Fun Financial Literacy Projects for Students

lisa0158
Jul 16
4 min read

Summer’s in swing—and while the classrooms are quiet, it’s the perfect time to plan engaging, hands-on financial literacy activities that students will love. At PSI, we believe financial education should be vibrant, visual, and real—and what better way to bring it to life than with the ecolor+ poster printer and templates designed to spark curiosity, confidence, and real-world learning?

Why Financial Literacy Should Start Early

Most kids don’t get a chance to learn basic money skills until middle or high school—and even then, the lessons can be dry. But what if financial literacy started in elementary school? Teaching about earning, budgeting, and spending early builds independence, confidence, and long-term smart habits.

Our previous blog, “Money Matters: Why Financial Literacy Belongs in Classrooms”, dives deeper into the “why”—exploring research-backed benefits and showing how even simple visual tools can make financial concepts click for young learners.

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Financial Literacy That Sticks: Real-World Projects Students Will Remember

Teaching financial literacy doesn’t have to be complicated—or boring. When students get to apply what they’re learning in real, hands-on ways, the concepts suddenly click. These classroom-tested projects are not only fun—they’re incredibly effective at helping students build lifelong money skills.

And with the help of the ecolor+ poster printer and PSI’s STEP Program, you can bring these ideas to life visually and practically in your school community.

1. Classroom Economy System

Create a miniature financial world inside your classroom! Students apply for jobs, earn classroom “salaries,” pay rent for their desks, and even manage personal budgets.

Teaches: income, budgeting, saving, and responsible spending
PSI Tie-In: Use your ecolor+ poster printer to display job openings, salary charts, or “Employee of the Month” shout-outs. Visual reminders help students stay engaged and accountable all year long.

2. Student-Run School Store or Print Shop (STEP)

Take it a step further—literally. With PSI’s STEP (Student Entrepreneur Program), students can run their own school-based business, from marketing and customer service to budgeting and order fulfillment.

Teaches: entrepreneurship, leadership, profit and loss
PSI Tie-In: Students can manage real design requests for events, signs, and school materials, building confidence while supporting the larger school community.

📌 Want to learn more? Read how STEP empowers students to lead with purpose.

3. Budget Challenge or “Life Happens” Simulation

Give students a salary, a job title, and a set of monthly expenses. Then, toss in surprise “life events”—a car repair, a concert ticket, or a birthday dinner—and see how they handle real-world choices.

Teaches: budgeting, financial planning, flexibility
PSI Tie-In: Use your ecolor+ poster maker to guide students through the activity by creating colorful budget templates, life event cards, and step-by-step posters.

4. Market Day or Pop-Up Shops

Let students turn their creativity into cash with a one-day event where they sell handmade products or services to classmates, parents, or school staff.

Teaches: product development, pricing, marketing
PSI Tie-In: Use the ecolor+ to print signage, menus, price lists, and promotional posters. It’s a great opportunity for students to work with your school’s PTA or community partners.

5. Personal Finance Vision Boards

Ask students to visualize their future financial goals—whether it’s owning a car, saving for college, or traveling the world—and then research what it takes to get there.

Teaches: long-term planning, financial goal setting, motivation
PSI Tie-In: Let students design digital vision boards and then print them out as posters to display at home or in the classroom.

6. Saving vs. Spending Poster Project

What’s more powerful than a lesson on smart money habits? Students creating the message themselves! Let them design persuasive posters to encourage positive spending choices among their peers.

Teaches: persuasive communication, personal finance values
PSI Tie-In: Use the ecolor+ to print their work and create a hallway gallery of money-saving wisdom straight from the student voice.

7. Financial Literacy Fair

Turn a regular class period into a full-on event! Students can rotate through stations focused on different aspects of personal finance—banking, credit cards, budgeting, investing, and more.

Teaches: comprehensive financial literacy
PSI Tie-In: Use your poster printer to label stations, provide printed resources, and promote the event school-wide.

8. Schoolwide Money Tips Campaign

Invite students to research practical money tips and share them across the school each week via posters, morning announcements, or flyers sent home.

Teaches: research skills, real-world application, community education
PSI Tie-In: Create a “Money Monday” display space using ecolor+ printed visuals that students can update weekly with new financial tips.

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Take It a Step Further—Partner with STEP

Looking to scale up? Get students directly involved through PSI’s STEP program.

With STEP, students don’t just design visuals—they run the entire process from concept to execution:

Set prices, fulfill orders, and track sales
Collaborate on marketing materials and profit goals
Reinvest earnings into classroom needs, school events, or continue growing the program

It’s real-world business learning—teaching budgeting, collaboration, entrepreneurship, and financial responsibility—all supported by the practical use of the ecolor+ poster maker.

Curious how it works in action? Catch the stories in our earlier posts:

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Ready to Make Money Lessons Fun & Memorable?

Financial literacy doesn’t have to be textbooks and worksheets—it can be visual, creative, and student-led. With PSI, your school has everything you need to make it happen:

A color-rich ecolor+ poster printer with pre-loaded templates
Practical, ready-to-use summer projects
The opportunity to engage students through STEP
Help getting started with a Free Tech & Design Seminar

👉 Interested? Reach out today and let us help you bring financial literacy to life this year!