What really happens when kids aren’t taught about money?

In this episode, Mara takes a closer look at the quiet, real-life patterns that can follow people for years - often starting in childhood. From a conversation with a woman in her 70s to young adults struggling to earn and manage money, these stories show how early experiences shape lifelong habits.

But this isn’t just about what goes wrong.

You’ll also hear heartwarming moments from kids who are learning money in a different way - through simple, real-life experiences that build confidence early.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How early money experiences stay with us longer than we think
• Why many young adults struggle with earning and decision-making
• The generational patterns that shape how we think about money
• Simple, everyday moments where kids can begin to learn

If you’ve ever wondered when or how to start teaching your kids about money, this episode will give you a new way to think about it.

Reference in episode about the Farmers Market episode: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2468148/episodes/18638483

• Visit the website: www.thelittlebooksofbigbusiness.com
• Follow on social media:
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  • Facebook: @thelittlebooksofbigbusiness
  • YouTube: @thelittlebooksofbigbusiness
  • TikTok: @letsplaymoney
• Join the email list for updates, freebies, and family-friendly financial literacy tools

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Please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share this episode with another parent, teacher, or grandparent who wants to raise confident, money-smart kids! Your support helps us spread the message and make financial literacy fun and accessible for every family.

In this episode, Mara introduces a brand-new tool for families: the Let’s Play Money Zine.

If you’ve never heard the word zine before, it simply means a small mini-magazine; something simple, creative, and fun to read. Mara created this zine as an easy way for parents and kids to start conversations about money, creativity, and entrepreneurship without needing a full lesson plan.

In this episode, Mara walks through the zine page by page and shares how families, homeschool parents, and educators can use it in simple ways at home.

You’ll hear:

• What a zine is and why it’s such a fun learning tool
  
  
  
• Why small, playful learning moments work so well for kids
  
  
  
• How each section of the zine helps kids think about earning, creativity, and business ideas
  
  
  
• Easy ways parents can use the zine at the kitchen table, in homeschool, or as a weekend activity
  
  
  

The goal isn’t complicated lessons. It’s helping kids begin to see money as something they can create, understand, and talk about with confidence.

If you'd like to try the Let’s Play Money Zine, you can download it free on the website.

TheLittleBooksOfBigBusiness.com

• Visit the website: www.thelittlebooksofbigbusiness.com
• Follow on social media:
  • Instagram: @thelittlebooksofbigbusiness
  • Facebook: @thelittlebooksofbigbusiness
  • YouTube: @thelittlebooksofbigbusiness
  • TikTok: @letsplaymoney
• Join the email list for updates, freebies, and family-friendly financial literacy tools

Enjoyed the episode?

Please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share this episode with another parent, teacher, or grandparent who wants to raise confident, money-smart kids! Your support helps us spread the message and make financial literacy fun and accessible for every family.

Kid Vendor Day has become one of Snohomish’s most loved community traditions—and today we’re taking you behind the scenes.

In this episode, Mara sits down with Sarah, Executive Director of the Snohomish Farmers Market, and Krystal, Executive Director of the Snohomish Chamber of Commerce, to explore how Kid Vendor Day empowers young entrepreneurs and brings families together in memorable, meaningful ways.

You’ll hear how kids learn real money skills, customer service, pricing, creativity, and confidence—all inside a fun, play-based environment. We also talk about why this program strengthens the wider community, including the partnerships between the Market, the Chamber, and local businesses.

Whether you’re a parent, educator, or a farmers market manager looking to start your own youth vendor program, this conversation offers inspiration, stories, and practical insight. Everything you need to get kids engaged, supported, and excited about entrepreneurship is in this episode.

⭐ Perfect for families, homeschoolers, youth programs, and markets ready to bring more learning, joy, and community spirit to their town.

Show Notes & Resources

TheLittleBooksOfBigBusiness.com

FarmersMarketKidsBook.com

SnohomishFarmersMarket.com (Youth page)

SnohomishChamber.org events

Podcast | Market Maven YourMarketMaven.com

Lettuce Talk to the Kids About It! | Podcasts

Growing Great Kidpreneurs | Podcasts

• Visit the website: www.thelittlebooksofbigbusiness.com
• Follow on social media:
  • Instagram: @thelittlebooksofbigbusiness
  • Facebook: @thelittlebooksofbigbusiness
  • YouTube: @thelittlebooksofbigbusiness
  • TikTok: @letsplaymoney
• Join the email list for updates, freebies, and family-friendly financial literacy tools

Enjoyed the episode?

Please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share this episode with another parent, teacher, or grandparent who wants to raise confident, money-smart kids! Your support helps us spread the message and make financial literacy fun and accessible for every family.

January often comes with pressure — to reset routines, make plans, and “do money better” as a family.

In this episode of the Let’s Play Money Podcast, Coach Mara invites parents to take a calmer approach. Instead of goals, systems, or overhauls, this episode focuses on noticing small money moments that are already happening in everyday life.

You’ll hear:

• Why money confidence starts with awareness, not rules
  
  
• How kids learn about money through observation, play, and simple choices
  
  
• A big-picture look at why early money conversations matter — long before kids enter the workforce
  
  
• Real-life stories (including Monopoly, pennies in coffee cans, and family game nights) that show how money learning often happens quietly
  
  
• How noticing moments today helps kids build confidence for tomorrow
  
  

This episode is a gentle reset for the new year — designed to help families slow down, stay curious, and build money confidence without pressure.

• Visit the website: www.thelittlebooksofbigbusiness.com
• Follow on social media:
  • Instagram: @thelittlebooksofbigbusiness
  • Facebook: @thelittlebooksofbigbusiness
  • YouTube: @thelittlebooksofbigbusiness
  • TikTok: @letsplaymoney
• Join the email list for updates, freebies, and family-friendly financial literacy tools

Enjoyed the episode?

Please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share this episode with another parent, teacher, or grandparent who wants to raise confident, money-smart kids! Your support helps us spread the message and make financial literacy fun and accessible for every family.

2025 was a big year for kid entrepreneurs! In this episode, Coach Mara recaps the top highlights from a year filled with youth business programs, farmers market partnerships, and fun subscription boxes that help kids learn about money.

You’ll hear about:

• New Kidpreneur Kits launching in multiple Washington markets
• The first-ever Let’s Play Money subscription boxes
• A record-breaking Kids Vendor program with 52 young sellers
• Over 700 cups of lemonade served at Kla Ha Ya Days
• The release of our bilingual book Maria Martinez Turns Art Into Income
• More than 100 books donated to families, schools, and clubs

If you're curious how kids can learn financial literacy through stories, play, and real-life experiences, this recap will inspire you.

Perfect for parents, grandparents, homeschoolers, and anyone who loves watching kids grow their confidence.

• Visit the website: www.thelittlebooksofbigbusiness.com
• Follow on social media:
  • Instagram: @thelittlebooksofbigbusiness
  • Facebook: @thelittlebooksofbigbusiness
  • YouTube: @thelittlebooksofbigbusiness
  • TikTok: @letsplaymoney
• Join the email list for updates, freebies, and family-friendly financial literacy tools

Enjoyed the episode?

Please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share this episode with another parent, teacher, or grandparent who wants to raise confident, money-smart kids! Your support helps us spread the message and make financial literacy fun and accessible for every family.

In this episode of the Let’s Play Money Podcast, host Mara Williams introduces her brand-new book, Maria Martinez Turns Art into Income—a bilingual story (English & Spanish) that helps families talk about money, creativity, and culture.

Mara is joined by Jen, who helped translate the book into Spanish and shares her perspective as a mom raising a bilingual child. Together they discuss:

• Why it matters for kids to see financial literacy taught in both English and Spanish
  
  
  
• How cultural traditions like Day of the Dead add depth to money lessons
  
  
  
• Ways bilingual stories create connection across generations
  
  
  
• A personal story of how Jen’s son has learned about money through Let’s Play Money programs
  
  
  

This episode is all about helping families feel included, represented, and confident in their money conversations—while celebrating creativity and culture along the way.

• Visit the website: www.thelittlebooksofbigbusiness.com
• Follow on social media:
  • Instagram: @thelittlebooksofbigbusiness
  • Facebook: @thelittlebooksofbigbusiness
  • YouTube: @thelittlebooksofbigbusiness
  • TikTok: @letsplaymoney
• Join the email list for updates, freebies, and family-friendly financial literacy tools

Enjoyed the episode?

Please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share this episode with another parent, teacher, or grandparent who wants to raise confident, money-smart kids! Your support helps us spread the message and make financial literacy fun and accessible for every family.

Pam and Crystal join me to reflect on their experience volunteering with the Let’s Play Money program at the Boys & Girls Club, where they worked with 5th graders to teach essential money skills.

In this episode, we talk about why business owners choose to invest in the next generation, the impact of teaching financial literacy before high school, and share personal stories about our own children.

You’ll discover practical insights for parents, teachers, and entrepreneurs who want to raise financially confident kids—and learn how early financial education, real-world learning, and volunteer efforts can make a lasting difference in young lives.

• Visit the website: www.thelittlebooksofbigbusiness.com
• Follow on social media:
  • Instagram: @thelittlebooksofbigbusiness
  • Facebook: @thelittlebooksofbigbusiness
  • YouTube: @thelittlebooksofbigbusiness
  • TikTok: @letsplaymoney
• Join the email list for updates, freebies, and family-friendly financial literacy tools

Enjoyed the episode?

Please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share this episode with another parent, teacher, or grandparent who wants to raise confident, money-smart kids! Your support helps us spread the message and make financial literacy fun and accessible for every family.

Welcome back to Let’s Play Money — the podcast that helps parents and grandparents raise money-smart kids through play, storytelling, and simple coaching conversations.

I’m Mara Williams — author, coach, and big believer that learning about money should feel like playtime, not pressure.

Today’s episode is something a little different — I’m unboxing the very first Let’s Play Money subscription box, with some very special help from my producer’s 4-year-old daughter. We’re coloring together, flipping through the packets, and giving you a peek inside the kind of hands-on learning that makes this program work.

If you’ve been curious about what’s inside the box — or how these playful tools really look in action — you’ll love this behind-the-scenes look.

Because when it comes to teaching kids about money, everything you need might just be right inside the box.

• Visit the website: www.thelittlebooksofbigbusiness.com
• Follow on social media:
  • Instagram: @thelittlebooksofbigbusiness
  • Facebook: @thelittlebooksofbigbusiness
  • YouTube: @thelittlebooksofbigbusiness
  • TikTok: @letsplaymoney
• Join the email list for updates, freebies, and family-friendly financial literacy tools

Enjoyed the episode?

Please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share this episode with another parent, teacher, or grandparent who wants to raise confident, money-smart kids! Your support helps us spread the message and make financial literacy fun and accessible for every family.