6 Fun Games That Teach Your Kids About Money

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Parents want their kids to be financially savvy, and kids just want to have fun. Games that teach financial skills are a win-win for both the parent and child. Try adding these fun games to your family game night to get your child interested in investing, saving, and spending wisely. (See also: Great Financial Gifts for Children)

1. Pay Day

How can we not start with one of the most classic games on money management? Pay Day makes finances fun and helps teach kids where money goes. It instructs on the fundamentals of budgeting and helps encourage an entrepreneurial spirit. If you can get your hands on an original 1970s version of this game, then you will get the version that comes with insurance options and savings options, which are also important to teach children.

2. Dave Ramsey's ACT Your Wage! Board Game

If you are a huge fan of Dave Ramsey's money principles, then the ACT Your Wage! board game could be a fun way to introduce your children to the same method of thinking. The board game does not come with as many decision-making options (such as in Monopoly) where players are allowed to decide what to buy, sell, and what property to expand to make more money. The main purpose of the game is for the player to do the following:

• Save $1,000 into an emergency fund
• Budget spending by using the envelope system
• Pay off debt using Ramsey's snowball effect
• Be the first player to get out of debt and yell, "I'm debt-free!"

All four steps of the game are definitely wise money habits to instill in your children. This game can also be a great tool to open up conversation about the consequences of debt and how freeing it can be to live debt-free.

3. Charge Large

Charge Large seems like a stark contrast from Ramsey's board game. While this game does promote credit card usage, the ultimate goal is to be debt-free. This game can help kids see that using credit cards is simple and can help you get what you want, but eventually it will lead to expensive debt if they do not use credit cards wisely.

For a player to win, they must upgrade to a black card, save $2,500 in cash, and have zero debt. While some families wish to be 100% debt-free and never rely on credit cards, there are times when individuals will need to take out loans or use a credit card. Telling your children just to avoid credit cards altogether could backfire on you — since they will then be lured by the temptation of using "free money" later in life, not fully understanding the consequences of debt. It would be better to teach them how to use credit cards wisely rather than avoid the subject all together.

4. Cash Flow for Kids

Finance guru Robert Kiyosaki, best-selling author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad, developed Cash Flow and Clash Flow for Kids board games. This game teaches children the difference between assets and liabilities. It also teaches basic accounting and investing, while emphasizing the importance of passive income and giving money to charity. The kid's version is a good option for children ages 6-12. Once your children hit the tween and teen stage, try playing the adult version with them.

5. Net Worth

Net Worth is a card game that plays like Crazy Eights. The goal of the game is to collect financial assets and get out of debt. The card game also teaches players to strategize how to navigate financial perils, such as a stock market crash or job loss. The player with the highest net worth at the end of the game is the winner. The best part is that this game is less than $6 and takes 7-15 minutes to play.

6. Daytrader

Daytrader is similar to Monopoly but much faster in pace. It simulates the stock market and helps teach young and old alike how the market works. No financial knowledge is needed to start playing. The game allows players to work at different jobs and to buy and sell stocks in the companies they work in to increase their savings. The first player to have enough cash to retire must get to the bank before the stock market sets them back in order to win.

What's your favorite way to teach your kids about money management?

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