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Financial adventure challenge

Get money smart! Learn how to save, spend, and invest wisely to take control of your future like a true Scout!

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You’ll need

  • Printed visual aids with definitions of loans, savings, stocks, shares, and ISAs.
  • Printed roleplay cards.
  • Cones, hoops and objects for obstacle course.
  • Printed score card
Financial Adventure Role Play Scenarios
PDF – 471.4KB
Download Financial Adventure Role Play Scenarios
Financial Adventure Definition Of Key Concepts Visual Aids
PDF – 231.6KB
Download Financial Adventure Definition Of Key Concepts Visual Aids
Financial Adventure Challenge Game Score Card
PDF – 146.9KB
Download Financial Adventure Challenge Game Score Card

Before you begin

  • Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. There’s also more guidance to help you carry out your risk assessment, including examples.
  • Make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.
  • Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help.

Planning and setting up the activity

  • Factor in the way in which you want to deliver the activity to your group, whether it be through obstacle course, walk in the local area or an alternative. Make sure your risk assessment for the session and other usual safety processes have been followed as required. 
  • Use cones to mark out a course or boundary for the game. This could be an obstacle course or a simple relay track or you could take your young people on a walk and come across the scenario cards along the way.
  • Print Roleplay Cards that outline different scenarios for loans, savings, stocks, shares, and ISAs. These cards will be used during the main game to help Scouts understand how each concept works in practical situations. 
  • Have a few small signs or visual aids with definitions of loans, savings, stocks, shares, and ISAs written on them.

Aim of activity

To help Scouts understand the basic concepts of loans, savings, stocks, shares, and ISAs, their benefits, and the risks associated with loans. By the end of the session, Scouts should start to understand how these financial concepts work in real life and how to manage them responsibly.

Managing Risks and Emotions Associated with Money

  • Saving and Borrowing
  • Risk and Reward

How to manage money

  • Saving and Borrowing


Running the activity

  1. Gather everyone together and explain that today they will be learning about different words and concepts related to loans and savings. Some explanations are included below.
  2. While discussing these topics, you could ask questions such as:
    • What might happen if you take out a loan and can’t pay it back?
    • Why do you think it is important to save money?
    • How would it feel if you made money from a stock or share?
  3. Once everyone has a basic understanding of these financial concepts, they will play a game to learn more about savings, loans, stocks, shares, and ISAs through active participation.

Explanation of Key Concepts

"When you save money, you're putting it aside for future needs or wants, so you can buy things later. Savings help you stay prepared for emergencies or things you want to buy in the future."

"A loan is when you borrow money from a bank, person, or business that you have to pay back, usually with interest. Loans can be helpful if you need something now but don’t have the money, like buying a house or car. But if you don’t repay them on time, you can get into trouble."

Stocks and shares are parts of a company. When you buy a share, you own a small part of that company. If the company does well, the value of your shares might go up, and you can sell them for more money. But if the company doesn't do well, you could lose money."

"An ISA is a way to save or invest money in the UK without paying tax on the interest or profit you make. It’s a good way to save for the long-term, as you can keep the money growing without losing part of it to taxes. People can also earn interest on their savings, different bank accounts offer different interest rates. Always shop around before making a decision."

When you borrow money, you want a low interest rate so you don't have to pay back too much extra. But when you save money in a bank, you want a high interest rate so the bank gives you more extra money over time. 

 

The Financial Adventure Challenge Game

  1. Divide Scouts into teams (4-6 per team).
  2. Each team will compete in the Financial Adventure Challenge obstacle course or relay race (depending on which you have set up).
  3. They should start at the beginning of the course as a group. 
  4. One team race the other team to the end.
  5. They will encounter roleplay cards showing different financial situations, along the way.  When the team reach a card they should read it and decide on an answer. We have included the scenarios below.
  6. If the team agree on an answer, they get 10 points. If they don't agree on an answer, they don't get the points. 
  7. When they have completed the first question, they can set off on their journey again and go through the rest of the obstacle course.
  8. The winners are the fastest team to finish collecting all the roleplay cards with the most points and make it to the end of the course.   
  9. After the game, gather everyone around and hold a group reflection session to help Scouts understand what they learned.

Role Play Scenarios

Scenario: You want a new bike that costs £150, but you only have £50 saved up. 
Question: Do you save up for a few more months or buy a cheaper bike now with your £50? 
Action: If you decide to save, you'll need to wait 3 months to reach the full amount. 

Scenario: Your phone broke, and you need a new one for £200. You have £50 saved up. A friend offers to lend you £150, but you must pay them back in a month with £160. 
Question: Do you take the loan or save for a few months to buy the phone without borrowing money? 
Action: If you take the loan, you must pay back £160 in a month. 

Scenario: You want to save for a big trip in 3 years. You can choose to put £100 in a regular savings account, or £100 in an ISA (which will grow tax-free). 
Question: Which one do you choose and why? 
Action: Think about which option would give you more money in the long run. 

Scenario: You have £50 to spend. A new company is offering shares at £5 each. If the company does well, the shares might go up in value. 
Question: Do you buy 10 shares, or do you save your £50 for something else? 
Action: Consider the risks of investing in a company that might succeed or fail. 

Scenario: You want to go on a school trip that costs £120. You only have £50. A family member offers to lend you the £70, but you must pay them back in two months with an extra £10 for interest. 
Question: Do you take the loan, or do you save up your £50 and wait until you have enough money? 
Action: If you take the loan, you will have to pay £80 back in total. 

Scenario: You want to go on a weekend trip with friends, but it costs £80. You have £30 saved up and need to decide whether to save more or take money from your allowance to cover the rest. 
Question: Do you save up the extra £50, or take the money now and reduce your savings? 
Action: Saving up will take you 2 more weeks, but taking money from your allowance will reduce your savings goal. 

Reflection

We learned about money and how to make smart choices with it. We talked about saving, borrowing, and even investing.

Saving means putting money aside for later. It’s a great way to reach goals, like buying something special or being ready for emergencies. We also learned about ISAs – special savings accounts where your money can grow without paying tax on it.

We explored loans, which is when you borrow money and agree to pay it back later. Loans come with interest, which means you pay back more than you borrowed. That’s why it’s important to think carefully before borrowing.

Then we looked at stocks and shares, which means owning a small part of a company. If the company does well, you can make money, but if it doesn’t, you could lose money. It’s a bit of a risk!

The biggest thing we learned is that every money choice matters. Spending now might mean missing out later.

As Scouts, being prepared also means being smart with money. We now feel more confident about saving, spending, and making good financial decisions – both now and in the future.

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

You must run your activities in line with the Safeguarding Code of Conduct for Adults (Yellow Card) and report any concerns to the UK HQ Safeguarding Team.

Contact games and activities

Make sure everyone understands what contact is acceptable, and monitor contact throughout the activity.

Road safety

Manage groups carefully when near or on roads. Consider adult supervision and additional equipment (such as lights and high visibility clothing) in your risk assessment.

Visits away from your meeting place

Complete a thorough risk assessment and include hazards, such as roads, woodland, plants, animals, and bodies of water (for example, rivers, ponds, lakes, and seas). You’ll probably need more adult helpers than usual. Your risk assessment should include how many adults you need. The young people to adult ratios are a minimum requirement. When you do your risk assessment, you might decide that you need more adults than the ratio specifies. Think about extra equipment that you may need to take with you, such as high visibility clothing, a first aid kit, water, and waterproofs. Throughout the activity, watch out for changes in the weather and do regular headcounts. 

Active games

The game area should be free of hazards. Explain the rules of the game clearly and have a clear way to communicate that the game must stop when needed. Take a look at our guidance on running active games safely.

Make it accessible

All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.

Scouts Money Skills Activity Badge