Viva Kids World A closer look at money

A closer look at money

Level of knowledge: master

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The money lent out

Yay, finally made it! The Viva Kids gang's tree house is finished. But it was pretty tough going. If just a tree house is so expensive, how much does a real house cost – and where do grownups get the money for it?

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What would you lend?

Have you already lent something before? To a sibling, for example, or to a colleague? Think about it: What would you lend? A book, money, your lunch sandwich, your sleeping bag, or maybe your toothbrush...

Ben giving Laura a book.

A signature, please!

If you borrow money from the bank, you also have to pay it back again – including interest. That's why you sign a contract.

Picture with contract and pen

Level of knowledge: professional

Level of knowledge: expert

Did you know...

When you borrow money from the bank, this is also called "taking out a loan." A person who borrows from the bank is called a "borrower." People who bring their money to the bank to save are called "savers."

Sophie is holding her index finger up and signaling: "Aha, I understand."

Interest isn't just something you get if you save money at the bank. You also have to pay interest if you borrow money. Here's how it works:

Ben puts his money in the bank and gets interest from the bank – a type of reward for saving his money in the bank.


  

So he gets a little more money than he deposited – like an additional CHF 10. But where did the bank get the CHF 10?

This is how it works: Mr. Cash borrows money from the bank. In return, he has to pay back a little more money to the bank than he got from it.

Let's say Mr. Cash has to repay an additional CHF 100 to the bank. It's like a price for the money he borrowed. That is called interest too.

This means the bank gets CHF 100 from Mr. Cash for the money it loaned him. It gives CHF 10 of this to Ben. That leaves CHF 90 for the bank.

It helps the bank pay salaries, rent, and things like ATM repairs.

About give and take

Everybody counts!

You too are an important part of the cycle: If you pay your money into your Viva Kids savings account, the bank can lend the money to others and you get back interest from the bank. Of course you get it back when you need it. The bank makes sure of that.

Picture with Viva Kids Gang

Bank experts know this

The bank has four main tasks:

1. Credit business: So that clients can build a house.
2. Payment transactions: So that clients can pay with their cards.
3. Deposit business: So that savers receive their interest.
4. Relationship management: So that clients can "park" their money (invest it) in the right place.

Jan with light bulb

Caretaker Mr. Cash

Mr. Cash is the school caretaker and lives in a small house just next to the big stone steps. That is why he often spends a long time at the schoolyard and takes care of a lot of things. Sometimes he helps the Viva Kids gang and answers their questions about all kinds of things.

Mr. Cash likes his work and has a good sense of humor. He knows good jokes and often carries a small flip-book in his pants pocket.

Sometimes, when he sweeps the schoolyard, he is lost in thought and asks himself: "What would happen if, starting tomorrow, everything were free?"

Picture with Mr. Cash and broom in his hand

Make your own flip-book

Simply download the template, color it in, cut it out and stick it together, and just like that your flip-book is done.

To the template
flip-book

Hello bank!

Take a look at the inside of a bank. You can empty your Digipigi there. At the counter or at the ATM. Either way, you can pick up a surprise from the Viva Kids World when you're done.

Sophie with Digipigi in front of the bank