Now featuring 36 complete modules

Teach your kids about money by helping them start a real business

KidFin 101 is a parent-led curriculum that teaches financial literacy — earning, saving, investing, and giving — through 30-minute weekly lessons and hands-on micro-business creation. Ages 5–18.

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Phase 1 · Foundation

Sample: Modules 1–5

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  • 1
    What Is Money, Really?
    From seashells to digital wallets
  • 2
    Earning Money
    Why people pay for value
  • 3
    Spending Wisely
    Needs, wants, and the joy of choosing
  • 4
    Saving for the Future
    The power of not spending
  • 5
    Business Ethics
    Doing the right thing when no one is watching
36
Complete Modules
4
Age Groups (5–18)
30 min
Per Week
9 mo
Full Curriculum
73%
of teens feel they don't know enough about personal finance
$1,200+
lost annually by average Americans due to poor financial decisions
0
states require financial literacy AND entrepreneurship education

The Problem

Kids don't learn about money — until it's too late

Most children reach adulthood never having earned, managed, or invested real money. Schools teach algebra but not budgeting. History but not investing. Science but not how to start a business.

The result? Young adults drowning in debt, anxious about money, and repeating the same financial mistakes their parents made.

KidFin 101 fixes this by teaching money through experience — not worksheets. Your child learns by starting and running a real micro-business, making real financial decisions with real consequences and real rewards.
William (8) and Graham (6), founders of Olivenhain Coffee Co.
Built with KidFin 101

Real-World Case Study

Two brothers, one tiny roastery

William (8) and Graham (6) used the KidFin 101 curriculum to launch Olivenhain Coffee Co. — a neighborhood micro-roastery in Encinitas, California. They sort green beans, time roasts, design packaging, and deliver to neighbors by hand.

Along the way, they've learned to calculate costs, set prices, handle customer feedback, manage their time, and — most importantly — understand that money is a tool for building a good life, not the goal itself.

Every module in KidFin 101 was developed alongside their real business journey. This isn't theoretical — it's battle-tested by actual kids running an actual company.

Visit Olivenhain Coffee Co.

How It Works

Four phases from first dollar to financial literacy

The curriculum follows a natural arc: learn the basics, plan a business, launch and operate it, then reflect and improve.

01
🌱
Modules 1–9

Foundation

Core money concepts: earning, saving, spending, giving, ethics, needs vs. wants, budgeting, growth mindset, and wellbeing.

02
📐
Modules 10–18

Planning

Choose a business idea, research customers, calculate costs, set prices, build a financial model, and set multi-dimensional goals.

03
🚀
Modules 19–27

Launch & Operations

Brand creation, marketing, launch day, quality control, customer service, record-keeping, time management, and mid-point reflection.

04
🔬
Modules 28–36

Improvement & Reflection

Data analysis, experimentation, investing, taxes, generosity, competition, defining "enough," and celebrating growth.

Inside Every Module

Professional-grade lessons designed for busy parents

Each module is a complete 30-minute lesson with everything you need — no curriculum design required.

📋

Parent Guide

Background knowledge, learning objectives, materials list, common misconceptions to address, and a parent tip — so you feel confident leading the lesson.

🎯

Lesson Content

A 5-minute hook to grab attention, 10-minute concept section with guided dialogue, and a 10-minute hands-on activity — every minute planned.

🧠

Wellbeing Connection

Research-backed connections between money and mental, physical, and emotional health. Every module reinforces that money is a tool for a good life.

👶 👦 🧑 🧑‍🎓

Age Modifications

Tailored adaptations for four age groups: Little Explorers (5–7), Core (8–10), Systems Thinkers (11–14), and Future Adults (15–18).

🏢

Big Company Connection

Every module features a real company story — Nike, Google, Patagonia, Pixar, and more — connecting kid-sized lessons to world-scale examples.

🎯

Tiny Mission

A take-home challenge that extends learning into the real world between sessions. Short, specific, and action-oriented.

Full Curriculum

36 modules across four phases

Click each phase to explore the complete module list. Modules 1–5 are free with email signup.

Phase 1: Foundation
Modules 1–9
▾
1
What Is Money, Really?
From seashells to Venmo — the full history and purpose of money
Free
2
Earning Money
Why people pay for value, and how to create it
Free
3
Spending Wisely
Needs vs. wants, and the surprising joy of choosing
Free
4
Saving for the Future
The Emergency Fund Game and the psychology of not-spending
Free
5
Business Ethics
The Business Honor Code and doing right when nobody's watching
Free
6
Needs vs. Wants
The Shipwreck Challenge — learning to prioritize
7
Basic Budgeting
The Envelope Method and making every dollar count
8
What Is a Business?
Solving problems for profit — the essence of business
9
Wellbeing Check-In
The Three Pillars assessment and why money serves life
Phase 2: Planning
Modules 10–18
▾
10
Choosing Your Business
Finding the sweet spot between passion, skill, and demand
11
Know Your Customers
Customer research and the real-world Neighborhood Interview
12
Costs & Materials
Startup costs, variable costs, and the Invisible Costs Trap
13
Pricing Your Product
The psychology of pricing and finding the number that works
14
Opportunity Cost
Every yes is a no — the hidden cost of every decision
15
Supply & Demand
The Ticket Scalper dilemma and market forces
16
Simple Financial Model
A one-page projection that tests business viability
17
Setting Business Goals
The Success Dashboard — financial, learning, and wellbeing goals
18
Compound Interest
The Penny Doubling Challenge and why time is the ultimate advantage
Phase 3: Launch & Operations
Modules 19–27
▾
19
Creating Your Brand
Name, logo, pitch — making your business memorable
20
Building Order Systems
The complete customer journey from discovery to delivery
21
Marketing Your Business
AIDA framework, flyers, pitches, and handling rejection
22
Launch Day
Your first real sales and the After-Action Review
23
Quality Control
Checklists, gold standards, and consistency that builds trust
24
Customer Service
The LAST method and turning complaints into loyalty
25
Keeping Records
Tracking every dollar so you always know the truth
26
Managing Time
Glass balls vs. rubber balls and protecting what matters
27
Mid-Point Reflection
The Halftime Speech — checking in on business AND life
Phase 4: Improvement & Reflection
Modules 28–36
▾
28
Analyzing Results
The Detective's Notebook — turning data into decisions
29
Running Experiments
A/B testing, the scientific method, and learning fast
30
Understanding "Enough"
Growth, staying small, or closure — all valid choices
31
Competition & Cooperation
Coopetition, differentiation, and the Restaurant Row Paradox
32
Long-Term Investing
Index funds, compound growth, and putting profits to work
33
Introduction to Taxes
Understanding community obligations and "free stuff that isn't free"
34
Giving & Generosity
The helper's high and why givers are happier than keepers
35
Final Business Review
The Time Capsule — a comprehensive look at the full journey
36
Celebration & Next Steps
Ceremony, sealed letter, certificate, and what comes next

Start Free

Get Modules 1–5 completely free

The first five modules cover everything your family needs to build a foundation: what money is, how to earn it, spend wisely, save for the future, and develop a Business Honor Code. No credit card. No commitment.

  • 5 complete, professional-grade lesson modules (.docx)
  • Parent guides with background knowledge and discussion scripts
  • Age-specific modifications for ages 5–7, 8–10, 11–14, and 15–18
  • Wellbeing connections grounded in peer-reviewed research
  • Big Company case studies: Nike, Patagonia, Apple, and more

Pricing

Invest in your child's financial future

Less than the cost of a single tutoring session. A lifetime of financial literacy.

Free Starter
Phase 1 foundation modules
$0
Modules 1–5
  • 5 complete lesson modules
  • Parent guides & discussion scripts
  • All 4 age group modifications
  • Wellbeing connections
  • Company case studies
Get Free Starter →
Complete Curriculum
All 36 modules — the full 9-month journey
$67 one-time
Instant download · All future updates included
  • All 36 professional lesson modules
  • Complete parent guides with research
  • All 4 age groups (ages 5–18)
  • 36 wellbeing connections
  • 36 real company case studies
  • Future updates at no extra cost
Get the Full Curriculum →

Wellbeing First

Money is a tool for building a good life

Every module in KidFin 101 connects financial concepts to physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. Because the point of money was never the money itself — it's the life it supports.

Each wellbeing connection is grounded in peer-reviewed research from psychologists like Carol Dweck, Brené Brown, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Martin Seligman, and others — made accessible for parent-child conversations.

💪

Physical Health

Sleep, nutrition, exercise, and the neuroscience of rest. Business should never compromise the body.

🧠

Mental Health

Growth mindset, learned optimism, metacognition, and managing the stress that comes with real responsibility.

💛

Emotional Health

Courage, vulnerability, emotional regulation, contentment, and the helper's high of generosity.

Questions

Frequently asked

The core curriculum targets ages 8–10, but every module includes detailed modifications for four age groups: Little Explorers (5–7), Core (8–10), Systems Thinkers (11–14), and Future Adults (15–18). The concepts scale from counting coins and drawing pictures for young children to building P&L statements and investment portfolios for teenagers.
Each module is designed as a single 30-minute session — that's it. There's also a "Tiny Mission" (a short real-world challenge) between sessions that takes 10–15 minutes. Total weekly commitment: about 45 minutes. Many families do their lesson during Sunday breakfast or after dinner one night per week.
Not at all. Every module includes a comprehensive Parent Guide with background knowledge, guided discussion scripts (exact words to say), common misconceptions to address, and tips for facilitating the activities. If you can have a conversation with your child, you can lead these lessons.
The curriculum is designed around launching a real micro-business (lemonade stand, cookie business, dog walking, etc.), and the learning is deepest when kids handle real money and real customers. However, the financial literacy concepts — budgeting, saving, investing, compound interest, taxes — are valuable even without the business component. Many families do the first 9 modules (Foundation phase) before deciding whether to launch a business.
Each module is a professionally formatted .docx (Microsoft Word) file that you can open on any device, print, or convert to PDF. Modules average 10–12 pages and include color-coded sections, callout boxes, tables, and clear visual formatting for easy navigation during lessons.
Absolutely. KidFin 101 covers financial literacy, entrepreneurship, basic economics, data analysis, and social-emotional learning — all areas commonly included in homeschool curricula. The 36-module structure maps naturally to a school year (one module per week). Several modules also connect to math standards (percentages, multiplication, graphing) and language arts (persuasive writing, presentations).
That's exactly why the first 5 modules are completely free — you can experience the full quality of the lessons, parent guides, and activities before spending anything. Try them with your child first. If your family enjoys the approach and wants to continue the journey, the full curriculum will be here.

The best time to teach your child about money is right now

Start with 5 free modules. See the spark in your child's eyes when they understand that money is a tool they can master — and that they're capable of more than they ever imagined.

Get the Free Starter Kit →