TOP PICKS | 18 TOOLS
Best Business and Finance Games
Top Picks
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Money Pieces, by MLC
Basic currency manipulatives and a few cool features
Bottom line: These money manipulatives deliver an easy-to-use experience, but a lack of activities make it better for teacher-guided demonstration.
EconEdLink
Flexible, deep financial resource a starting point for all grades
Bottom line: EconEdLink includes an up-to-date and comprehensive list of economics and finance topics, but it will take some browsing to find the right lessons for your classroom.
Freefall Money
Money and math learning worth its weight in coins
Bottom line: Freefall Money engages students with a bright user interface, progressive difficulty, and fun rewards for coin mastery.
Motion Math: Cupcake!
Irresistibly sweet bakery sim empowers kids to run a successful business
Bottom line: Motion Math: Cupcake! is an empowering, exciting way for kids to learn and practice real-world application related to math and economics.
Motion Math: Pizza!
Serving up valuable economics lessons with an extra helping of fun
Bottom line: Fantastic math game gives kids a taste of what's needed to run a profitable business.
TED-Ed
Support kids' sense of wonder with outstanding short video lessons
Bottom line: TED-Ed includes excellent, engaging videos and support for flipped-class lessons with an incredible community of thinkers and doers.
People's Pie
Federal budget game's challenge delivers powerful message
Bottom line: Federal budgeting -- and its unique ethical and mathematical balancing act -- fits game-based fiddling and strategizing well, but expect a challenge.
Financial Literacy For Middle School | FutureSmart
Engaging financial lessons accrue into practical future planning
Bottom line: Involving activities, well-designed lessons, and student reflection make this tool a good investment.
iCivics
Exceptionally well-designed games, lesson plans demystify government
Bottom line: This excellent addition to a civics classroom simplifies complex topics.
Biz Kid$
You can bet on business and finance being interesting for teens
Bottom line: Biz Kid$ is a great introduction to financial literacy, with linked activities as well as frequently updated interactive video clips and a blog.
Next Gen Personal Finance
Straightforward finance site brimming with resources for teachers
Bottom line: This is a useful, high-quality, well-organized resource for teachers putting together short personal finance lessons or entire curricula.
SimCity
Exciting city simulator great for online play
Bottom line: SimCity does a great job teaching kids about cities by putting them in control of designing them, but this game needs a constant Internet connection.
Spent
Provocative, first-person look at poverty builds empathy
Bottom line: It'll need some scaffolding, but for students ready for the subject matter it's a great -- if sobering -- way to illustrate to students the daily realities and struggles of poverty in America.
Layoff
Bejeweled-style gameplay adapted to build empathy, critique downsizing
Bottom line: An easy, instantly engaging, and fascinating starting point for deep conversations about the economy, business, government, and workers.
Offworld Trading Company
Rare, combat-free strategy game focused on trade, finance
Bottom line: Great intro to basic economics principles with baked-in gameplay and real-world applications.
Night of the Living Debt
Free credit score app uses zombies to get lesson across
Bottom line: This game is a quick way to drive home the message of how and why to keep your credit report healthy and your credit score high.
Personal Finance Lab
Authentic stock market simulation's foray into curriculum falls short
Bottom line: Uneven financial curriculum emphasizes stock trading while other skills lag behind.
WE THE ECONOMY
Explore big questions about the economy with collection of short films
Bottom line: Detailed films can help raise awareness about economic issues that are often ignored or misunderstood.
