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MONEY CAROUSEL: AN INNOVATIVE LESSON-THEATRE FOR FINANCIAL LITERACY

Money Carousel is a lesson-theatre developed as an educational tool and brought to life through a stage performance. The format draws on established pedagogical approaches, particularly drama-based learning as part of the broader approach of experiential learning. It combines teamwork, role-play, dramatisation and active participation, transforming financial education into a vivid, accessible and lasting learning experience.

In this format, children are at the heart of the learning process – not as passive observers, but as active participants. They explore financial topics through play, role-taking and collaborative creativity, while the natural repetition involved in rehearsals helps deepen their understanding and reinforce what they have learned.

The lesson-theatre is designed for children aged 7–14, both as performers and as audience members. But older students can take part too... Our experience shows that they do so with enthusiasm.

THE STORY OF MONEY CAROUSEL

The lesson-theatre introduces us to a young girl named Ani, who asks her father to buy her a castle. Her wish leads her to his bank account, where her journey into the world of finance begins. Along the way, Ani encounters financial services, payments and household budget categories brought to life as characters – savings, loans, investments, insurance, taxes, social security contributions and various household expenses.

Through dialogue and situations children can relate to, she gradually discovers how financial decisions are made, which expenses are essential or unavoidable and which are driven by wants and pleasures, what truly matters in life, and how the choices we make today shape our future.

The story is told with humour, emotion and warmth, making complex financial topics understandable, relatable and real for children.

A FORMAT THAT ENGAGES EVERYONE

The format is designed to involve a large group of children, giving each child a role to play – as an actor, narrator, set designer, assistant director, musician, performer or creator of sets and props. The lesson-theatre can be prepared and performed anywhere – in a classroom, school hall, library or community centre – without the need for a dedicated stage or a large budget, making it accessible and easy to implement.

Beyond its educational benefits, the format also has a strong social impact. It brings children, teachers, parents and the wider community together through a shared experience that inspires, builds connections and leaves a lasting impression.

MONEY CAROUSEL – PART OF A SERIES OF FINANCIAL LITERACY LESSON-THEATRES

Money Carousel is part of a broader educational framework comprising a series of financial literacy lesson-theatres, each focusing on a different aspect of personal financial management. They can be used individually in the classroom or combined into a complete theatrical play with a shared storyline and characters. Two fun, original songs have also been created for the play, providing an enjoyable way to reinforce learning.

The play Money Carousel was nominated for Best Children's Play on the Theme of Money (2020) in a competition organised by New Bulgarian University. The script was written by Teodora Panayotova, a member of the Financial Literacy Initiative Foundation team, communications expert and theatre practitioner. The music and lyrics of the songs were written by Aleksandar Aleksandrov, an established Bulgarian musician.

Money Carousel premiered on 17 March 2019 in Sofia, performed by children from Kozma Trichkov Secondary School in Vratsa, followed by a national tour across Bulgaria. Since then, the lesson-theatre has been performed many times by different groups of children in theatres, schools and community centres across the country.

In 2026, the Money Carousel lesson-theatre became the inspiration and driving force behind the national initiative “Let’s Spin the Money Carousel – Together!”, transforming financial education into a lively, participatory and memorable experience for children during Global Money Week.

MONEY CAROUSEL IS PART OF A BROADER EDUCATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR INNOVATIVE FINANCIAL EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN

The Money Carousel lesson-theatre is part of the activity-based financial literacy guide About Money and Other Important Things: First Steps, developed by the Financial Literacy Initiative Foundation. The guide consists of ten workshops: nine form a logically connected series of interactive games exploring specific financial topics, while the tenth is the lesson-theatre.

The guide covers a range of topics, including careers and entrepreneurship, financial planning, budgeting, saving, borrowing, and basic knowledge of financial services, products and payments. These financial topics are interwoven with other equally important themes – caring for the world around us, human relationships, supporting others and showing empathy.

The guide About Money and Other Important Things: First Steps was developed in 2018 with the support of NN Bulgaria. Hundreds of Bulgarian teachers and librarians have received training in using the guide and actively apply it in their educational work with children.