Fun financial literacy games for kids of all ages!

Getting children excited about financial literacy is no easy feat. Still, it is important to get them knowledgeable about money from an early age so they can be better equipped once the enter adulthood.

With advancements in the internet, gamification of financial education has become increasingly popular. Gamification has become a major asset in all fields of education (remember when you used to play Jeopardy to review for your history final?). This method of education is an excellent way to get children of all ages interested in learning about money.

This week we have compiled a list of trusted financial games for young children, grade school children, and teenagers.

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Ages 5 – 10

At a young age, we must focus on teaching children the fundamental basics of money and the value of money. Children at this age are learning to understand that one hundred pennies is equal to one dollar. The following games will help with these basics.

  1. Learning Coins. This game teaches children how to recognize what each coin is and the worth of each coin.

  2. Dolphin Dash. With this game, you compete with other players to see who can add coins together the fastest. This is good for children who have basic addition skills and have a grasp on the value of common coins (such as quarters and dimes).

  3. Counting With Coins. This game by the US Mint goes through identifying coins, making change, and basic math skills needed when shopping. This game is excellent for older children already familiar with addition and subtraction.

  4. Play store. Bring the online concepts of money into a tangible lesson by playing store or restaurant with your children. Make fake money or use Monopoly money and have your child set up a store. Let them pick the prices on the items. Have them be both the cashier and shopper and use it as an opportunity to make change and budget.

Ages 10 – 13

At this age, children have a good grasp on math and the value of money. Now is the time to start teaching them about the basics of budgeting and planning.

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  1. Road Trip to Savings. The goal of this game is to build a savings. You start with $1,000 in cash and $0 in savings, and you must make decisions about income, expenses, and savings.

  2. Money Metropolis. Complete jobs to earn money and spend money at the store. This fun game teaches children about the basics of income and budgeting.

Ages 14 – 18

At this age, some teens start after-school or summer jobs, many are getting ready to go to college, and all are about to face the real world. The following games were designed to help teach teens about college expenses, budgeting, and investments.

  1. Payback. Payback follows a flowchart of decisions every incoming college student has to make. Answering questions will raise or lower your college debts.

  2. Stax. This game takes your through 20 years of investments in 20 minutes. Teaching teens about investing now will help them make informed decisions in the future.

  3. Money Magic. With Money Magic, you must budget for a travelling magician who needs to save up $50,000 to perform in Vegas while performing ten shows on the way. This helps teens learn how to balance between saving and spending (hint: save 20% from each show).

  4. Credit Clash. Credit Clash takes the form of a card game and teaches teens how to raise their credit score. The professor who developed this game found his students’ understanding of credit scores increased after playing this game.

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