It doesn’t take long for a kid to learn what money can do, but it can take a while for them to learn how to use it wisely. Every time you take them to a store they are asking for something. You could buy them what they want every time, but that will give them the wrong impression of how money works. In fact, according to Lift Credit almost one-fifth of the United States has a “Very Poor” credit rating.
Instead, teach your kids how to earn their own money and spend it wisely. Here are 5 games that provide an age-appropriate environment for learning money management skills.
Monopoly
You can’t talk about money games without including Monopoly. As the banker, your child can learn about counting money. Another thing they can learn from this game is about saving or mortgaging to buy property. Thus it teaches about the process of borrowing and paying interest. The Chance and Community Chest cards teach about those little emergencies that pop up. In fact, this game can sometimes feel so real-to-life that many parents do not like to play it anymore.
The Allowance Game
This game is a fun action game that teaches about earning and spending money. The goal of the game is to save $20. You do this by going around the board and doing what it tells you. If you land on “buy a gift”, you have to buy the gift. If you land on “loose a tooth”, you get a dollar for the tooth. This is also a good game to learn how to count money and change.
Money Metropolis
A fun online game is Money Metropolis. Once you have chosen your character and what you are saving for, you then begin doing things to earn money. You can also spend money on things like clothing or else on items that will help you earn more money. This is an easy yet pretty comprehensive guide on how earning and spending money works.
Careers
This game is a pretty good game for teaching about choosing a career. Through this game, kids learn how some careers cost more to get into than others, but also that it is usually worth it to spend more on education, because you will have more opportunities to earn money with that education.
Financial Football
Financial Football is a trivia game where each correct answer advances your team. It can be played alone or against another player. The graphics aren’t bad, and you get to watch each play as it progresses, all the while learning more about how the financial world works.