Money conversation starters
Thirty questions for the car, the walk to school, or the ten minutes after dinner when nobody wants to get up yet. Three per zone, one for each age.
These aren’t a quiz. There are no right answers, and the best conversations happen when a grown-up doesn’t know the answer either. One question is plenty for one journey.
5–6 7–8 9–10 Every zone has one question for each age. Ages are a rough steer, not a rule, so use whichever suits the child in front of you.
1. What is money?
- 5–6 What’s the oddest thing you can imagine people using as money?
- 7–8 If money didn’t exist, how would we get bread?
- 9–10 A £10 note is a bit of paper. Why will anyone swap real things for it?
2. Earning it
- 5–6 Who did a job today that helped you? See if you can name three.
- 7–8 How many people did a job today to get our dinner onto this table?
- 9–10 What job would you pick if every job paid exactly the same?
3. Saving it
- 5–6 What’s the longest you’ve ever waited for something you really wanted?
- 7–8 Was it worth the wait? Would you do it again?
- 9–10 Is there anything you’d save up a whole year for?
4. Growing it
- 5–6 If you hid a pound under your bed for a whole year, how much would be there when you found it?
- 7–8 Where do you think a bank actually keeps our money?
- 9–10 £1 now, or £5 next year. Which, and why?
5. Own a slice
- 5–6 Who do you think owns the shop we go to?
- 7–8 If you could own a tiny piece of any company, which one?
- 9–10 What would make you want to sell it again?
6. Spending it well
- 5–6 Best thing you’ve ever spent money on? Worst?
- 7–8 That advert we just saw — what did it want you to feel?
- 9–10 Something you really wanted last year — do you still use it?
7. Borrowing it
- 5–6 If you borrow something from a friend, when should you give it back?
- 7–8 If you borrowed £5 from me, what would be a fair amount to pay back?
- 9–10 Why would a bank lend money to somebody it has never met?
8. Prices go up
- 5–6 Ask the oldest person you know what a chocolate bar cost when they were little.
- 7–8 Guess what a loaf of bread costs. We’ll check next time we’re in the shop.
- 9–10 If everything costs more next year, does that mean we’re poorer?
9. Giving & sharing
- 5–6 If somebody handed you £10 to give away, who would get it?
- 7–8 Why do people give money to strangers they’ll never meet?
- 9–10 Is giving your time as good as giving money?
10. Money safety
- 5–6 If someone you didn’t know offered you something for free, what would you do?
- 7–8 What would make you suspicious of a message?
- 9–10 How much real money is sitting in your game account right now?
Where these come from
Each one matches a zone of Money World, so if a question starts something and you want to keep going, the zone with the same name has the answer written three ways.