Money stories at the table: 12 Thanksgiving conversation cards
Question cards for the holiday table. Most of them are for the grown-ups, so the kids hear how saving, first jobs and money mistakes really went, told by the people who lived them. Grandparents get to be the teachers, and nobody has to give a lecture.
Two pages, US Letter, six cards per page. No sign-up needed.
How to play
- Print the two pages and cut along the dotted lines.
- Put the cards in a bowl on the table.
- Take turns. Pick a card and ask the person it names: a grown-up, a kid, or anyone.
- Everyone listens. There are no wrong answers, and anyone can pass.
The 12 questions
A kid asks a grown-up
Most of the cards. The kids get to be the interviewers.
- What was the first thing you ever saved up for? How long did it take?
- What was your very first job, and what did you spend your first paycheck on?
- Who taught you about money when you were a kid? What did they teach you?
- When you were my age, how did you get money? Did you get an allowance?
- What's one money mistake you made that you hope I can skip?
- What did you want badly as a kid but never got? How did it turn out?
- What's the best thing you ever bought? Why was it worth it?
- What did a movie ticket or a candy bar cost when you were my age?
Anyone asks anyone
For everyone at the table, kids and grown-ups.
- If you could give some money to help anyone or any cause, who would you pick, and why?
- What are you saving for right now? If nothing, what would be worth saving for?
A grown-up asks a kid
The kids get a turn to answer too.
- What's something you wanted really badly, then forgot about a day later?
- If you had to wait a whole month for one thing, what would be worth the wait?
Make it fit your child's age
Ages 6 to 8
Let them pick the card and hand it to a grown-up to read out loud. Afterward, ask them which story they liked best.
Ages 9 to 12
Let them read the card and ask the question themselves. Encourage one follow-up question, such as "Then what happened?"
Ages 13 to 18
Teens often get the most from the first-job and mistake cards. Ask them: "What would you do differently?"
These are our editors' suggestions, not tested figures. Adjust them to your family.
Good to know
- Not everyone likes talking about money. Anyone can pass on a card, and no one has to share amounts.
- Gift money arrives soon after Thanksgiving. The Holiday Money Challenge helps your child plan it before it arrives.
- You do not need any app to use the cards.
Keep the money talk going after the holiday
Babalata is a money-habits app for US families with kids ages 6 to 18, available on the App Store and Google Play in the United States. No debit card, no bank account: parents keep the real money.