A Stone dad who turned a comment from his daughter into a financial education project for young children is giving local families free access to its first book.
Nathan Waldron, a dad of two who has spent nearly two decades working in financial services, created Pocket Money Adventures after a shopping trip with his daughter made him think differently about how children understand money.
She wanted something from a shop and, when Nathan told her no, replied:
“It’s OK, Daddy. Just tap it.”
Nathan said:
“It made me realise how strange money must look through a young child’s eyes now.
“They see us tap a card or phone, hear a beep and walk away with something. The actual exchange is almost completely invisible.”
The idea eventually developed into Pocket Money Adventures CIC, a Stone based financial education project for children aged four to seven.
Its programme has already been delivered in primary schools in Stoke-on-Trent and elsewhere in Staffordshire, although Nathan says it has not yet reached a school in Stone.
He now hopes to change that.
Free access for Stone families
For seven days from the publication of this article, families can read Ava Saves Up online for free at ava.pocketmoneyadventures.co.uk using the access code ALBOS.
The interactive version allows children and adults to turn and zoom into pages, while readers can also record their own voice reading the story. Recordings are stored in the user’s browser rather than uploaded.
Schools can also enquire about having the full Pocket Money Adventures programme delivered. Nathan says there is no cost to the school, with places instead funded by sponsorship from local businesses.
Community settings including libraries, family hubs and youth groups can also enquire about sessions.
The school and community enquiry options can both be found beneath the book on the free Ava Saves Up page.
Putting the pause back into spending
Nathan said one of the ideas behind the programme is that the move from cash to contactless payments has changed what children see when adults spend money.
Where coins or notes once physically left someone’s hand, a purchase can now involve little more than tapping a card or phone.
Pocket Money Adventures uses a routine called “Tap, Tap, Pause”, encouraging children to stop before a money choice and ask two questions, whether they need or want something, and what they might be giving up by getting it now.
They can then think about whether to save, spend or share.
The programme centres on the children’s picture book Ava Saves Up, which was published in August and follows its young elephant character as she learns about making choices with money.
Nathan worked with Stoke-on-Trent animation studio Carse and Waterman to develop the book’s artwork and characters.
Changes coming to primary schools
The project comes as financial education is set to have a greater place in England’s primary curriculum.
Following the Curriculum and Assessment Review published in November 2025, the Government confirmed that citizenship will become compulsory at Key Stages 1 and 2, including financial literacy alongside subjects such as media literacy, law and rights, democracy and government.
The revised national curriculum is due to be published in spring 2027, with first teaching planned from September 2028.
Nathan said Pocket Money Adventures had chosen not to wait for those changes before starting its work with younger children.
He said families have different experiences of money, with some children regularly seeing cash, others seeing cards and phones, and some having little direct involvement with either.
The principle he wants children to take away remains the same, to pause before making a choice about money.
Read or buy Ava Saves Up
Stone families can read Ava Saves Up free online for seven days from the publication of this article using the code ALBOS.
The printed edition is available to buy through Amazon*.
Advertisement, affiliate link. *A Little Bit of Stone receives a commission from qualifying purchases made through the printed book link, at no extra cost to you.
More information about the project is available at pocketmoneyadventures.co.uk.
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