What are good games to play to teach young children about saving money?

Question

I've heard that giving allowance is one approach to develop an understanding of money management. What other ways are available to teach kids about the benefits of savings?

Answer 1

I found this great resource at MarketWatch.com - a listing on online games that help parents teach kids about saving and finance, set up by age group.

Here's an example of some of the content:

For children six to nine: www.fleetkids.com, sponsored by the Fleet Bank, has great games -- like "Buy lo, Sell hi" and "Chunka Change" -- that teach kids about spending and saving. Kids can compete for prizes such as computers and backpacks for their schools.

Answer 2

I've found that good old fashioned "Monopoly" teaches children about cash flow, mortgaging properties, and paying income taxes.

Answer 3

I also saw a lot of reference to Mutual Mania Board Game, which is geared towards kids 11yrs+ and helps them learn about spending, saving, profit and loss.

Answer 4

@Tuffster11 (at twitter) posted the following on the subject:

Tuffster11 @BasicallyMoney Kids Wealth. I bought this for my son last Christmas - http://bit.ly/5LdAoL

Below is a snapshot from the publisher web site, www.kidswealth.com:

Answer 5

I know this question is closed now, but I just found this site that people might be interested in... http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/games/

Answer 6

We play Cash Flow and Cashflow for Kids by Robert Kiyosaki. Our kids love it.

Answer 7

Animal Crossing is great for all ages and teaches kids the importance of saving money to pay off a debt for a home and to become successful by helping out the community and what it gets you.