“Money Learning” to Experience During Golden Week: Children's Growth Seen from the Joy of Selling and the Frustration of Not Selling
NPO Kids Flea Market's parent survey (256 responses, Feb-Mar 2026) reveals children's significant growth in financial literacy and social skills through experiential learning at Kids Flea Market events. Children learn the value of money, proactive thinking, and planned consumption, with nationwide events scheduled for Golden Week.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 1, 2026 at 20:30
- 🔍 Collected: May 1, 2026 at 12:01
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 1, 2026 at 20:16 (8h 14m after Collected)
Children learn the importance of communication through customer service.
NPO Kids Flea Market, which operates "Kids Flea Market," an experiential event where children take the lead in buying and selling, analyzed free-form responses from a parent survey conducted in February-March 2026 (256 responses). The results showed that through the Kids Flea Market experience, concrete and unprecedented changes are emerging in children's "money mindset" and "behavior."
Survey Overview
Survey period: February-March 2026
Respondents: Parents of exhibitors at Kids Flea Market events held in February-March 2026
Number of responses: 256
Survey method: Questionnaire survey
The survey results are published in this article.
First-time experience of "the joy of selling" and "the frustration of not selling"
"I was very happy when I sold something, but I was frustrated and depressed when I couldn't sell."
"My sales were lower than I expected, and I felt the difficulty of earning money, thinking, 'I worked so hard for this.'"
By setting prices themselves, serving customers, and selling, children simultaneously experience "the difficulty and joy of earning money."
It's not just a success story; they are learning the real value of money through both successful and unsuccessful experiences.
Changes in attitude: "How can I sell?" — thinking and trying on their own
"They thought about how to sell, tried discounts, and called out to customers."
"It was impressive to see them thinking about why things weren't selling and deliberating on when to lower prices."
Through the selling experience, children develop an attitude of thinking and acting on their own, rather than just waiting.
As they experiment with pricing and sales methods, it suggests that a "business" or "commerce" perspective is budding within them.
Realizing the value: "Money is not easily obtained"
"They seemed to realize how difficult it is to earn money."
"Until now, they used money without much thought, but this time, they carefully considered what to use their earnings for."
As money transforms from "something given" to "something earned by oneself," changes in how it is used are observed.
They are experiencing the "weight of money" that is difficult to gain in daily life.
Not just selling, but also recording sales in a balance sheet
Realizing society: "The value of things varies from person to person"
"They seemed to realize that even for the same item, people's desire for it differs."
"They seemed to understand that 'the price is determined by those who want it.'"
In the flea market environment, children are exposed to the fundamental principle of society that "value is not singular."
This is a realization unique to real-life experience, difficult to learn from textbooks alone.
Changes in buying habits: "Do I really need this?"
"Instead of buying what they want immediately, they started thinking if they really needed it."
"Even for a 100-yen item, they started thinking about how much they would have to sell to buy it."
The selling experience also influences buying behavior, leading to more proactive and planned use of money.
Changes felt by parents: "More conversations about money at home"
"They became interested in news about rising prices."
"They started talking about money, which they usually don't do."
Kids Flea Market serves as a catalyst for natural conversations about money at home, leading to broader interest in society and the economy.
Each child has their own way of promoting their shop.
Key points from the survey
From the free-form responses, it became clear that Kids Flea Market is bringing about the following changes:
Emotional, "real money learning"
Improved ability to think and act proactively
Deepened understanding of society and values
Comment (Organizer)
Kids Flea Market provides opportunities for children to learn about money and society through real-life experiences. The free-form responses this time revealed numerous instances of individual children's growth and insights that are not visible in mere numbers.
We will continue to expand opportunities for enjoyable learning experiences.
Golden Week Event Announcement
Kids Flea Market events are scheduled nationwide during the Golden Week period.
Media representatives wishing to cover the event are requested to contact us via the official website in advance.
Please check the official website for details.
👉 https://kids-fm.jp/
■ Organization Achievements/Awards
"Kids Flea Market" is a project where children become shopkeepers and learn economics through buying and selling, contributing to SDGs (Quality Education, Responsible Consumption and Production).
2024 Awards: Tokyo "Kodomo Smile Movement Award" Children's Division Grand Prize
"Kids Design Award 2024" Excellence Award, Minister of Consumer Affairs Award
■ About NPO Kids Flea Market
N
NPO Kids Flea Market, which operates "Kids Flea Market," an experiential event where children take the lead in buying and selling, analyzed free-form responses from a parent survey conducted in February-March 2026 (256 responses). The results showed that through the Kids Flea Market experience, concrete and unprecedented changes are emerging in children's "money mindset" and "behavior."
Survey Overview
Survey period: February-March 2026
Respondents: Parents of exhibitors at Kids Flea Market events held in February-March 2026
Number of responses: 256
Survey method: Questionnaire survey
The survey results are published in this article.
First-time experience of "the joy of selling" and "the frustration of not selling"
"I was very happy when I sold something, but I was frustrated and depressed when I couldn't sell."
"My sales were lower than I expected, and I felt the difficulty of earning money, thinking, 'I worked so hard for this.'"
By setting prices themselves, serving customers, and selling, children simultaneously experience "the difficulty and joy of earning money."
It's not just a success story; they are learning the real value of money through both successful and unsuccessful experiences.
Changes in attitude: "How can I sell?" — thinking and trying on their own
"They thought about how to sell, tried discounts, and called out to customers."
"It was impressive to see them thinking about why things weren't selling and deliberating on when to lower prices."
Through the selling experience, children develop an attitude of thinking and acting on their own, rather than just waiting.
As they experiment with pricing and sales methods, it suggests that a "business" or "commerce" perspective is budding within them.
Realizing the value: "Money is not easily obtained"
"They seemed to realize how difficult it is to earn money."
"Until now, they used money without much thought, but this time, they carefully considered what to use their earnings for."
As money transforms from "something given" to "something earned by oneself," changes in how it is used are observed.
They are experiencing the "weight of money" that is difficult to gain in daily life.
Not just selling, but also recording sales in a balance sheet
Realizing society: "The value of things varies from person to person"
"They seemed to realize that even for the same item, people's desire for it differs."
"They seemed to understand that 'the price is determined by those who want it.'"
In the flea market environment, children are exposed to the fundamental principle of society that "value is not singular."
This is a realization unique to real-life experience, difficult to learn from textbooks alone.
Changes in buying habits: "Do I really need this?"
"Instead of buying what they want immediately, they started thinking if they really needed it."
"Even for a 100-yen item, they started thinking about how much they would have to sell to buy it."
The selling experience also influences buying behavior, leading to more proactive and planned use of money.
Changes felt by parents: "More conversations about money at home"
"They became interested in news about rising prices."
"They started talking about money, which they usually don't do."
Kids Flea Market serves as a catalyst for natural conversations about money at home, leading to broader interest in society and the economy.
Each child has their own way of promoting their shop.
Key points from the survey
From the free-form responses, it became clear that Kids Flea Market is bringing about the following changes:
Emotional, "real money learning"
Improved ability to think and act proactively
Deepened understanding of society and values
Comment (Organizer)
Kids Flea Market provides opportunities for children to learn about money and society through real-life experiences. The free-form responses this time revealed numerous instances of individual children's growth and insights that are not visible in mere numbers.
We will continue to expand opportunities for enjoyable learning experiences.
Golden Week Event Announcement
Kids Flea Market events are scheduled nationwide during the Golden Week period.
Media representatives wishing to cover the event are requested to contact us via the official website in advance.
Please check the official website for details.
👉 https://kids-fm.jp/
■ Organization Achievements/Awards
"Kids Flea Market" is a project where children become shopkeepers and learn economics through buying and selling, contributing to SDGs (Quality Education, Responsible Consumption and Production).
2024 Awards: Tokyo "Kodomo Smile Movement Award" Children's Division Grand Prize
"Kids Design Award 2024" Excellence Award, Minister of Consumer Affairs Award
■ About NPO Kids Flea Market
N