Kids are always looking for ways to make money. When I was a child, it wasn't unusual to find me mowing lawns, running lemonade stands, or looking for other ways to make money.
Unfortunately, kids can't just go out and get a job, so how do kids earn money when they're too young to get a real job?
There are actually a ton of ways that kids can earn money, even if they're too young to get a job. Here are some of the more traditional ways that kids have earned money over the years:
Pay your kids to perform extra chores around the house. Depending on your current allowance/chore system, paying your kids to do extra projects around the house can be a great way to teach them about money and get some housework done at the same time.
Lemonade stand - an oldie, but still a goodie, a lemonade stand is a great way to teach children about supply and demand, the cost of buying ingredients and then selling them as a finished product, etc.
Babysitting - hey, no matter how technical our world gets, we will always need good babysitters, and this is still a great way for kids to learn responsibility.
Mowing lawns: Even with all the expensive lawn services available today, this is still a great way for kids to earn extra money. This can be something kids do occasionally just to earn a few extra dollars, or if they have an entrepreneurial streak, they can make a small business out of mowing lawns and shoveling snow. This is how a lot of those big expensive lawn services got started!
Pet sitting and walking dogs: with most families on the go all the time, many pets are left alone all day, and some for days at a time as people go on vacation or travel for business. A great way for kids to earn some extra money is to offer to walk dogs or to even check in on pets while neighbors or family members are away.
In addition to all of these tried and proven ways for kids to make money, with the growth of the Internet, there are now tons of new ways for kids to make money. Now kids can start their own online businesses to earn some extra cash.
There are no age barriers on the Internet, so kids can earn money in many of the same ways that adults do, including:
Write a blog - there are many ways to make money with blogs, such as Adsense, promoting affiliate products, creating your own ebook to sell, etc. And with free blog sites like Blogger, Wordpress.com and Squidoo, there are virtually no costs to get started.
Sell toys, books or other items on eBay. This is a great way for kids to earn extra money because they usually already have a ton of stuff lying around that they can sell. It also is a great way to teach them about the value of money, and it's very easy to get started on eBay.
Creating graphics or websites: if you have creative or technically savvy kids, they may be able to create graphics (think banners, logos, buttons, etc.) or even websites to sell to other people. And they already have a huge audience to sell to - other kids!
When it comes to making money online, don't underestimate your kids. They know computers and the Internet better than many adults, and they are creative and unafraid to take risks. I expect the number of kids businesses to keep growing as kids realize the potential of their computer and internet skills.
Unfortunately, kids can't just go out and get a job, so how do kids earn money when they're too young to get a real job?
There are actually a ton of ways that kids can earn money, even if they're too young to get a job. Here are some of the more traditional ways that kids have earned money over the years:
Pay your kids to perform extra chores around the house. Depending on your current allowance/chore system, paying your kids to do extra projects around the house can be a great way to teach them about money and get some housework done at the same time.
Lemonade stand - an oldie, but still a goodie, a lemonade stand is a great way to teach children about supply and demand, the cost of buying ingredients and then selling them as a finished product, etc.
Babysitting - hey, no matter how technical our world gets, we will always need good babysitters, and this is still a great way for kids to learn responsibility.
Mowing lawns: Even with all the expensive lawn services available today, this is still a great way for kids to earn extra money. This can be something kids do occasionally just to earn a few extra dollars, or if they have an entrepreneurial streak, they can make a small business out of mowing lawns and shoveling snow. This is how a lot of those big expensive lawn services got started!
Pet sitting and walking dogs: with most families on the go all the time, many pets are left alone all day, and some for days at a time as people go on vacation or travel for business. A great way for kids to earn some extra money is to offer to walk dogs or to even check in on pets while neighbors or family members are away.
In addition to all of these tried and proven ways for kids to make money, with the growth of the Internet, there are now tons of new ways for kids to make money. Now kids can start their own online businesses to earn some extra cash.
There are no age barriers on the Internet, so kids can earn money in many of the same ways that adults do, including:
Write a blog - there are many ways to make money with blogs, such as Adsense, promoting affiliate products, creating your own ebook to sell, etc. And with free blog sites like Blogger, Wordpress.com and Squidoo, there are virtually no costs to get started.
Sell toys, books or other items on eBay. This is a great way for kids to earn extra money because they usually already have a ton of stuff lying around that they can sell. It also is a great way to teach them about the value of money, and it's very easy to get started on eBay.
Creating graphics or websites: if you have creative or technically savvy kids, they may be able to create graphics (think banners, logos, buttons, etc.) or even websites to sell to other people. And they already have a huge audience to sell to - other kids!
When it comes to making money online, don't underestimate your kids. They know computers and the Internet better than many adults, and they are creative and unafraid to take risks. I expect the number of kids businesses to keep growing as kids realize the potential of their computer and internet skills.
About the Author:
Find out if your child is an entrepreneur at Kids Making Money: Do You Have a Child Entrepreneur?, where you'll find more business ideas for kids, business games for kids to teach your children about money and business, and other tips on how to help your children start their own business.