– This paper aims to answer two questions: According to research carried out in the last decades, what are the factors that influence materialism in children? And, can these factors be classified in a comprehensive conceptual framework? – The paper reviews the most cited articles on the topic published in academic journals during the last 35 years, as well as a selection of articles in specific journals published during the last ten years. – A conceptual framework is provided which classifies the factors in three groups: individual factors, semi-contextual factors (family related) and contextual factors (external influences). – The classification helps to understand how the factors relate to each other, and is intended to be a tool for parents, educators and policy makers willing to understand how to deal effectively with materialism in children. – As far as is known, this paper is the first attempt to classify the factors that influence materialism in children in a conceptual framework. © 2013, Emerald Group Publishing Limited