For schools AND YOUTH GROUPS
The Money Wise Workshop
An interactive, hands-on session that gets Years 4, 5 and 6 talking about money, and thinking about it differently. Delivered by us, in your classroom or hall.
At a glance
Who
Years 4, 5 and 6
How long
50–70 minutes
Where
Your classroom or school hall
What you need
A screen or interactive whiteboard. We bring everything else.
The style
A conversation, not a lecture, built on pupils' own answers
The activities
Six short, lively activities, from "What is money?" to "What does a house cost?"
The games
A quiz and games pupils love, including "What costs more?" and Money Bingo
Fits with
PSHE and maths, from economic wellbeing to wages and budgeting
The takeaway
Don't fear money. Respect it. Be careful with it.
"What is money?" to "What does a house cost?"
Six short, lively activities take pupils from the very basics to the big numbers, with plenty of chances to move, vote, guess and talk.
1. What money is and where it comes from
From bartering to banknotes, and the many ways people earn it.
2. Whose money is it?
Why we're more careful with our own money than with someone else's.
3. How we pay
Cash, cards, phones, watches and fingerprints, and why easy payments are both brilliant and risky.
4. Needs and wants
Why most things sit somewhere in the middle, and how one want can bring a whole list of hidden needs.
5. What things really cost
Guessing the price of a chocolate bar, a weekly shop, a car and a house, and discovering how hard big numbers are to picture.
6. The Money Wise Workshop games
On their feet for "What costs more?", or in their seats for Money Bingo, pupils pick up ideas like depreciation, appreciation, location and branding.
We don't tell children what's right or wrong
We help them make informed decisions. The workshop is a conversation, not a lecture: built on pupils' own answers, with no silly questions and no judgement. Every child leaves with three simple messages: don't fear money, respect it, and be careful with it.
Learning outcomes
Recall different forms of money, from coins to digital payments
Describe how people get money
Weigh up the pros and cons of different ways to pay
Explain the key difference between debit and credit cards
Give approximate costs for everyday items
Tell the difference between needs and wants, and spot hidden costs
What teachers say
"Whilst we teach children about the amount each coin or note is worth in monetary terms in the classroom, we don't always provide them with a really good understanding of the context of money in the wider world and how it is important to make decisions about how to spend it. Paul's session absolutely captures this missing link."
Class Teacher (Year 6), Carrant Brook Primary School
"The workshop was a great way to introduce young people to the value of money and helping them to understand why we can't always have everything we desire. It was fast-paced and energetic and prompted some interesting discussions later on. It also linked beautifully with the thematic maths Y6 are doing around wages and budgeting."
Queen Margaret's Primary School
"Paul's ability to simplify financial concepts engaged the children and encouraged them to actively participate in discussions. … We highly recommend Make Sense of Pence for any school seeking to enhance financial literacy education."
John Moore Primary School
"We really enjoyed it in Y5 and it fitted in perfectly with our economic wellbeing unit in PSHE - we would definitely invite him to come back again next year. Paul was very informative and really got the measure of the children."
Malvern Parish
What pupils say
"I never realised that a watch could be more expensive than a house!"
Pupil, Dean Close
"It has helped me to understand the value of money. Just the other day I was going to buy a really expensive water bottle but I didn't, I found a cheaper one."
Pupil, Lilleshall Primary School
"I didn't know how expensive life is!"
Pupil, Queen Margaret's Primary School
"I kept listening because I wanted to know more!"
Pupil, Twyning Primary School
"I liked how he didn't feel like any question was silly and was willing to answer them."
Pupil, Churcham Primary School
"Money can be confusing if you don't know how it works. I liked the games because it was scary to think how expensive some things actually are!"
Pupil, Malvern Parish
Book a workshop
Ready to bring a Money Wise Workshop to your school? Tell us a little about you and we'll be in touch to arrange it.
Book a workshop