COEUR d'ALENE - What would you do if you had $1 million?

Some kids attending a summer child care program in Coeur d'Alene considered that question Friday at Ramsey Elementary School.

Bradley O'Neil, 10, said he would invest some of the money, save a bit, and give some to charity.

"And I'd make a little robot that would help people," Bradley said.

One of the girls said she would use the money to buy a restaurant, another boy would open a "Lego shop." Nearly all the kids planned to donate something to charity.

It was Day 1 of Biz Kid$, a pilot program that aims to introduce basic money management and entrepreneurial skills to youngsters entering grades four through six this fall.

The first lesson focused on what can be done with money: Save it, spend it, donate it, or invest it.

The five-week program is being presented through a partnership between the Coeur d'Alene School District's Summer Plus child care program and Get $mart Idaho, a financial education coalition serving Kootenai County.

For the first half of the hour-long session, about 30 children sat on a classroom floor munching popcorn and intently watching an episode of "Biz Kid$," a public television series the youth financial education lessons are based on.

The Emmy-winning show, produced by the same people who brought "Bill Nye The Science Guy" to the small screen, uses fast-paced sketches, silly jokes and quirky characters like the "King of Kaching" to keep kids paying attention.

There are also real-life success stories from young money moguls like twenty-something Rebecca Charbonneau, who opened a storefront business in Port Orchard, Wash., when she was a teenager.

All the Summer Plus kids put their hands in the air when, after the video ended, Horizon Credit Union representative Josh Allison asked the kids if they liked Charbonneau's story.

"Wasn't that cool? She was 15 years old and she started a candy shop," Allison said.

Charbonneau opened her first savings account when she was 5 and put money into it for a decade. Instead of buying a car, she invested in the candy store. The shop has never operated in the red, and she was able to get a nice car within a few years.

Allison, who coordinates youth and business partnerships for Get $mart Idaho coalition member Horizon Credit Union, said the BizKid$ presentations are unbiased with a single goal - to help prepare youth for future financial success.

"It's part of the credit union philosophy," Allison said.

Retired Coeur d'Alene teacher Paula Marano attended the first Biz Kid$ session at Ramsey.

She helped coordinate the summer money smarts program by acting as a liaison between the school district and the financial literacy coalition.

"You've got to start young," Marano said. "This program is hands-on and shows children how they can be involved in their financial futures, and the importance of businesses in the community."