Fun and effective ways to teach kids the time value of money

Modak
August 27, 2025

Main takeaways

💡 The time value of money teaches kids that saving today can lead to bigger rewards tomorrow.

🎲 Hands-on tools like games, savings challenges, and simulations make money concepts stick.

📚 Learning about interest, compounding, and budgeting early builds lifelong financial skills.

Teaching the time value of money (TVM) early in life is one of the best ways to help kids and teens build strong financial habits. Simply put, TVM is the idea that money available today is worth more than the same amount in the future because of its potential to grow through saving or investing.

This concept is key to understanding saving, budgeting, and delayed gratification.

But how can we teach this idea in a way that sticks?

In this guide, we’ll explore the best tools for teaching time value of money, from hands-on activities and games for 10-year-olds to digital tools like Modak Makers that make learning both fun and practical.

Family teaching their kids financial literacy

What is the time value of money?

The time value of money (TVM) refers to the idea that money today is worth more than the same amount of money in the future. Why? Because today’s money can be invested or saved, earning interest or returns. 

For example, $100 invested today might grow to $110 in a year with a 10% interest rate. However, if you wait a year to receive the $100, you’ve lost the opportunity to grow that money.

Learning this concept helps kids and teens understand why saving early and regularly is essential for long-term financial success. It also teaches them the value of delayed gratification, where waiting to spend can lead to more money in the future.

Why teaching the time value of money is important for kids

Learning about the time value of money from an early age lays a foundation for smart financial decisions later in life. It helps kids and teens:

  • Understand delayed gratification: When children realize that saving money now can result in greater rewards later, they are more likely to make informed decisions about spending and saving.
  • Develop saving habits: Teaching TVM encourages kids to start saving early, building the habit of putting money aside and watching it grow over time.
  • Budget effectively: Knowing the time value of money helps kids prioritize spending and saving, enabling them to budget wisely.
  • Learn investing basics: By understanding how money can grow, teens can better appreciate the power of investing in stocks, bonds, or savings accounts that earn interest.

Tools for teaching time value of money

Teaching complex concepts like the time value of money doesn’t have to be challenging. Here are some effective tools to help make learning fun, engaging, and practical for kids and teens.

Monopoly board game

1. Interactive online courses

Online learning platforms offer structured, interactive courses that teach TVM using engaging activities, quizzes, and real-world examples. Here are a couple of standout courses:

  • Federal reserve’s time value of money course: This online course is perfect for teachers and students who want to break down the concept of TVM with easy-to-follow lessons and activities. The course is free and designed to be both educational and engaging, offering practical examples.
  • EconEdLink: This platform offers a range of financial literacy resources, including lessons that explain the time value of money. EconEdLink’s interactive tools help students visualize how their money grows when invested or saved, making it easier for them to grasp complex financial concepts.

These courses are perfect for older teens looking to dive deeper into financial literacy, as they present real-world applications of TVM in an engaging and interactive format.

2. Financial literacy apps

One of the best ways to teach kids about the time value of money is through apps that make learning fun and practical. Financial literacy apps like Modak offer a hands-on way to manage chores and earn money.

  • Modak helps teens track their household chores and understand the value of both money and their time. They also learn to manage their finances by using their first debit card, a Visa® card with no monthly fees(1)(4) that comes with built-in parental controls.
  • The app also features a Walk to Earn3 option, where teens can earn up to 70 MBX points per week by hitting their daily step goals. That’s an extra $36.40 a year just for staying active, reinforcing the idea that consistent effort over time leads to bigger rewards(2).

How Modak can help you

📲 Modak turns everyday tasks into teachable money moments through chores and rewards.

👟 With Walk to Earn, teens get paid for staying active, reinforcing that small steps add up.

💳 Modak offers a safe way for teens to manage money with a debit card and parental controls.

Start your financial journey now!

Everything you need, fast, safe and simple.

Teaching the time value of money (TVM) early in life is one of the best ways to help kids and teens build strong financial habits. Simply put, TVM is the idea that money available today is worth more than the same amount in the future because of its potential to grow through saving or investing.

This concept is key to understanding saving, budgeting, and delayed gratification.

But how can we teach this idea in a way that sticks?

In this guide, we’ll explore the best tools for teaching time value of money, from hands-on activities and games for 10-year-olds to digital tools like Modak Makers that make learning both fun and practical.

Family teaching their kids financial literacy

What is the time value of money?

The time value of money (TVM) refers to the idea that money today is worth more than the same amount of money in the future. Why? Because today’s money can be invested or saved, earning interest or returns. 

For example, $100 invested today might grow to $110 in a year with a 10% interest rate. However, if you wait a year to receive the $100, you’ve lost the opportunity to grow that money.

Learning this concept helps kids and teens understand why saving early and regularly is essential for long-term financial success. It also teaches them the value of delayed gratification, where waiting to spend can lead to more money in the future.

Why teaching the time value of money is important for kids

Learning about the time value of money from an early age lays a foundation for smart financial decisions later in life. It helps kids and teens:

  • Understand delayed gratification: When children realize that saving money now can result in greater rewards later, they are more likely to make informed decisions about spending and saving.
  • Develop saving habits: Teaching TVM encourages kids to start saving early, building the habit of putting money aside and watching it grow over time.
  • Budget effectively: Knowing the time value of money helps kids prioritize spending and saving, enabling them to budget wisely.
  • Learn investing basics: By understanding how money can grow, teens can better appreciate the power of investing in stocks, bonds, or savings accounts that earn interest.

Tools for teaching time value of money

Teaching complex concepts like the time value of money doesn’t have to be challenging. Here are some effective tools to help make learning fun, engaging, and practical for kids and teens.

Monopoly board game

1. Interactive online courses

Online learning platforms offer structured, interactive courses that teach TVM using engaging activities, quizzes, and real-world examples. Here are a couple of standout courses:

  • Federal reserve’s time value of money course: This online course is perfect for teachers and students who want to break down the concept of TVM with easy-to-follow lessons and activities. The course is free and designed to be both educational and engaging, offering practical examples.
  • EconEdLink: This platform offers a range of financial literacy resources, including lessons that explain the time value of money. EconEdLink’s interactive tools help students visualize how their money grows when invested or saved, making it easier for them to grasp complex financial concepts.

These courses are perfect for older teens looking to dive deeper into financial literacy, as they present real-world applications of TVM in an engaging and interactive format.

2. Financial literacy apps

One of the best ways to teach kids about the time value of money is through apps that make learning fun and practical. Financial literacy apps like Modak offer a hands-on way to manage chores and earn money.

  • Modak helps teens track their household chores and understand the value of both money and their time. They also learn to manage their finances by using their first debit card, a Visa® card with no monthly fees(1)(4) that comes with built-in parental controls.
  • The app also features a Walk to Earn3 option, where teens can earn up to 70 MBX points per week by hitting their daily step goals. That’s an extra $36.40 a year just for staying active, reinforcing the idea that consistent effort over time leads to bigger rewards(2).
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