Supply Safari Teacher Guide Pre-K Financial Foundations
Supply Safari
Teacher Lesson & Facilitation Guide
LESSON PLAN
Duration
30 - 45 Mins
Tokens
5 Star Limit
Topic
Choices & Needs
Big Ideas for Tiny Explorers
• Limited Resources: We only have 5 stars to spend, so we cannot buy everything!
• Needs vs. Wants: Backpacks and crayons are "needs" (help us learn), while fancy stickers and animal toys are "wants" (fun to have).
• Counting Practice: Counting up to 5 tokens, matching 1-to-1 correspondence.
Safari Supplies Needed
For Each Student: 1 Backpack Activity Sheet, 1 set of printable Star Tokens (5 total), scissors, and glue.
For the Classroom: Visual shopping display (slide deck or giant classroom "Safari Shop" chart paper).
Preparation Checklist
1
Print the Map: Print out the "My Supply Backpack" workbook sheets for each student. If scissors skills are still emerging, pre-cut the paper items and the 5 star tokens.
2
Set the Scene: Tell the students they are going on an expedition to get ready for school! Decorate a classroom table as the "Safari Supply Shop".
3
Give the Wallet: Give each student a strip of 5 Star Tokens. Practice counting them together: "1, 2, 3, 4, 5 stars!"
SUPPLY SAFARI • PRE-K ECONOMICS PAGE 1 OF 2
Adventure Guide
The Safari Expedition
How to Facilitate the Game & Discussion
Expedition Walkthrough & Script
Step 1 • The Spark (5 mins)
Gather students in circle time. Say: "Explorers, today we are packing our magic backpacks for a school safari! But guess what? We can't take everything in the shop. We only have 5 stars. Let's count them together!" Have kids touch and count their 5 printed paper stars.
Step 2 • Introduce Needs & Wants (10 mins)
Hold up a crayon and a fancy toy. Ask: "Which one do we NEED to color our explorer maps? The crayon! The toy is a WANT—it's super fun, but we can color without it!" Guide students through the remaining items on the shop menu.
Step 3 • Let's Go Shopping! (15 mins)
Instruct students to look at their "Supply Shopping Sheet". They will choose items they want to buy. To buy an item, they must place the correct number of Star Tokens over the star spaces.
Rule: They cannot spend more than 5 stars! They must glue their chosen supplies onto their "My Supply Backpack" sheet.
Explorer Reflection Questions
"Who had leftover stars? Why didn't you buy everything in the shop?" (Guides understanding that stars/money are limited.)
"What happened if you bought the cool Dino Toy first? Did you have enough stars left for pencils?" (Guides understanding of opportunity cost/trade-offs.)
"How did it feel to make your own choices about what went into your backpack?" (Empowers student agency and self-reflection.)
Safari Guide Tips & Differentiation
Support: Provide a direct 1-to-1 match layout. Have students put physical counting bears or plastic tokens directly on top of the shopping visual.
Extension: Use the "Safari Surprise" cards to introduce an emergency event ("Crayon broke! Spend 1 star to replace"). Let them re-budget!
SUPPLY SAFARI • PRE-K ECONOMICS PAGE 2 OF 2
Supply Safari Workbook NAME:
DATE:
🎒 My Safari Backpack
Color the backpack! Then, cut and glue the supplies you bought into your pack.
Glued Supplies Area
Paste your visual supplies (crayons, pencil, glue) inside this pocket!
🎨 Color Me!
My Star Wallet
Put your 5 Star Tokens here as you count!
1
2
3
4
5
SUPPLY SAFARI • MY EXPLORER BOOK PAGE 1 OF 2
🦁 Safari Supply Shop Menu
Price List
Look at the prices! Count the stars needed for each school supply. What will you choose to buy?
Need 🖍️
Red Crayon
1 STAR
Need ✏️
Yellow Pencil
1 STAR
Need 🧪
Glue Stick
1 STAR
Need ✂️
Safety Scissors
2 STARS
Want 🦖
Dino Stickers
2 STARS
Want 🥽
Toy Binoculars
3 STARS
SUPPLY SAFARI • MY EXPLORER BOOK PAGE 2 OF 2
Supply Safari Cards Cutouts & Activities
✂️ Safari Cutouts & Game Cards
Teachers: Cut out these tokens and cards before starting the safari.
Student Star Tokens (Print & Cut)
Cut along the dotted lines. Give 5 stars to each explorer!
1 STAR
1 STAR
1 STAR
1 STAR
1 STAR
Safari Surprise Cards (Draw During Play)
Read these out loud during the game for fun budget twists!
Oops!
🖍️ Broken Crayon!
"Oh no! Your favorite red crayon snapped in half! You need to buy a brand new shiny one."
PAY 1 STAR
Hurrah!
🤝 Super Sharer!
"You shared your yellow pencil with a friend who didn't have one! The Head Guide is so happy!"
GET 1 STAR
Swap!
🦖 Dino Trade!
"A friendly dinosaur wants to trade! Swap your Dino Stickers back to the shop to get your stars."
GET 2 STARS
Rain!
🌧️ Backpack Cover!
"Oh! Giant rain clouds are moving in. You need a plastic rain shield to protect your school papers!"
PAY 1 STAR
SUPPLY SAFARI • CUTOUTS & CARDS PAGE 1 OF 1
Supply Safari Slides Pre-K Adventure
EXPEDITION START
🎒 Supply Safari!
Let's pack our magic school backpacks and make smart choices with our stars!
🦁 Let's Go, Explorers! SLIDE 1 OF 5
Our Budget
STAR WALLET
The 5-Star Rule!
We only have 5 Stars in our wallet.
We can't buy everything! We have to count and choose the best things for school.
Let's Count Together:
1
2
3
4
5
⭐ Limited Resources SLIDE 2 OF 5
What's the Difference?
NEEDS VS WANTS
🖍️
School Needs
These things help us learn and do schoolwork.
Examples: Pencils, Crayons, Glue sticks.
🦖
School Wants
These things are extra fun, but we can do schoolwork without them!
Examples: Dino stickers, Toy binoculars.
💡 Make Smart Choices! SLIDE 3 OF 5
Safari Store
PRICES
🖍️
Crayon
1 STAR
🧪
Glue Stick
1 STAR
✂️
Scissors
2 STARS
🦖
Stickers
2 STARS
🥽
Binoculars
3 STARS
🎒
My Backpack
FREE!
EVERYONE GETS ONE!
🛍️ Spend Your Stars Wisely! SLIDE 4 OF 5
Game Time
HOW TO PLAY
1
Count 5
Get your 5 paper stars and count them one by one. This is your safari budget!
2
Shop
Choose what you want to buy. Trade your stars for those items!
3
Glue!
Color and glue your choices into your paper backpack and show off your pack!
🦁 Let's Start our Supply Safari! SLIDE 5 OF 5