum need?

For ages 4–8, about an hour a week is enough, split into three short sessions.

Do I need a workbook?

Not at this age. Picture books, real coins and real errands teach more than worksheets. Older children can keep a simple money notebook.

Can I use this plan in a classroom?

Yes, but for a shorter school unit try our 5-day kindergarten lesson plan.

What comes after this curriculum?

Start a regular allowance and keep the three jars going. See allowance by age and how to teach kids about money by age.

Our pick

For the full 10 weeks with one book per week, the Teddy Complete Collection is the simplest option and costs about $60 less than buying ten books separately.

See the Complete Collection · Volume 1 · Volume 2

More: Financial Literacy Month activities · lemonade stand for kids · what age the Teddy books are for

This plan is an editorial resource for families, not an accredited curriculum. Check your state’s homeschool record-keeping rules.