Comment by milesrout

When I was at primary school - specifically, around year 5 when I was about 9 - our class did a "small businesses" unit. We had to create business plans including a marketing plan, and yes a financial plan. What were we doing, how much were the inputs, how much are the outputs, how much time, what do we make per hour?

We did it in groups although some did it individually. One group did a carwash that also made you a coffee while you waited. My team was three of us and we put on a school disco (actually two, senior and junior). We had to organise lighting, music, equipment. We had to sell tickets. It was so profitable it paid for the entire school camp for our whole class, and the next year's too.

I don't know how much we actually learnt and I am sure our parents helped but I doubt it was entirely ineffectual. Probably more useful than many of the other activities we did.

Point being: there is no reason kids can't experiment with business as children, whether it is a lemonade stand, a carwash or a school disco.

I also have to point out for the record that if ever there was a win for capitalism over top down social planning, it was that the disco organised mainly by three 9 year olds was not only by far the most popular and enjoyable social event of my entire time at school (including high school) but it was also as far as I know the most profitable.