- Definition
Investing means putting your money into something like stocks or property, hoping it will grow and make you more money over time.
Putting money into a special savings account where the bank pays you extra money, called interest, is a form of investing.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: Investing is like planting a seed from an apple, hoping it will grow into a tree that gives you many more apples later.
Ask your child: If you bought a popular toy to sell later, what would you hope happens to its price?
Common mix-up: Kids might think investing is the same as saving money in a piggy bank. The key idea is that investing puts money to work so it has a chance to grow.
Examples
- Buying a house and renting it to someone is an investment because you earn income from the rent.
- Buying a 'share' of a company means you own a tiny piece of it, and if the company does well, your piece might be worth more.
investing is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
