Hello friends! We’re the Ostmo family, and we love learning about countries and people. Our oldest daughter, Melaya, has tons of friends all around the world! Today she’s been talking to her friend Kennedy from New Jersey, USA.

How Kennedy manage his Allowance

In the US, the currency used is called dollar. Kennedy said his dad gives him a weekly allowance of 10 dollars. Allowance means the amount of something that is given for a specified purpose. Kennedy said he uses the money his dad gives him to buy candy, and books but Kennedy likes to have his piggy bank almost full. 

Kennedy said he likes to save his money because it helps him to buy things in the future. He also said that if you save your money you don’t have to ask your parents for it when you want to buy something new.

Melaya also loves saving money in her piggy bank, do you save money in a piggy bank?

Jack’s Toys help him to Save Money

Now, in Scotland, almost 500 miles away from London, lives another of Melaya’s friends, named Jack. He and Melaya chatted a while ago and Jack told Melaya about the currency he uses in his country, which is called pound sterling. Hey, it’s the same Melaya uses in England! Jack told Melaya he once sold one of his most valuable toys in a yard sale.

He said he was very sad to part with his toy, but that the money he got from it helped him buy a new bike. Melaya thought this was a good idea because she has a lot of old toys she doesn’t play with anymore and she can maybe sell them as well.

Have you ever sold any of your favorite toys?

Save your Money for a Shopping Spree, like Hinata

Melaya has a friend named Hinata who lives in Japan. It’s almost 6,000 away miles from Melaya’s hometown in London. Hinata says the currency of Japan is called Yen, and she also saves up her money for when her parents take her shopping for new things to wear. She has a lot of fun going shopping with them because they always let her pick out what she wants. 

Hinata says she likes the shiny coins and likes to keep them. She thinks it’s important to save money for things you love and she said the coins are convenient for saving. She also thinks it’s a good idea to save up for an emergency fund, and she knows that saving money can be difficult. 

Do you or your parents have an emergency fund?

Indian Rupee is the Currency in the Country Where Naya Lives

Now, in India, lives a girl named Naya, who is also Melaya’s friend. Naya’s father works at the bank and he tells Naya a lot about currency and banking in India, Naya likes to go with him to work. Naya is very interested in money, so she asks her father a lot of questions about it. It’s fun for her to learn about how the bank works and what happens inside it. 

She likes going there because she gets to see all kinds of people coming in and out of the building every day. She said the currency in India is called Indian Rupee. Naya said that the banknotes of India have many different designs on them, like flowers or animals.

Are there animals or flower designs on the banknotes of your country?

The Euro and its benefits

Melaya has a friend named Claire who lives in France. Claire said the currency in France is the euro and she loves to use it to buy candies! On her last birthday, many members of her family gift her money. However, she said her parents don’t let her spend all her on candies because is bad for her health.

Do your parents let you spend all your money on candies?

Claire said the euro is the currency of not just France but the whole European Union, which means that most countries in Europe use this same money.

Melaya said she would love to learn more about the currencies of the world, such as the Swiss franc and Naira from Nigeria.

 Tell us in the comments what your currency is! And if you want to learn more about different money make sure to download the activity pack in the description below! We have flashcards, a learning guide, handwriting sheets, and drawings pages all dedicated to various currencies!

Melaya loves chatting with kids from all over the world! If you want to teach Melaya about where you live or your favorite activities, please tell your mom or dad to use @learningtail on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok to get in touch with us. 

Ciao friends, until next time!