coinquest

save it. spend it. see it.

financial literacy for kids is usually taught late, abstractly, and badly.
worksheets. lectures. vague warnings about “being responsible.”

by the time most people are taught how money works, they already have habits — and many of them are hard to unlearn.

the problem

financial literacy is not a standard part of early education. when it is taught, it’s often passive and disconnected from real decision-making.

the result shows up later.

studies consistently show that early exposure to financial decision-making is strongly associated with better long-term money behaviors, while the absence of that exposure correlates with higher debt, lower savings, and poorer financial outcomes overall.

kids don’t struggle with money concepts because they’re too complex — they struggle because they’re invisible.

you can’t see opportunity cost. you can’t see delayed gratification. you can’t see money growing when you leave it alone.

so kids default to what they can see: immediate rewards.

what's coinquest?

coinquest is an ar-powered financial literacy game for kids (ages 7–12) that makes money decisions visible.

instead of reading about saving vs. spending, kids:

earn coins through short, story-based quests
choose whether to spend or save those coins
and immediately see the consequences appear in their real-world space through augmented reality

buy something impulsively? your long-term goal moves further away. save patiently? the reward shows up — literally — in your room.

coinquest treats financial literacy as something you practice and see, not something you memorize.

why augmented reality?

augmented reality is particularly effective for early learning because it connects abstract ideas to physical space.

research on ar in education shows:

~25% higher test scores compared to video-only instruction
~75% better information retention through multi-sensory engagement
significantly higher focus and engagement in younger learners

when kids place a virtual object into their actual bedroom, the decision that led to it feels real. money stops being imaginary.

this is especially important for concepts like delayed gratification, which are difficult to internalize without feedback.

(sources: engagevr.io; kidsmentalhealth.ca; moldstud.com)

how it works

quests

short (≈60 second) choose-your-own-path stories that introduce one concept at a time:

saving vs. spending
needs vs. wants
goal setting
earning
simple compound growth (“money grows if you leave it alone”)

each quest ends with a clear takeaway and no scoring beyond earning coins.

the piggy bank

coins placed into the piggy bank grow over time.

there’s no investing complexity, no market simulation — just calm, passive growth. for demo purposes, time can be fast-forwarded.

this models patience without encouraging risk-taking.

the shop

items are clearly labeled and priced:

wants (toys, decorations)
needs (furniture, practical items)
upgrades (bigger rewards that require saving)

kids learn budgeting naturally by having limited coins and real tradeoffs.

the ar room

purchased items can be placed into the child’s real environment:

tap to place
drag to reposition
pinch to resize

the room becomes a visual record of financial decisions. it’s not cosmetic progression — it’s cumulative consequence.

why this matters

gamified decision-making in safe environments has been linked to 20–30% better long-term financial behaviors when introduced early.

coinquest doesn’t reward impulsivity. it doesn’t punish mistakes. it shows outcomes.

that feedback loop is the lesson.

parents & safety

coinquest is built with kids first, not growth metrics.

no accounts
no personal data
no ads
no social features
no external links
all data stored locally on-device
password-protected parent dashboard

parents can see progress and lesson summaries without hovering or micromanaging.

built with

react + typescript + vite
tailwind css
zustand (with localstorage persistence)
webxr + three.js (android)
ar quick look fallback (ios)
gltf / glb 3d models

ar runs in the browser — no app install required.

challenges

making web-based ar stable across devices
designing rewards that encourage patience instead of impulse
translating financial principles without moralizing them
keeping lessons accurate while still accessible to kids

what we’re proud of

a fully working browser-based ar experience
zero data collection by design
kids can understand the system without tutorials
abstract financial ideas become physically intuitive

what’s next

expanded quest library
weekly allowance simulation
optional parental controls for time limits
more ar items and room themes
accessibility improvements

team

built with ❤️ at ellehacks 2026

sources & references

Arslan, R., Kuş, A., Emreli, D., Unver, E., & Huerta, O. (2021). INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECTS OF USING AUGMENTED REALITY APPS ON STUDENTS' LEARNING ACHIEVEMENT AND MOTIVATION IN ENGINEERING DRAWING COURSES. Uludağ Üniversitesi Mühendislik Fakültesi Dergisi, 26(3), 787-798. https://doi.org/10.17482/uumfd.912061

Bassanelli, S., Vasta, N., Bucchiarone, A., & Marconi, A. (2022). Gamification for behavior change: A scientometric review. Acta Psychologica, 228. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2022.103657

ChooseFI International Foundation. (2021, 08 27). 10 Scary Financial Literacy Statistics (2021). choosefifoundation. https://www.choosefifoundation.org/blog/scary%20financial%20literacy%20statistics

Forson, R. (2023, 07). The Imperative of Early Financial Education: Nurturing Financial Literacy for Lifelong Prosperity. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/372389212_The_Imperative_of_Early_Financial_Education_Nurturing_Financial_Literacy_for_Lifelong_Prosperity

Intuit. (2024, 07 18). Intuit Survey: Few Canadian high schoolers feel they have a solid understanding of personal finance terms. Intuit. https://www.intuit.com/blog/global-stories/intuit-survey-few-canadian-high-schoolers-feel-they-have-a-solid-understanding-of-personal-finance-terms/