In this second post of our collaboration with The Penny Pincher, we’re exploring how kids can make money during the school holidays in age-appropriate and practical ways.
Bake sales are a brilliant way for young children to dip their toes into the world of earning money, especially when a parent or carer guides them.
For kids aged 8 to 10, selling homemade cakes or treats can be a fun and rewarding experience that teaches them not just about money, but about planning, effort, and responsibility too.
But before you whip out the mixing bowls, it’s worth knowing what’s legally allowed in the UK, how to keep things hygienic, and how to make it a successful little project your child will be proud of.
Is It Legal for Children to Run a Bake Sale in the UK?
Children under 13 can’t be employed or run a formal business in the UK, but they can help run a small, one-off bake sale at home with adult help.
What’s allowed:
- Selling baked goods to friends, family or neighbours from your own driveway
- Homemade cakes and biscuits, made under adult supervision
- Keeping it small-scale, personal, and not-for-profit-style
What’s not allowed:
- Selling food in public places without a licence
- Setting up a food business from home
- Ignoring allergy and hygiene guidance
Bake Sale Hygiene Tips for Parents
- Even for casual sales, food hygiene matters. Here’s how to keep things clean and safe:
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Always wash your hands, and make sure your kids wash theirs too, before baking or handling food.
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Use clean bowls, utensils, and storage containers
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Avoid anything that needs refrigeration (e.g. fresh cream)
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Use paper bags or tongs to serve food
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Label everything clearly, especially for allergens such as nuts, dairy, eggs, or gluten.
Tip: Avoid allowing children to handle both food and cash. Set up a separate serving and payment area, and supervise throughout.
What to Bake and Sell
Keep it simple. Stick with low-risk treats that don’t need chilling. Here are some child-friendly favourites:
- Fairy cakes
- Shortbread
- Flapjacks
- Chocolate crispy cakes
- Cookies
- Brownies or traybakes
- Cheesecake
- Fresh cream cakes
- Anything containing alcohol or hidden allergens
How to Set Up a Bake Stall at Home
You don’t need much to get started, but before we look at that, remember to advertise your sale to your friends, family and neighbours, to make sure you actually sell some of your produce! You'll need:
- A clean table
- Something to cover the cakes if they're going to be subjected to the elements!
- A sign (your child can make it!)
- Labels for each item and price
- Tubs for money or a small float
- Napkins, paper bags or cupcake boxes
- A chair or two and a way to wash and dry your hands.
- Ideally, disposable gloves would be a good choice for hygiene reasons.
Let your child be in charge of decorating and laying everything out; it helps build confidence and also makes them feel like it's their project, not yours.
What Should You Charge?
Help your child choose easy, round prices. Try:- Cupcakes: 50p – £1
- Brownies: 50p
- Packs of 3 cookies: £1
- Flapjack slices: 50p
Use coloured stickers or price cards to make things easier for your child (and customers).
Teaching Money Skills with nimbl
Once the treats are sold, it’s the perfect chance to talk about money. If your child uses a nimbl card, you can:
- Transfer their earnings straight onto their card
- Split it into spend, save, or donate pots
- Set a goal like “Save £5 toward a new book”
- Track transactions in the app together
It’s a straightforward, real-world approach to introducing digital money habits and financial responsibility.
What to Do With the Earnings
After the sale, sit down and chat about what to do with the money. At this point, it's worth mentioning that you may well incur a loss on the sale, once you factor in ingredients and energy costs, unless, of course, you sell a lot. However, it's all about the experience for the child, rather than making a profit.
Chat with your child about:
- If they want to spend a little on something they’ve wanted
- Maybe they want to save the rest toward a longer-term goal?
- Perhaps they'd like to donate part to a charity, project or a school fund.
- Discuss how they thought the sale went
- Ask them what they might do differently if they did it again
Encourage them to use their nimbl app to decide how to divide up their earnings, a great habit to build early.
It's More Than Just a Bake Sale!
Helping your child run a bake sale isn’t just about cupcakes, it’s about:
- Building confidence
- Learning effort equals reward
- Understanding safe food handling
- Developing the real-world/adult-type money skills at an early age
- Plus, who knows, you might help your child develop a baking skill; bake sale today, but appearing on Bake Off soon!
With a bit of support from you and the help of nimbl to manage what they earn, your child will take away far more than just pocket money.
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This is a collaborative post written by and first published on The Penny Pincher blog. The Penny Pincher is Al Baker – and he's brilliant at finding clever ways to save and make money. He started his blog, ThePennyPincher.co.uk, after going through a tricky time with money. Now, he shares all his best tips to help people feel in control of their money – from budgeting and bargain hunting to fun ideas for earning extra cash. Think of him as your friendly money guide, helping families make the most of what they’ve got. |