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One of my favorite games to play in my downtime is Township. It teaches people about money, and it is great for the kids.
I love it when people tell me that you can’t learn things from computer games. I often laugh, because there are a lot of things that I’ve learned—and not that fire flowers can give me fire power. I’m not talking about those games.
I like the slightly more interactive games. One game that I play a lot through Mistplay* is Township, and I play it with both my children.
This game involves you growing your town. You add people, farms, produce factories, and more. There’s a chance to learn how to prioritize orders, and you can work with others to make sure you and other towns grow the way they should.
It’s certainly something that has taught my children that money doesn’t grow on trees. It’s a great way to help them learn more about budgeting without running the risk of spending all your own money.
Township involves spending coins
You get coins for orders that you fulfill. When it comes to planting crops, they cost those coins. And there’s a market where you can buy items that you may need to fulfill orders or fill out your train, plane, helicopter, and more.
You have to make choices when it comes to buying and selling. The money you make will work toward expanding your town, whether it’s buying more houses or factories to keep the town running.
Children learn all about budgeting. They can see ahead at how much they’re going to need for some items. This allows them to plan. Do they need to sell crops? Can they make sure they get enough orders on the go to build their town’s wealth?
What happens when they have no money to spend on houses or even add crops? That was something my youngest found very early on in the game, and we taught her that wheat is free to plant. While it only gets you 1 coin per wheat, you’ll still be able to build your income to spend on planting other crops and fulfilling orders.
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You and your children need to assess the cost of items
You can head to the market to buy what you need. This is where my eldest found a scam. The seller was offering wheat for a couple of coins. My eldest quickly pointed out that it’s free to plant wheat and it grows within a couple of minutes. Why would anyone buy it?
Well, that’s where the strategy comes in? You’re not always going to want items that are on offer in the market. They’re not always the best value. It’s important to look at how much you’ll make on an order to see if it’s worth buying the item. Sometimes it is even if you’re at a loss. You get rid of items in your barn (you can only store so much) and you get a new order immediately that could be something you fill without spending more money.
There are also orders that involve the silver, gold, and other metal bars that you create. Are they going to be worth selling, or should you cancel the order and wait for the next one?
Helping others out in Township could be a good financial option
You can make friends with other people in the game. There is also the option of joining a Co-Op, where you work with a team of people to build your towns. You can request products or help on various parts of your town.
Is it worth giving up something that you’ve made to help others? Maybe. That’s something children learn along the way. The more you help, the more you’re likely to get the help when you need it. Plus, you do get coins, clovers, and more for helping. There are also experience points, which leads to building your level, growing your town, and getting more cash.
This is a great way for children to assess their needs and the needs of others. If they don’t need something right now, why not share and make more for when they do need it? Hoarding isn’t good for the world.
MORE: How you can help your children learn about money
What are you playing with your children? If you’re going to play Township, get it with Mistplay*.
