Websites teach valuable money lessons
Published 2:57 pm Friday, October 28, 2011
Want to help your kids understand the facts of life? These websites will explain the real facts — money management — for them.
Don’t Buy It: www.pbskids.org/dontbuyit
Funded by the Center for Public Broadcasting, the Don’t Buy It site teaches kids and teens how to be smart shoppers and avoid advertising tricks and slick marketing gimmicks.
The Mint: www.themint.org
Info, games, quizzes and tips for kids, teens and parents on all things money: earning, saving, spending, investing and donating. Sponsored by Northwestern Mutual Foundation, it includes financial-conversation how-to tips for parents of kids from 2 to 22.
Family money: www.smartaboutmoney.org
Sponsored by the National Endowment for Financial Education, it offers loads of family-friendly info, including tips on “economic survival,” back-to-school finances and helping kids — from preschool to college — understand money.
Kidnexions: www.kidnexions.com
It sells money-saving software and books for kids, but also offers free tips and how-tos.
Savings Quest: www.mysavingsquest.com
Geared to teens, it lets them pick a personal character and a career, then go on a “savings quest” to reach a goal, whether it’s a big-screen TV or five days at a theme park. Sponsored by Wells Fargo, it’s an entertaining budgeting guide.
U.S. Mint for Kids: www.usmint.com/kids
It makes heads and tails out of coin collecting with games, puzzles and history.
Financial sports: tinyurl.com/moneysport
Geared to students ages 11 to college, these Visa-sponsored video games offer multiple-choice questions on loans, credit card debt and other financial topics.
Co-branded by the National Football League and soccer’s FIFA World Cup. Also has other nonsports financial games.
