A significant amount of parenting is about coercing your kids into doing things that are good for them, such as eating vegetables and learning life skills. Playing computer games with your kids is a way to do just that. Under the guise of sitting at the computer to have fun, games can make it easy to teach them financial lessons, such as simple math, fractions and more abstract concepts.

Kidworth suggests these money games:

* Money Desk — You pick out a “helper character,” — we selected the George Washington head — who commands you to pick out coins to reach various change amounts.

* Mad Money — A budgeting tool, the game gives you a shopping list of things to buy each month, provides a weekly allowance and judges you on your financial choices. Just like real parents!

* Wall Street Survivor — It teaches older kids the joys and perils of stock trading. Warning: This is one of those free-to-play pastimes that encourages you to plunk down real money at advanced levels.

Games that Teach Your Kids About Money [Kidworth]

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