101 Adulting Warm-Ups to Teach Life Skills
What life skills do young adults really need to know? From managing money and basic car care to home maintenance, health, technology, and everyday responsibilities, there’s a lot to learn before adulthood. This list of 101 adulting skills can help you identify the essentials and find simple ways to teach them in just a few minutes at a time.
Why Teach Adulting Skills in the Classroom?
Many students graduate from high school and enter adulthood without essential life skills, from writing a check to checking their tire pressure.
Financial literacy is one of the biggest gaps. According to the World Economic Forum, U.S. financial literacy rates have hovered around 50% for eight straight years, with a 2% decline in the past two. The most challenging areas? Understanding retirement savings and financial risk.
But the gaps go beyond finances. A Wall Street Journal survey found:
52% of teens don’t know how to replace a tire
44% can’t check tire tread
32% can’t check tire pressure
And after the pandemic? Many students are struggling with in-person social skills and need to learn norms around group work, email communication, and workplace etiquette.
Gaps in real-world skills for teens and young adults.
101 Adulting Skills Every Young Adult Should Know
Adulting involves a lot more than paying bills or getting a job. Young adults also need practical skills for managing a home, caring for a car, staying safe, communicating with others, navigating technology, and handling the everyday responsibilities that rarely make it into a traditional curriculum.
So, what should students know before they head out on their own? Here are 101 practical adulting skills to consider teaching before or during the transition to adulthood.
Personal Finance
What to Do With Receipts • Product Protection Plans • Income Tax Basics • How to Write a Check • Setting Up Direct Deposit • Understanding Taxes • Basics of Budgeting • How to Check Your Credit • When You Receive a Check • W-2 Form • Paying Bills • Negotiating Salary • Sales Tax • W-4 Form • Investing 101 • Retirement Savings • Form 1040 • How to Read a Pay Stub • Cash Stash
Social Norms
Tipping Etiquette • Writing a Thank You Note • Small Talk Is a Big Deal • Handshakes: Do’s & Don’ts • Dining at a Fancy Restaurant • Social Etiquette • The Art of Haggling
Car Care
How to Change a Tire • Fueling Do’s & Don’ts • Windshield Wiper Blades • Car Insurance • Checking Tire Pressure • Car Registration • Jump Starting a Car • Types of Fuel • Car Emergency Kit • Checking Tire Tread • Rental Car Upcharges
Health & Safety
Filling a Prescription • Making Medical Appointments • When Good Food Goes Bad • Family Evacuation Plan • Sunscreen • Food Safety • Disposing of Medications • Cooking Disasters to Avoid • Catching Zzz’s • Home Emergency Kit • Kitchen Fire Safety • Get a Hobby! • All Other Types of Insurance • Meal Prepping • Good Dental Hygiene
Life & Practical Skills
How to Make Coffee • Sharpening Knives • Dealing With Stains • How to Book a Flight • How to Tie a Knot • Grocery Shopping 101 • Gift Wrapping • Laundry Basics • Starting a Fire • Folding Fitted Sheets • How to Address an Envelope • Basic Sewing • Numbers to Memorize • Telling When Produce Is Ripe • Dewrinkling Clothes
Civic Engagement
How to Register to Vote • Voting • Jury Duty • Spotting Misinformation
Legal Stuff
So, You Got a Ticket • Interacting With LEOs • Creating a Will • Identity Theft • Calling 9-1-1
Technology
Backing Up Your Data • Smishing • Passphrases • Browsing Safely • Vishing • App Safety • Email Scams • Setting Up an Email Account • Oversharing on Social Media • Cell Phone Batteries • Subscriptions
Home Maintenance
Preventing Frozen Pipes • How to Handle a Leak • Getting Rid of Stuff • Electrical Safety • Circuit Breakers • Smoke Detector Safety • Carbon Monoxide Detectors • Dryer Lint & Fire Safety • Home Cleaning Schedule • Gutter Care • Power Outages • Essentials for Your New Place • Daylight Saving Time • Change of Address
Of course, students don't need to master all 101 skills at once. That's exactly why I like teaching adulting skills in small doses. A five- or ten-minute warm-up can introduce one practical skill, spark questions and discussion, and help students gradually build confidence for life after high school.
101 adulting skills for young adults, including personal finance, car care, health and safety, practical life skills, technology, and home maintenance.
The Solution? Daily Life Skills, in Bite-Sized Chunks
As teachers, we often end up filling in these gaps—even when our subject area isn’t “life skills.” But it can be tough to squeeze in one more thing when you’re already juggling core curriculum, IEP goals, district initiatives, state testing, and everything else the day brings.
That’s why I created these “How to Adult” warm-ups. Each one introduces a practical life skill in a bite-sized format that can be used as a 5–15 minute mini-lesson. Use one as a warm-up, brain break, discussion starter, or whenever you have a few extra minutes.
Try It Free: Get 9 Sample Slides
Want to try it with your students? Get 9 free sample slides from “How to Adult: 101 Life Skills.” You’ll get one adulting skill from each category, ready to use in Google Slides or PowerPoint. Try a few as warm-ups, discussion starters, or brain breaks and see what gets your students talking.
Real Adulting Skills for Real-Life Moments
When I created this resource, I started with the life skills I learned the hard way, like the time (in the not-too-distant past) when my pipes burst and I had no idea how to shut off the water.
Then I surveyed family, friends, colleagues, asking, “What do you wish you’d learned in school?” The responses became a list of 101 real-world life skills that young adults need, want, and genuinely enjoy learning.
And the student stories keep coming. One time, a student shared that his grandma had written him a birthday check... and he had no idea what to do with it. Another student chimed in, suggesting a local check-cashing place, and suddenly we were in a spin-off discussion about exorbitant fees.
(If that conversation comes up in your classroom too, my Banking Lesson covers safer alternatives to check-cashing services.)
5 Ways to Teach Adulting Skills in Any Classroom
I’ve used “How to Adult” warm-ups in content-area classes, support classes, workshops, and even while subbing when I needed something meaningful to fill unexpected extra time. Here are five flexible ways to integrate quick life skills lessons into almost any classroom:
Start or End Class with a Daily Adulting Skill
How it works: Display a new slide each day as students settle in, or dedicate the last 5–10 minutes of class to an adulting skill.
Why it works: Establishes a routine and provides a quick, engaging, high-interest conversation starter.
Pro tip: Have students pair up and discuss how they’d handle each situation.
Use Adulting Skills as Journal Prompts
How it works: Introduce the skill, then have students expand on it in their journals with questions, next steps, or personal reflections.
Why it works: Encourages critical thinking and real-world application.
Pro tip: Assign journal prompts based on the day’s topic and have students reflect on their own experiences.
Fill Extra Time with a Life Skills Activity
How it works: If you finish a lesson five or ten minutes early, introduce a random adulting skill.
Why it works: Keeps students engaged and learning when time is short.
Pro tip: Let students vote on which topic to discuss to increase buy-in.
Create an ‘Adulting Survival Guide’ with Notes
How it works: Use a graphic organizer with 2-4 skills per page. Include an outline where students can fill in notes, questions, next steps, and a readiness rating for the particular skill. At the end of the year, the organizers can be stapled together to create an Adulting Survival Guide.
Why it works: Gives students a real-world reference they can keep after graduation.
Pro tip: Provide a fillable template for students to record key takeaways. Here’s the printable Adulting Survival Guide template I use.
Have Students Teach Adulting Skills to Their Peers
How it works: Each student or pair selects an adulting topic to research and teach to the class.
Why it works: Encourages student-led learning, collaboration, and practical application.
Pro tip: Encourage demonstrations when possible, like writing a check, tying a knot, addressing an envelope, etc. I've also found that students are often more comfortable presenting in pairs than solo.
Five creative ways to teach adulting and life skills in any classroom.
What’s Inside the Full Resource
Ready to go beyond the free sample? How to Adult: 101 Life Skills turns all 101 topics into ready-to-use mini-lessons you can pull up whenever you have a few extra minutes. The full “How to Adult” resource includes:
101 editable Google Slides or PowerPoint slides, each covering a different practical adulting skill
Speaker notes with additional context, discussion questions or prompts, teaching tips, extension ideas, and optional video links
A printable adulting skills checklist for tracking progress
An optional graphic organizer for student notes and reflection
Teacher instructions with flexible ideas for using the lessons in different classroom settings
Use the slides as daily warm-ups, brain breaks, discussion starters, advisory activities, or meaningful time-fillers throughout the year.
A look inside the How to Adult: 101 Life Skills slide deck
Tips for Teaching Adulting Skills in Bite-Sized Lessons
Whether you use ready-made lessons or create your own, I recommend sticking to one skill or topic at a time. It’s tempting to dive deep, but the goal of these mini-lessons is to build awareness, introduce basic skills, and spark curiosity. If a student wants to learn more about starting a fire, investing for retirement, or another topic, they can always explore it further.
Another strategy I’ve had success with is using adulting-themed crossword puzzles and word searches to reinforce life skills vocabulary and concepts. You can read more about the benefits of word puzzles or explore my collection of ready-to-use adulting puzzles covering topics like education, employment, independent living, and financial literacy.
How to Adult: 101 Life Skills for high school students
FAQ ~ How to Adult: 101 Life Skills
Who is this for?
Any student preparing for adulthood! These skills work well with high school students in general education, special education, transition programs, and life skills classes, as well as adult education learners.
What classroom settings does this work in?
Advisory, study skills, life skills, and transition classes are a natural fit, but these mini-lessons can work in almost any classroom. I’ve used them everywhere from content-area classes to support classes as quick warm-ups, brain breaks, and discussion starters.
Do students need any prior knowledge?
Nope! Each slide introduces one practical life skill with no prior knowledge required. I intentionally kept the lessons short and focused, with just enough information to build awareness, answer common questions, and spark interest.
How long does it take to use a slide?
Most slides take 5–10 minutes. You can stretch a topic to 15–20 minutes by exploring the linked videos, facilitating a deeper discussion, or having students research the topic further.
Are the slides editable?
Yes! You can customize the slides to meet your students’ needs.
Is this part of a larger unit or bundle?
Yes. How to Adult: 101 Life Skills is also included in the Adulting Life Skills Bundle, along with additional activities for teaching practical independent living and adulting skills.
Will this work in adult education?
Absolutely. The topics cover practical skills that are useful for anyone building confidence and independence in everyday adult life.
Ready to Help Students Build Real-World Confidence?
Life after high school doesn’t come with an instruction manual, but this warm-up deck comes close.
👉 Ready to use all 101 skills? Check out How to Adult: 101 Life Skills on TPT.
👉 Want to try it first? Get the 9 free sample slides and use them with your students this week.
Looking for even more adulting skills? How to Adult: Volume 2 is coming soon with 101 more bite-sized life skills for the classroom.
