My Story

Every Christmas, Dr Helen Hoang becomes Helen the Helpful Elf, keeper of the Elfonomics Library.

After travelling the world—from North Pole to Sydney then Canberra and beyond—Helen uses her magic badge (a PhD in Economics) to turn real‑world ideas into cosy stories, playful activities, and meaningful lessons children truly understand.

Her approach to economics is:

  • Simple, not scary
  • Playful, not preachy
  • Human, not abstract

Elfonomics is where academic knowledge meets storytelling, creativity, and Christmas wonder.

The Economics for Kids Universe

Elfonomics is part of a broader learning world designed to make economics accessible, joyful, and human.

This universe includes:

  • Economics for Kids: Lessons from Fables & Fairy Tales
  • School and library workshops
  • Economics game kits
  • City learning tours

Upcoming series such as Economics for Teens and EconAbility

"When children learn economics through stories and play, they don’t just learn about money — they learn how to make thoughtful choices in the world."

Helen Hoang

Follow @helenhoangauthor

Why Elfonomics Works?

Most children are introduced to money and economics too late—or in ways that feel abstract, stressful, or purely about spending.

Elfonomics takes a different path.

Instead of formulas and lectures, children learn through:

  • Stories that make ideas memorable
  • Play that turns concepts into lived experiences
  • Choice that helps kids understand consequences naturally

By connecting economics to everyday Christmas moments—sharing treats, trading gifts, planning time, and making decisions—Elfonomics helps children build financial intuition, not just vocabulary.

The goal isn’t to raise little accountants.

It’s to raise curious, thoughtful humans who understand fairness, value, and choice—long before numbers become intimidating.

About Dr Helen Hoang

Every Christmas season, Dr Helen Hoang secretly becomes Helen the Helpful Elf, keeper of Elfonomics in the North Pole Library.

Helen the Helpful Elf has a very special task:
She teaches every youngster who bothers to ask
How the whole wide world works and why we must spend money with care,
Why Santa plans ahead and how magic grows when we share.

Before she became an Elfonomist, Helen travelled across many lands,
from the magical North Pole, busy Sydney to Canberra, then Snowy Mountains’ shining stands,
studying how kids and adults work and play,
And teaching economic concepts that save the day.
She even earned a magic badge, called a PhD.
Pretty Helpful for the North Pole Department, where she taught many!

She lives in Canberra with her family, crafting tales both bright and bold,
where fables, fairy stories, and simple lessons in her pages unfold,
little truths that

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