Dobbs Ferry Girl Scouts Learn that 'Money Matters'

If you’ve thought “my child doesn’t understand the concept of money” and wished you could create the foundation for good fiscal knowledge
in a fun and creative way, you’re not alone. That’s what inspired the leaders of Girl Scouts Troop 2301 in Dobbs Ferry to register their 13 third-graders for a special financial literacy program that was held this past weekend at the Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson office in Pleasantville.

Called “What’s In Your Wallet,” the 90-minute Girl Scouts program
provided the girls with a better understanding of money – from a reinforcement of money vocabulary (think ‘check book,’ ‘currency,’ and ‘bank’) and a better understanding of the monetary value of coins and bills, to a heightened awareness of what products cost (for example toys, clothes, music equipment and activities) and if one has enough money to pay for them.

“As a troop leader, I constantly seek out opportunities for the girls to grow and learn, so when I saw that the Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson office was running a financial literacy program, I thought it would be great for our group – and it was a really fun morning!” said Carmilla Tan. 

Entertaining hands-on activities were the order of the morning.  Games included ‘paper dolls’ where the girls cut out clothes to dress their dolls, with price tags attached to gain an understanding of ‘buying’ apparel; ‘roll the dice’ in which a box was tossed and then the girls answered questions about quantities of coins; and a version of the ‘memory game’ whereby they selected items and activities and decided if they had enough money to make purchases. 

For the girls’ hard work, they each earned $20 in Girl Scouts money to ‘go shopping’ at the close of the session but they had to buy two grocery items first (considered ‘needs’) before proceeding to the table of ‘wants’ – journals, stuffed animals, t-shirts, bags, necklaces, bookmarks and
other fun rewards.

So, did the event makes ‘cents’ to the girls?  Said Girl Scout Caroline Bayer, “It was fun!  I learned how to use money wisely.”  Fellow Girl Scouts Brownie Rachel Graff echoed her friend’s sentiments: “I learned that it was important to save money to pay for a home and for food, and shopping at the end was great!”

Now, let’s hope the girls remember what they learned the next time they ask their parents to buy something…

For more information on Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson programs or the 100th Anniversary of Girl Scouting, visit www.girlscoutshh.org.