Teaching kids how to save money can be a very daunting task. After all, when most kids get some money, the first thing they think about is how to spend it. That’s where New York Times and the Wall Street Journal best-selling author of Rich Dad Poor Dad Robert Kiyosaki comes in. In this month’s Family Game Night feature, we take a look at his board game, Ca$hflow for Kids – a family fun way of helping kids start to be financially responsible.
The goal of Ca$hflow for Kids is simple, having more green tokens than red tokens. First one there, wins! It’s what the green and red tokens mean that teaches kids about finances.
Green tokens are asset tokens and red tokens are liability tokens. Players start the game with a set amount of money, but also start with a set amount of liability tokens. Each turn, the player gets paid a salary. But before taking a salary, expenses need to be subtracted (red tokens), then any cashflow (green asset tokens) need to be added. Each token represents $100. So while a player may start with $1,000 salary, they may end up with only a few hundred dollar payday each turn.
Taking turns, players go around the board landing on green or red spaces. Land on a green space and the player picks up an asset card, which represents things such as a home businesses, intellectual properties, or real estate. Pay a certain amount for the card, and a green token will be added for the player. Land on a red space and the player picks up a liability card, which represents things such as real-life expenses or doodad expenses. Unlike the asset cards, these get automatically added to the player, giving the player red tokens. There are also Sunshine cards which a player can pass. These give the player an opportunity to earn some extra money, no strings attached.
Ca$hflow for Kids is a blast to play. Designed for younger kids (ages 6 and up), Ca$hflow helps kids learn financial responsibility in a very fun, enjoyable way. While kids are learning to manage finances, it’s done in such a simple and fun way that is sure to keep kids engaged for hours on end. You can learn more about Ca$hflow for Kids is available at www.richdad.com.
