Money Basics: Free Animated Money Lessons for Children Aged 5 to 12

Money Basics is a free animated series that teaches children aged 5 to 12 the basics of money, made for families who want to start these conversations early and gently.

Each episode is a short, self-contained story built around one idea: where money comes from, needs versus wants, planning before you spend, saving, and giving. Nothing is rushed. A child can watch one episode and simply have understood something new by the end of it.

Every episode is drawn by hand, frame by frame, on a whiteboard by a real person rather than generated. We chose that format deliberately. The drawing hand holds attention without flashing edits or over-stimulation, and it lets us teach real concepts properly. Behind each video sits a written curriculum outline, and every script is checked for accuracy and for how well a child can actually follow it before anything is animated.

The episodes count in generic coins rather than pounds and pence, so the stories are not tied to one currency and work for younger children who are not yet handling real money themselves.

The videos are free on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLY-mbmz4sEQY) and flagged Made for Kids, which means no ads, no recommendations chasing engagement, and no comments section for children to post in.

Alongside the free videos there is a shop of companion resources (https://earlysoftskills.com/shop), built from the same episodes by the same team: printable workbooks, quiz packs, games and cards, storybooks, colouring books and an app. They exist for the part that happens away from the screen, when a child wants to actually do the thing they have just watched, or when a grown-up wants something concrete to keep the conversation going at the kitchen table. Each one extends one specific episode rather than being generic worksheet filler. You will never need a paid resource to enjoy the free videos.

Early Soft Skills is a small independent UK operation. Money Basics is the first series, with emotional intelligence and everyday life smarts to follow.

Everything is at https://earlysoftskills.com. If you have a question, or you are thinking of using the episodes with a home ed group, you can reach us at hello@earlysoftskills.com.