LightMySky

Needs & Wants

The difference between things we need (food, shelter, clothing) and things we want (toys, treats); that we sometimes have to choose because money is limited

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What a learner can do afterwards

  • Sort a set of pictures into 'need' and 'want' categories and explain their choices
  • Give an example of something everyone needs and something that is a want
  • Explain why a family might choose to buy a need before a want

The lesson

A need is something your body must have. Food, water, clothes, and a home are needs. You cannot stay healthy without them.

Needs3Wants2
Sam sorted 5 pictures. He found 3 needs and 2 wants.
Try it together

Zoe wants a toy robot. She also wants a new coat for winter. The coat is a need, so her family buys it first.

Good to know

Ask yourself: can I stay safe without this? If yes, it might be a want. If no, it is a need.

Needs keep you safe, but wants can wait.

Watch it

Where it sits

Where this leads

Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.

Then practise

8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.

Needs & Wants · Life Skills, ages 5 to 7 · LightMySky