The American Library Association (ALA) has teamed up with the FINRA Investor Education Foundation to create free online games for kids about earning, saving, and spending money.
The games are part of a series called Thinking Money for Kids and are perfect for youth aged 7 to 11. They empower kids to develop financial savvy and have fun at the same time.
The offerings include Earning It, which follows a diverse group of characters translating their childhood interests into successful careers; Balance My Budget, which shares tips on how to prioritize spending between basic needs, luxuries, and saving up; Money Trail, which lets kids practice making tough decisions about spending and earning; and Let’s Deal, which explores buying and selling in a farmers’ market setting.
The games supplement ALA and FINRA’s Thinking Money for Kids traveling exhibition, an interactive experience for kids and families at public libraries. While the exhibition tour has been paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’ll return to public libraries once it’s safe to do so.
“These new interactive games allow libraries to bring financial education directly into the home, with the assurance that all of the learning is engaging and appropriate for children,” Gerri Walsh, President of the FINRA Foundation, said in a press release.
“FINRA Foundation research shows that adult financial literacy is declining in this country,” she continued. “To reverse this trend, it’s critically important to start financial education early. And that’s exactly what the new Thinking Money for Kids games do.”
For more great resources from America’s libraries, subscribe to the I Love Libraries newsletter.
