58. Teaching Children About Money Through Play | Christina Lartey

Guest: Christina Lartey Founder of Think PiecesAXA Startup Angel Runner-Up 2025📌 EPISODE OVERVIEWWhat if we made money lessons feel like play — instead of pressure?In this episode of From Roots to Froots, Arlyne sits down with Christina Lartey, founder of Think Pieces, to explore how puzzles, games and interactive learning can transform the way children understand money.From growing up in a household where financial discipline was modelled daily, to studying finance and working in the charity sector, Christina shares how her father and sister shaped her mindset around costs, saving and delayed gratification.Now, she’s on a mission to help children build confidence with money early — so those lessons last into adulthood.⏱️ CHAPTERS00:00 – IntroductionWhy financial education needs to start earlier.03:10 – Growing up with strong money role modelsHow Christina’s father and sister influenced her approach to managing costs and building discipline.07:45 – Studying finance & working in the charity sectorSeeing firsthand how financial knowledge (or lack of it) shapes life outcomes.12:30 – Teaching delayed gratification to childrenWhy this one skill changes everything long-term.16:50 – Making money funHow puzzles and interactive tools reduce fear and intimidation.25:20 – Why parents love the puzzles tooUnexpected engagement across generations.35:40 – Working with schoolsBringing structured financial literacy into classrooms.39:30 – Building a tech productWhat’s next for Think Pieces.KEY TAKEAWAYS🧠Financial habits are often shaped at home — long before adulthood.🧠Delayed gratification is one of the strongest predictors of financial resilience.🧠Children engage more deeply with finance when learning feels like play.🧠Parents often feel excluded from financial education — interactive tools create shared learning.🧠Early financial literacy can help reduce future inequality.🧠Christina is expanding from physical learning tools into technology to scale impact.QUOTE FROM THE EPISODE“Money doesn’t have to feel intimidating. When it feels like a game, children lean in — not away.”WHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR- Parents wanting to teach their children about money- Teachers and school leaders- Anyone interested in intergenerational wealth building- Founders building purpose-driven businesses- People who wish they had learned about money earlier🔔 CONNECT WITH US🎧 Subscribe for more conversations on money, power, and financial confidence.💬 Share this episode with a parent or educator.👍 Like & comment to support the show.🔗 Connect With Christina on linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-lartey-388820a1/🔗 Follow Think Pieces https://www.thinkpieces.co.uk---Thank you to our partner ⁠⁠⁠PensionBee⁠⁠⁠ a leading online pension provider who are on a mission to build pension confidence so that you can enjoy a happy retirement. With PensionBee, you can manage your pension savings with ease and can combine and contribute all from one app. ⁠⁠⁠Self-employed ⁠⁠⁠pension savers can even open a flexible pension plan, contributing as often or as little as they like.Their website and award-winning app make retirement planning simple with helpful tools like their Pension Calculator, blogs, videos and their ⁠⁠monthly podcast⁠⁠ - The Pension Confident Podcast. 🎧Take control of your retirement today with PensionBee.When investing, your capital is at risk.Follow Roots to Froots: ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠ Connect with Arlyne: ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ Other Useful Links: ⁠⁠⁠Roots⁠⁠⁠ To Froots Homepage Order your free budget template ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ Keep Shining 🚀🤩