Money£ense Board Game
By Eve Wilson and Alison Durant
All schools are now required to included financial education as part of Citizenship programmes of study. Across the Secondary programme topics should include: the functions and uses of money, the importance and practice of budgeting, managing risk, income and expenditure, credit and debt, insurance, savings and pensions.
Money£ense is a new and exciting board game that covers all these topics in a lively, challenging and thought-provoking way. Players must make financial decisions that will enable them to build up funds and assets by earning a salary and through investments in skills, opportunities, savings and pension, whilst having to cover their living costs. That’s Life Cards outline some life events that throw budgets off-course, so presenting a realistic picture of the challenge of maintaining healthy personal finances.
The game may be played competitively or co-operatively giving plenty of opportunity for discussion and extension work. Students will learn about Income Tax, percentage increases and decreases, the value of investing time, money and effort into courses, as well as saving and pensions and the impact of unforeseen life events.
Suggestions are given for different ways of playing which make it a flexible resource and, although designed primarily for 14-18 year olds, it may be played by younger students with support.