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The WiseMoney game includes the following: game board, rules,
spinner, timer, dice, and eight question card sets. This game,
which is recommended for ages 13 and up, is a great financial learning
tool. I was surprised at the things I learned from playing this
game.
I played WiseMoney with a 12-year-old. She loves to play games
and is always eager to help. In this game, players are not just
trying to reach a goal; they must answer questions in six different
categories and answer correctly to get a card. Players must have
a card from each category in order to win. The categories are Banking
and Investing, Budgeting and Payday, Financial Responsibility,
Financing and Credit, Identity Protection, and Situations. As the
player rolls the dice and moves along the path, there are various
obstacles. Players must stop at all Destina spaces as they travel
along the board and follow the command on the card. I found myself
losing a turn for borrowing on my allowance and being broke. The
players encounter real-life situations to help them learn about
good and bad financial choices. There are also Discovery spaces
that allow the player to draw a card and learn a tidbit of financial
wisdom.
Playing WiseMoney is rather time-consuming, so if you wish, you
can set the timer; when the timer goes off, the player with the
most cards wins. The timer is also nice to use with people who
are somewhat slow to make a decision. We felt that about an hour
was a good time to go for so we could absorb the information but
not become overwhelmed.
The only thing about this game that is not so wonderful is the
quality of the Destina and Discovery cards. They are very thin
and hard to shuffle. I am afraid that they will show wear very
quickly. The other parts of this game are very sturdy, and the
box is very well organized so everything can be kept neat.
I believe this game would be a great game for families of teenagers
to play multiple times to encourage learning about finances. You
would have to play this game about five times to cover all that
it has to teach. This game would be beneficial for young and old
alike. Most adults do not have this much information to work with.
This game will definitely find its way into our curriculum this
school year.
Product review by Christine Hindle, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine,
LLC, May 2011
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