Charity Bake Sale Start-Up Kit by Bizainy

Unplugged Fun that Builds Responsible Business and Financial Habits for Life!

As you probably have gathered if you are a reader of Momma’s Bacon, I am very serious about financial health so I have yet another post dedicated to building responsible humans.  I had a great opportunity to check and write about a really great financial habits activity kit for children from Carolyn Enenstein, Founder and CEO of Bizainy on my April’s Fool’s Day post.  I am happy to report that I checked out her charity bake sale start-up kit for older children and was even able to ask Carolyn some questions just for my readers.  Enjoy!

Q&A with Carolyn Enenstein of Bizainy Activity Kits

Thank you Carolyn for taking the time to answer questions for my readers at Momma’s Bacon!  

Q:  I love that you have financial classes for kids at your LA-based location.  When do you plan to have financial courses for kids nationwide?

A:  Bizainy currently offers elementary school after-school enrichment programs, middle school elective courses, middle and high school student Board Room-based 3 day camps, and customized workshops for groups such as Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and Young Presidents Organization. We have put great effort into developing a dynamic team of Los Angeles-based instructors, and expanding to other markets hinges upon securing equally top-notch instructors in other cities. Independent schools in various cities contact us to bring Bizainy to their schools, and when schools can introduce Bizainy to one of their best and brightest teachers, we can collaborate to bring Bizainy programs to schools in other cities.

Q:  What is your favorite activity kit and why?

A: My goal with the activity kits is to combine fun, timeless play with real-world experiences that begin a family dialogue about business, financial literacy and philanthropic lifelong skills. I have a favorite aspect of each of the 3 kits:

I love that Lemonade Stand Start-Up engages children, parents and even grandparents in timeless unplugged play that exhibits the value of hard work, and there is nothing more irresistible than buying a cup of lemonade from determined little kids in action! In Charity Bake Sale, I think the opportunity to instill the importance of helping those in need is very magical, and we worked to present this in a playful tone from the heart. For Babysitting Start-Up, I am so excited to encourage kids and teens to negotiate at a relatively young age so that they will be prepared with killer negotiating skills when it really matters later in life.

Q:  Any additional advice for parents on how to teach healthy financial habits to our kids, especially for younger children?

A: Embrace the fun side of financial skills and start a family dialogue! There are so many things we can highlight in our everyday lives to exhibit healthy financial habits. As parents today, we can be so strapped for time, and we find ourselves on the computer after the kids are asleep paying the bills, balancing accounts and making household purchases. Try to carve out some time to complete these tasks in our kids’ waking hours so they appreciate that these tasks are a necessary part of everyone’s lives.

Once your children have earned money with their Bizainy Toy Kits, you can discuss your family’s values regarding spending, saving, donating and investing.   What will your kids do with their earnings?

Visit bizainy.com for specific age-appropriate activities to start building your family’s healthy habits for life. For example, you can take your toddler to the grocery store with a shopping list and help them shop within a specific budget. Help your children understand that the way we spend our money is a personal choice, and let them get involved in family spending and saving decisions, as appropriate.

One of my favorite activities is to talk about the cost of the same candy from the grocery store versus at a concession stand. Get the dialogue started!

You can call your local bank branch to set an appointment for your child to open an account, and ask the bank to roll out the red carpet for your child. It is a really big deal that kids are starting to manage their funds!

I love the exercise of asking kids of any age from kindergarten to high school how much they think it costs to raise them for one year. Make a list of all of the spending categories and let them calculate their expenses. I guarantee you’ll be surprised by their perceptions, and it is very rewarding to see your kids analyze the costs and consider ways they can help the family spend less and save more.

Tips for Incorporating Financial Learning Experiences Into Your Family Fun From Carolyn Enenstein

Make money management fun for your preschoolers through teens with fun activities to kick-start financial habits. At Bizainy, we encourage children to explore how to spend, save, invest and donate as the foundation to money management.

1. SET A GOOD EXAMPLE– Find time to pay the bills, balance accounts and make household purchases when the kids are nearby, to help them realize that money management tasks are a necessary part of everyone’s lives.
2. GO TO THE MOVIES– Enjoy a day at the movies (or live sporting or entertainment event) and highlight the price for the same snacks and beverages purchased from the concession stand versus alternative options. Empower kids with the knowledge that they can manage their spending by choosing where and when to make purchases.
3. OPEN A BANK ACCOUNT– Help your child open and manage a bank account. Inquire in advance about a special vault tour and children’s giveaways/bank kits to applaud your child for taking an important financial step. (be sure to select an account with an age-appropriate balance minimum and interest rate)
4. HIT THE STORES– Take your kids to the store with a shopping list and help them shop within a specific budget. Favorite trips include grocery store (have them scan their items), back-to-school shopping and holiday gift-giving. Help your children appreciate the difference between wants and needs, brand names versus private label and that how we spend our money is a personal choice!
5. TV TIME – Enjoy the many entertaining TV programs that highlight the cost of goods, savvy shopping, how to run a business and more. How much is a dozen eggs?
6. TAKE A TRIP TO THE TOY/CORNER STORE– Take a percentage of your child’s sale profits to the store so they can reward themselves for their hard work. In our world of credit, let your kids complete their entire transaction with their own coins and bills.
7. WORK FOR IT– Create self-reliant kids and teens by letting them work to earn that toy or gadget they really want. Have your children present why they should get the item and what jobs they will complete to help pay for it. Consider matching their earnings to reinforce their work effort. They will likely appreciate the item more if they worked for it, too.
8. PLAY STOCK EXCHANGE ONLINE GAMES -Simulated stock exchange games provide a risk-free way to understand the risks and rewards of the stock market.
9. PURCHASE ONE SHARE -Purchasing and following even a single share of a stock provides a personalized and exciting investing experience.
10. BUILD APPRECIATION– Instill appreciation for your good fortunes by supporting those in need. Help your children donate gently used items or hold a charity bake sale or lemonade stand to raise funds for a cause that is meaningful to them.

And – of course, there is the business savvy start-up business kits for kids!  In the Charity Bake Sale Start-Up Kit designed for kids five and up, your child can learn the importance of creating a business plan, sticking to a budget and sales strategies to build their business.  Priceless!

Charity Bake Sale Start-Up Kit includes:

• Colorful Bake Sale Banner
• sign to spin
• decorate-your-own cause sign
• donor stickers
• donations pad
• decorate-your-own money box
• donations sticker to adhere to a jelly jar
• Information-packed 24 page book with how to pick and support your cause, with recipes, marketing plan, budget, volunteer lists and sales strategies

Get Informed!  Follow Carolyn’s Bizainy Blog here with great financial tips and information about upcoming seminars and classes to help your kids (and maybe even parents) build habits to become financially responsible.

Charity Bake Sale Start-Up Kit by Bizainy

www.bizainy.com

List Price: $ 30.00