Money Smart Kids
Chapter 6: Giving Back – The Share Bucket

Lesson 6.1: Why Giving is Important

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LESSON GOAL

BY THE END OF THIS LESSON,

you’ll understand why giving is a powerful part of managing your money. You’ll learn how sharing what you have helps others, makes a difference in the world, and makes you feel good inside too.

💬 let’s break it down

You’ve been learning how to earn, save, spend, and invest — but there’s one more superpower smart money-makers use: giving.

Giving means using your money (or time or things) to help someone else. It might not give you something in return, but it gives them something they need — and that’s even better.

Here’s the cool part:
💖 When you give, it doesn’t just help the other person — it helps YOU too.
You feel proud. You feel useful. You feel connected.
You get to make the world a better place, one little gift at a time.

And you don’t need a lot of money to make a big difference. Even giving a few dollars, a small gift, or your time can change someone’s whole day.

Your Share bucket isn’t about being perfect. It’s about using what you have to spread kindness on purpose.

🧠 ANALOGY: Giving is Like Lighting a Candle

Imagine you have a lit candle. If you use it to light someone else’s candle, does yours go out? 🔥

Nope! You both have light now. And the room gets brighter.

That’s what giving does — it lights up other people’s lives without taking your light away.

🤔 critical thinking questions

Have you ever helped someone? How did it feel?

Why is it important to give, even when you don’t have a lot?

How would the world change if everyone shared just a little?

What’s something small you could give that might mean a lot to someone else?

✍️ journal entry: “A Time I Gave”

Write or draw a time when you gave something — money, time, or help — to someone else.

  • What did you give?

  • How did it make them feel?

  • How did it make you feel?

Then, write one way you’d like to give this month.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 ACTIVITY WITH FAMILY OR FRIENDS: Giving Brainstorm Jar

What You’ll Need:

  • A jar or cup

  • Paper and pens

  • Your people!

What to Do:

  1. Sit down together and brainstorm ways you can give back — even without money.
    Examples:

    • Donate toys or clothes

    • Help a neighbor

    • Share part of your allowance

    • Make cards for someone

  2. Write each idea on a slip of paper and put it in the jar.

  3. Pick one idea this week and do it together!

🎯 What This Teaches: Giving isn’t just about money — it’s about using what you have to bring more light into the world.

💵 real-life practice: Try a Giving Challenge

This week, use part of your Share bucket to help someone. You can:

  • Donate to a cause you care about

  • Buy something kind for someone else

  • Give your time or talent

Then, talk about how it felt — and whether you’d do it again.

🌟 Bonus: Make a “Giving Tracker” to record every time you gave. Watch how much impact you can make in just one month!

  • Add a short summary or a list of helpful resources here.