Needs and wants

Pay the price

Goods and services

Money match

Getting started

These four digital activities are designed for Foundation to Year 2 primary students. Each activity has different levels to cater for the range of knowledge and understandings of this age group. Activity duration is approximately 15 minutes although this may vary depending on the teaching and learning approach used. Activities can be used on an interactive smartboard, computer or iPad.



The activities have been designed to be used in any of three ways:

  • as part of the MoneySmart Teaching Primary and Secondary professional learning packages’ units of work
  • as stand - alone activities for use in the classroom, or
  • as a tool for engaging parents/carers in their child’s learning at home.

Each activity features colourful graphics and audio and provides students with the opportunity to develop consumer and financial literacy skills in a fun way using the familiar game of matching memory cards to learn about Australian notes and coins and through ‘real life’ situations getting ready for school and buying items in a supermarket.

Besides these Teacher Notes the front page of each activity provides links to:

  • Parent notes
  • Curriculum mapping
  • End user specifications
  • Contact details
  • Copyright information

Links to MoneySmart Teaching resources

There are two resources linked to this set of four activities.

MoneySmart Teaching packages:

Years F -2 Integrated unit of work – Pancakes can make a difference.

Years F – 2 Interactive book – Ava makes a difference.

Go to the MoneySmart Teaching Resource centre.

Other resources:

Visit MoneySmart Teaching where you will find additional resources including videos, games and more teaching resources.

Activity topics

Key learning areas: Mathematics, English

Goods and services

Enduring understandings/deep learnings

  • Money is something that we use in exchange for goods and services.
  • Money is finite – we only have a certain income to spend.
  • Services and work can be paid or unpaid.

Student learnings

  • Explain how money is exchanged for goods and services.
  • Use money to buy basic goods and services in real-life contexts.
  • Understand that work can be paid or unpaid.

Level 1: Sorting goods and services. Students select an everyday item such as a soccer ball or service activity such as bus driving, and categorise it as a good or service.

Level 2: Identifying services. Students help the character ‘Ava’ to complete a service to earn pocket money.

Level 3: Earning money for services. ‘Ava’ wants to earn $10 pocket money. Students choose three services to help her buy a book.

Needs and wants

Enduring understandings/deep learnings

  • There is a difference between what we need and what we want.
  • People can have different needs and wants which can change over time.

Student learnings

  • Identify and describe the difference between needs and wants.
  • Describe how advertising can influence consumer choices.

Level 1. Identifying needs and wants. Students help the character ‘Flynn’ to get ready for school by helping to select what he ‘needs’ rather than the things he ‘wants’.

Level 2. Comparing items. Students help the character ‘Flynn’ buy a new top at a good price.

Money match

Enduring understandings/deep learnings

  • Australian money includes notes and coins.
  • Recognise that different combinations of notes and coins have equivalent values.

Student learnings

  • Recognise and match 5 cent, 10 cent and 20 cent coins. (Level 1 of resource).
  • Recognise and match all Australian coins, including $1 and $2 coins. (Level 2 of resource).
  • Recognise and match all Australian coins and $5, $10, $20 $50 and $100 notes. (Level 3 of resource).
  • Identify equivalent values in collections of coins and notes, such as two five-cent coins having the same value as one 10 cent coin. (Level 4 of resource).

Level 1: Matching coins. In a memory style game, students select two matching images of five, ten, and twenty cent coins.

Level 2: Matching coins. In a memory style game, students select two matching images of five, ten, twenty, fifty cents and one and two dollar coins.

Level 3: Matching coins and notes. In a memory style game, students select two matching images of ten, twenty, fifty cents and one, two dollar coins as well as notes.

Level 4: Matching values. In a memory style game, students match values such as five x twenty cents equals a one dollar coin.

Pay the price

Enduring understandings/deep learnings

  • Australian money includes notes and coins.
  • Money is exchanged for goods and services.
  • Compare prices of similar items

Student learnings

  • Recognise 5 cent, 10 cent and 20 cent coins and match them to a price tag (Level 1 of resource).
  • Recognise all Australian coins and notes and understand their value (Level 1 of resource).
  • Compare the costs of similar items (Level 2 of resource).
  • Count small collections of coins and notes to make up a particular value, such as that shown on a price tag. (Level 2 of resource).

Level 1: Choosing correct money. The character ‘Ava’ needs to buy items from a shopping list. This activity requires students to match item value with the correct money from two single coin options.

Level 2: Choosing correct money. The character ‘Ava’ needs to buy items from a shopping list. This activity requires students to match item value with the correct money from two multiple coin options.

Level 3: Comparing price. Students assist the character ‘Ava’ to compare like items on a shopping list and select the cheapest option. Students then select the combination of coins required to pay the total shopping bill.

Preparation and delivery

The digital activities have been designed for flexible classroom delivery so that teachers and students can use them in a range of ways to suit different teaching and learning needs. Each activity contains multiple levels to suit the wide range of knowledge and understandings of Foundation to Year 2 students.

Please note that elements of consumer and financial literacy education may raise sensitive issues for some families. For example, not all students earn pocket money. Teachers are encouraged to vet the activities first to ensure that they are appropriate for their students.

Below are suggested approaches that teachers may use.

Goods and services

This resource is intended primarily for teacher-led group activities, as well as individual use on personal devices. The introduction screen presents a brief explanation of the key topic (goods and services) and three menu options.

The initial activity (Level 1) is intended to help young students gain a base understanding of the difference between goods and services. The learner sorts a range of images into groups labelled ‘goods’ and ‘services’. The images reflect activities and items young students are likely to have seen or experienced, and the teacher can support differentiation through explanation and by suggesting other items or activities relevant to the student group.

Understanding of the concept of ‘services’ is further developed in Level 2. This activity is aimed at helping students understand that services are activities that are generally undertaken for payment. The idea that money is earned by effort is developed by a simple animation that requires the student to help complete the service so that Ava can earn her pocket money.

The concept of earning money by undertaking services is explored in Level 3. The relationship between the amount of effort needed and the amount earned is also explored. Students select three services Ava can complete in order to earn enough money to purchase a desired item for a set amount of money.

These activities are intentionally couched in the third person (Ava’s activities, Ava’s goods) rather than the first person, recognising that not all students will earn pocket money. Teachers are able to use the activity as a springboard for discussion about the different things students may do as a service in their home, whether for pocket money or not. A minimum amount of randomisation of elements is available for all levels, allowing repeated use of the resource to reinforce the concepts.

Needs and wants

This resource is intended for teacher-led interaction on interactive whiteboards (IWBs). That is, it is intended as a teaching tool, not an activity for independent use by students. The introduction screen presents a brief explanation of the key topic (needs and wants) and two menu options.

The initial activity (Level 1) is intended to help young students consider the difference between something that is needed (essential) for a school day, versus other things that are not needed (either because they are not required for the activities at the user’s school, or because they are ‘wants’ not needs). A character is presented and the students are asked to consider what he needs for school. The teacher leads students in discussing the various items shown and selecting which ones are needed for school in their own real-life situation. A second stage presents the selected and remaindered items for comparison and reflection.

The second task (Level 2) is contextually related in that the students are advised that the character needs a new T-shirt, and the task now is to choose one for him. The teacher leads students in comparing three identical T-shirts that display different advertising. The teacher is able to show that the T-shirts are exactly the same, even though the advertising around each shirt is different.

Money match

This resource, which is based on the card game of ‘Concentration’, gives students practice in identifying Australian coins and notes. There are four levels, which all use the same game-play and functionality. Levelling is achieved via the targeted content and the number of cards per game.

The resource is intended primarily as a student-directed activity, with students working on computers, or iPads or other tablets. It can also be used on interactive whiteboards (IWBs).

Randomisation of card elements is available at all levels, allowing repeated use of the resource for further student practice.

Pay the price

This resource gives students practice in identifying the values of coins and notes, and reinforces the concept of exchanging money for goods. The different levels all use a shopping context and the same basic functionality.

The resource is intended primarily as a student-directed activity, with students working on computers, or iPads or other tablets. It can also be used on interactive whiteboards (IWBs).

21st century skills

Life for children in the 21st Century is much more complex than it was for children of any other age, and it is getting more complex. Today’s children need four generic skills to enable them to grow into mature, well-functioning adults. These are:

  • Ways of thinking: Creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making and learning,
  • Ways of working: Communication and collaboration,
  • Tools for working: Information and communications technology (ICT) and information literacy,
  • Skills for living in the world: Citizenship, life and career and personal and social responsibility.

What are 21st century skills

These skills are embedded within the four activities which have been designed to support the development of consumer and financial literacy skills in primary school.

Further information

For teaching students:

  • Go to teaching.moneysmart.gov.au. In the resource section is a quality resource called Making Cents which has an excellent section dedicated to parents including 11 money topics for parents.
  • Visit teaching.moneysmart.gov.au and view expert videos or read more about ASIC’s MoneySmart Teaching initiative.
  • Contact the MoneySmart Teaching team at

For personal money management:

  • Go to teaching.moneysmart.gov.au and subscribe to ASIC’s personal learning program for teachers, ‘Financial Health for Teachers’.
  • Visit the MoneySmart website for consumers at www.moneysmart.gov.au. It has calculators, tools and tips to help you make the most of your money.