The Best Activities to Inspire Independence Within Your Kids

April 23, 2025•

Raising Future Leaders Through Simple Ventures

Empowering the Next Generation

So, we’ve all seen them, right? The flyers your teenage neighbor put up to shovel snowy driveways or help cut the grass. Or the cute little town bake sales. But did you know that these are incredible opportunities to support our kids for a lifetime of success and happiness?

Go back in time with me for a moment… When I was little, I was thirsty for freedom. I so badly wanted to be in charge of my own life. And my world told me that you needed money to do that.

I used my natural tenacity to go after it and, at five years old, started a lemonade stand, but not just any ol’ lemonade stand. I wanted it to stand out, and stand out it did. I put on a gigantic rainbow clown wig, I made my own signs, and I danced on the curb outside my house yelling, “Lemonade for sale! Come right up! Get the best lemonade here!”

To my little girl heart, it felt like hundreds of people were pulling over and supporting me, and I was bursting with joy from the independence I felt from doing this on my own! With every dollar I earned, a new power grew inside of me.

So, while money in no way equals success, it is a part of our world. And what I’ve come to realize as an adult and parent is that there’s so much more that these ventures can teach our kids.

Because these aren’t just fun projects (although bonus points because fun is necessary)—they’re powerful learning experiences. When your children get to design a service that brings value to others and helps them learn more about managing a small business, their growth is limitless. And one of the biggest parts of happy parenting, for me, comes from knowing my kids feel empowered.

Raising successful kids should always be a top priority as a parent. And showing our children that they have the power to create and succeed is a great way to bond, play, and grow together as a family. We’re all meant to connect, love, and support each other, and today, I’m sharing the why and how behind doing just that.

The Power of Play-Based Learning

Let’s talk about why creating fun, real-life, money-making opportunities is such a game-changer for our kids.

A recent study showed that these types of play-based activities for young kids boost cognitive, social, and emotional development. Pretty amazing, right?

Whether it’s a lemonade stand, a car wash, or a bake sale, these businesses teach our kids (both younger and older) creativity, critical thinking, and responsibility. They gain confidence and learn they can achieve anything they set their minds to and__ *strengthen their belief in themselves and their abilities to achieve their goals. *__

So the next time your child has a business idea or you’re looking for a way to help them feel inspired, support them to go for it. You’ll be amazed at what they can accomplish!

Focus on:

Thinking Up Ideas: Let your child think of ways to provide valuable services—they could offer a neighborhood dog-walking service or create handmade jewelry to sell. Let them think up ideas that inspire them.
Enjoying the Process: Encourage your kids to use their energy and love to create a plan for success. So, if they want to have a neighborhood bake sale, help them figure out the best recipes, price the goods, and advertise the event.

Simple Entrepreneurial Ideas for Kids

Ever since my kids were little, they would get so excited and totally full of energy when they focused on these independent opportunities. And it was a win-win as a parent — I’d be equally happy since I knew they were having a good time and also learning lessons that would help them grow into successful humans.

Having fun. ✅

Absorbing ways to be happy, thoughtful, and engaged in something meaningful? ✅ ✅ ✅

Yep, I’ve always been all about that.

Here are some fun and simple entrepreneurial activities to get your kids started:

Handmade Crafts—Making and selling items encourages creativity and the value of hard work.
Food Sales—Kids can learn about marketing, budgeting, and handling money when they cook or bake fun, healthy snacks and package them up for sale.
Drink Stand—A classic that teaches about supply and demand, pricing, and customer service.
Positive Affirmation Cards—Creating positive affirmation cards to sell and uplift people is a great way to teach about the importance of making a difference in your community.

If I can leave you with one piece of parenting advice today, it’s that helping your child create these opportunities will strengthen their belief in themselves and help them build an abundant, happy life. And what’s equally as important is to celebrate this process with them. High-five, hug, and talk about the experience.

One lemonade stand at a time, you’re helping your children develop confidence and independence. Get started today and watch your children thrive!

Ready to learn more and dive deeper into these concepts? You’ll love my self-paced* Crack the Parenting Code** online course. You can also discover the** 8 Secrets to Being a Happy Parent** in my** free e-book*.