Five Fun Ways for Kids to Raise Money in the Summer

5 ways for kids to raise money this summer: Take a look at a few easy and fun ways for kids to raise money during the summer.

Summer is half over, but there is still plenty of time for kids to flex their entrepreneurial skills and raise money for their piggy banks! In fact, with all the end-of-summer carnivals and fairs coming up, now is a great time to help them earn a little spending cash! Take a look at a few easy and fun ways for kids to raise money during the summer.

Fun ways for kids to raise money

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Yard Sale

Having a yard sale is a great way for the whole family to clean out their closets and raise a little extra cash. Have your kids go through their belongings and choose a few toys that they no longer play with. Help them set reasonable prices for each item. Give each child his or her own table or blanket at your family yard sale. They get to keep any money they earn from selling their own toys. When the sale is over, ask your children to choose a charity to donate the remaining good-condition items to.  Check out our tips on how to make money at a yard sale!

Old-Fashioned Lemonade Stand

Nothing beats a good, old-fashioned lemonade stand to help kids raise money in the summer. I know I can’t drive past one without stopping! Something about little cuties peddling their delicious, refreshing beverages just tugs at my heart and makes me stop. You can make your own lemonade stand out of cardboard boxes or a table, or buy one and put it together before the big event. Your child may be able to sell cookies and baked goods too. Just check your local laws, as some areas have rules against selling food without a special certificate.

Yard Work

Doing yard work to raise money is another classic. Older children can sell their services mowing lawns or pulling weeds. Even younger children can get involved by picking up sticks and rocks in a yard before it gets cut. Just make sure children are supervised during their yard work. Even a teenager shouldn’t be left alone to mow a lawn. Stick to working for family and close friends to be on the safe side.

Dog Walking

If you have a neighbor or close friend who needs someone to walk their dog during working hours, this can be a great way for older children to raise money and get a little exercise. It is best for kids to stick to their neighborhood and walk dogs that already know them. Again, use common sense and supervise children whenever they are with an animal. Yes, this means you’ll probably be going along for the walk! Think of it as a fun family fitness activity that also helps teach your child about the value of money!

Household Chores

If you have the extra money, go ahead and “hire” your child to take on a few extra household chores during the summer. While all children should have basic chores to do their part to keep the family home running smoothly, giving them a few extra paid chores is a great way to help them raise money. For example, you could hire your teenager to be “mom’s helper” and take care of her younger siblings while you’re working from home. Or hire your younger child to rearrange the family DVD collection in alphabetical order! Be inventive!

These are just a few great and fun ways for kids to raise money during the summer. Ask your kids if they have any ideas of their own. My 8-year-old son just started his own “detective” business. For just $1, I can hire him to find all the random stuff that I misplace throughout the day!

It is also a good idea to set some ground rules for the money kids to earn. For example, have them set aside a certain percentage for savings and a percentage for donating to kids in need. If there are off-limit items, let your child know in advance. For instance, if you are deeply opposed to seeing your child spend $20 of his hard-earned money on a foam sword because you know your dog will eat it in five minutes, make that clear to your child up front. Or, if you are planning to go to the county fair and want to limit sweets, let your child know that even though he is willing to spend his money, he’s still not getting five pounds of cotton candy!

Do you have any great ideas for ways kids can raise money during the summer? We’d love to hear about them! We may even feature your answers in our upcoming newsletter!

4 thoughts on “Five Fun Ways for Kids to Raise Money in the Summer”

  1. Our boys are a little young to hire out, and we kind of live on a very quiet street for a lemonaid stand. But since our boys are young, we do hire them for extra jobs around the house. Like if they clean up their brothers room with them, or cleaned up the play room that someone else messed up they get paid. They do not get money for cleaning their own room or putting away their own laundry.

  2. My son is in high heaven, he helped my FIL build a fence as well as pull a tree out and made $200! Manual labor for my 12 year old plus being away from electronics for a few weeks…priceless!

  3. I keep telling my girls we are going to have a Lemonade Stand this summer but I never think of it. I have to squeeze one in before school starts.

    We started with earning money for extra chores this summer and it’s worked out well because then when they want some fun money, they have it!

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