8 Years & Older

Editorial Review
Created by a volunteer math aide in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Moneywise Kids contains two simple, fun games that will help kids understand how money works, in terms of dollar value and spending power. In the first game, Bill Maker, kids take turns rolling the dice and earning dollars that are commensurate with the numbers that come up: roll a 2 and a 6, for instance, and you get $8. As they accrue wealth with each turn, players exchange smaller bills for larger ones until someone winds up with $100.

Buy Moneywise Kids by Aristoplay

In the second game, Bill Breaker, each player starts with $100 and earns more money with each turn, but players must also draw "moneywise markers"--bills for such real-life expenses as food, medical care, and taxes--and make payments along the way. And watch out for those hard-luck chips that mean big bills. The player who collects all six markers and still has $100 in savings is the winner. The game is lively and only lightly competitive, with an accent on grasping the mysteries of dollars and cents. --Tom Keogh

From the Manufacturer
Two fast paced games that improve two valuable math skills--making change and budgeting money. Both are tools kids will use for the rest of their lives.