Management and tycoon games for kids

Spend right away or save for later? In a management game, you're in charge of a little world: a shop, a farm, a restaurant, a zoo or a town. You serve customers, harvest, buy, sell and decide how to use the game's money, which is always pretend, to grow your business. They're also called tycoon games, after a word for a powerful business owner. Math, organization, time management and the idea of a budget are learned hands-on. A little shop can be run from 5 or 6; businesses where you need to count and plan ahead suit kids from 7 or 8 better. For parents, it's a ready-made way into a chat about pocket money and saving.