Looking for a fun way to give your students a reality check while building their financial literacy skills? This is one of my favorite real-world math projects, and it will have your students in shock. The cost of having a baby is definitely something my students had heard their parents ‘complain’ about, but their jaws dropped when they actually calculated the cost.
A few years ago, my husband and I had our first baby. Obviously, I love teaching and learning about financial literacy, but this is one area I don’t think you can truly understand unless you’ve lived it. Of course, things never go the way you plan, and you always need more than you think you do! After having experienced my own baby’s first year, I was motivated to put together a project for my students where they would have the opportunity to research all the costs that go along with having a baby.
If you’d like to do the same with your students, here’s how I did it!
The Gender Reveal!
I start by hosting a gender reveal party for my students! I recommend having students complete this activity independently, but you could choose to have them complete it in pairs if you have a class that can handle it. Either way, they draw a card that shows if they’re having a boy, a girl, or twins! It’s fun to see their reactions and get them excited about the project.
Diapers, Formula, and Clothing, Oh My!
I put together a spreadsheet of all the supplies I had used during my own baby’s first year. It was honestly a little overwhelming seeing the full list, but it was reality! I had the students calculate the average number of diapers a baby would need and the average number of ounces of formula.
I won’t lie—it was so fun to hear students complain and groan about the number of diapers. It was even more fun to hear their disbelief when they started to add up the cost!
The Final Totals + An Unexpected Twist!
After researching all the costs, students recorded the total amounts ( x 2 for twins! ). Then I had them draw a card for one more unexpected twist! Some of the cards had baby shower gifts and hand-me-downs that allowed students to subtract from their total. Others had unexpected expenses, such as doctor’s visits and daycare, that increased their total. In the future, I think I may actually have them draw two cards to add a little more to the surprise.
Once everyone had their final total, I had each student write their amount on the whiteboard, and we discussed the huge range in costs. It was interesting to see how some students naturally gravitated toward budget items while others spared no expense and went straight for luxury items.
Interested in giving your students this reality check?
You can grab all the materials for this project here! I’ve included all the handouts, tables, and cards you’ll need to do this activity.
Need more ideas for incorporating financial literacy in your classroom? Read more here!
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