
"It is giving them the understanding that they can make decisions and they can have power over their financial lives," he said. You can play store or be the customer at your child's cafe, for instance.īy making money lessons fun, it can help children escape the victim's mentality that many people have around money, Henske said. Virginia's Department of Education lays out on its website the rules for a similar game, called Race to a Dollar!įor kids who like to pretend play, you can get play money or a a pretend cash register. You can also collect a half dollar and dollar.

The first one who amasses enough to add up to a quarter wins. The rules are simple: Roll the die, and collect the number you get in coins. Once they know the coin names and values, you can play Collect 25 Cents. You can also create a race by giving your kids a large pile of pennies and a minute to neatly stack then. Young children can learn about the different coin values by sorting change. "We are trying to change that narrative with our kids and we are trying to figure out ways to do it without lecturing them." Online games "We saw this as an opportunity to teach some of those skills that my husband and I both wish we understood earlier," Riehl said. She was hoping to give them some experiences they weren't getting through school. Riehl, a 44-year-old civil rights attorney, and her husband started playing it with their three boys, ages 9, 11 and 13, after the pandemic struck. Developed by "Rich Dad Poor Dad" author Richard Kiyosaki, the game focuses on creating passive income.

You have your pick of board games to introduce money lessons to your kinds, including:įor San Diego native Christina McClurg Riehl, Cashflow is her go-to game. "It's neat seeing him connect early math with real world-ish concepts." "It's reinforcing basic math while also teaching him about budgeting and preferences," said Scheitrum, who is 36 and lives in Tucson, Arizona. There is even a version for younger kids, Monopoly Jr., which Devon Scheitrum's 5-year-old son, Wolfgang, got for Christmas. The board game has players buying and trading properties, developing them, collecting rent and trying to force their opponents into bankruptcy. The first game that likely comes to mind when it comes to financial concepts is Hasbro's Monopoly. Here are some ways to make financial concepts entertaining. An adult should guide them along, helping to explain concepts and the impact of their choices. Of course, children don't have to go it alone. It also gets parents more comfortable with discussing the topic, as well.
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More from Invest in You: How to attack your holiday debt: 8 strategies to get you back on track A budget game plan: Mother of five pledges a spending freeze for January Can't afford an estate plan? What you can do without spending a fortune "It is about just giving kids a comfort level with talking about money," said certified financial planner Tom Henske, a partner at New York-based Lenox Advisors. It also helps broach a subject that has too often has been seen as taboo. "Concepts learned in games help children understand cause and effect, make mistakes and get rewarded for smart choices." She's also the author of the book, " Money Minded Families." Mackara, president and principal wealth advisor of Charleston Investment Advisors, based in Mt. "Studies have shown that children learn best when engaged and active," said Stephanie W.

Using games to teach about money can make learning fun.
