Everyday understanding
Needs vs Wants: A Classroom Activity
Use an imaginary shopping choice to explore needs, wants and the reasons people make different decisions.
By Aavison Education · Published · Updated
A useful discussion about money can begin with reasoning, rather than calculation. Imaginary situations let learners consider choices without sharing details about their own family finances.
What you need
Teacher-created cards showing everyday items, plus a simple imaginary situation. No real money or personal financial information is needed.
Try it in your classroom
Introduce an imagined situation
Describe a fictional person preparing for a school day, a journey or a change in weather. Give the group a small set of item cards to consider.
Sort, then explain
Ask which items might be needs and which might be wants in that situation. Invite learners to explain the reason for each placement.
Change the context
Change one detail in the story. Does an item move from one group to another? Discuss how circumstances can affect a choice.
Choose and reflect
Ask the group to choose a few items for the fictional person. Compare the reasoning behind different selections, rather than looking for one universal shopping list.
Pause and reflect
A question to leave open.
Could the same item be a need in one situation and a want in another? Which detail changed your thinking?
An original discussion prompt inspired by the needs-and-wants topics described for The Money Matters. This is a teaching example, not personal financial advice or a reproduced textbook page.
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