November 7, 2025
Want to teach entrepreneurship, teamwork, and financial literacy in a way your students will never forget? We transformed our grade level into a bustling business town—and you can too! This immersive learning experience incorporates responsibility, economics, real-world skills, and SO much more! Check out this fun way to teach economics in kindergarten!
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Turn your grade level hallway into a downtown shopping center. This immersive learning experience ties in academic standards and life skills. Students learn about money, budgeting, and decision-making while also building teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills. Students will operate their personal classroom store AND shop on the town.
Each classroom will transform into a business that students will operate. Check out these ideas for your classroom business.
💍Jewelry Store – Create bracelets and necklaces using beads and charms.
🍪Sweet Shop – Purchase sweet treats like cakes, cookies, and candy.
🎳Game Hall – Play a variety of games likes magnetic darts, bowling, mini foosball, Jenga, etc.
💅Spa – Get your nails painted or your beard shaped up.
🍿Movie Theater – Purchase a movie ticket, popcorn, and a drink.
🎨Art Studio – Create masterpieces using pre-made examples.
🪩Disco Hall – A glow dance party where you can purchase light up accessories.
💵Dollar Store – Shop a variety of novelty trinkets and toys.
❤️🔥Tattoo Parlor – Choose from a variety of temporary tattoos for a tattoo artist to apply.
🪴Plant Shop – Plant a seed of your choice.
Choose the business that your classroom will become and build around that theme. Here are some helpful tips when decorating your storefront.
🛍️Use butcher paper or Better Than Paper for the foundation of your store front. Rough surface tape works wonders!
🛍️Use a piece of foam board insulation for your awning. Cover the awning with a fabric of your choice and attach to the wall using hooks. Wooden rulers can be used to prop the awning out.
🛍️Print Signs – Add an open/closed sign, business sign, and business hours to your store front.
🛍️Add accessories to match your theme. Make bracelets out of cut up pool noodles, hang movie posters, attach art brushes to windows, add tissue paper topiary bushes, use fabric to create curtains, etc. This is the fun part!
🛍️Get a play cash register to collect all the money your business earns.
You will need donations to make this event happen! Decide what items each store will need and create a sign up for families to contribute. Local businesses are also a great resource when looking for donations. Plenty of classroom businesses will have supplies left over and can be stored for the next year.
Students will earn money for their shopping days. Begin passing out money 2-3 weeks before the BIG event. We suggest using zipper pouches or envelopes for each child to store their money. Students can earn money for making positive choices, completing work, being responsible, etc. Students also earn a “paycheck” on the days they work in their classroom business.
This experience is ideal for 30-45 minutes each day, over the course of four days. Check out these tips and ideas for making this experience a success.
💵Split your students into two groups. Each group will work 2 days and shop two days.
💵Students are the workers and run their business. They will provide the goods or services that each business offers.
💵Decide the worker roles that are needed for your business (cashier, popcorn scooper, tattoo artists, nail tech, ticket sales, etc.).
💵Set prices for the goods and services that your business will offer. We suggest $1 – $5 as the range.
💵Count your daily earnings and record the total on a sign.
💵Practice running your store before the event begins.
💵Have students help set up and clean up each day.
Are you ready for a learning experience like never before? We promise your students will talk about this experience for years to come! Let us know what you think of this fun way to teach economics in kindergarten! Please tag us on Instagram here or share inside the Simply Kinder Teacher Facebook Group here.
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