Online learning games are quickly becoming a valuable tool for educating today’s youth for tomorrow’s challenges. While some parents and mentors are leery of introducing games as a learning vehicle (such as a lemonade stand game), research is indicating some positive results. Kids that learn a subject or concept with an online game show longer and more sustained interest than more traditional methods. Of course, every child is different but a few educational games can be fun while diversifying a child’s learning process.

Great Entrepreneurship Games for Children

Since Lemonade Day is concentrated on teaching kids about entrepreneurship and business, those are the type of games we’re interested. Amazingly, today’s youth are interested enough in entrepreneurship to drive an entire category of best selling games. To help introduce parents and newbies (or “n00bs” to use gaming vernacular) to these games, we’ve included a mix of free and low cost titles. Hopefully, you’ll give the medium a chance and enjoy the experience with the kids in your life.

Be Your Own Boss

Free, basic, and very straightforward. “Be Your Own Boss” is the perfect online entrepreneurship game to introduce wary adults to the wonders of educational gaming. Created by PBS Kids, players are tasked with creating one of three different types of business: a dog walking service, a comic book publisher, or a car washing service. The game works a lot like a “Choose Your Own Adventure” book (if anyone remembers those) but it’s straightforward while covering funding, writing a business plan, distribution, and a lot more. This free game can be played in less than an hour and offers a nice overview of entrepreneurial concepts.

Monopoly

The original granddaddy of entrepreneurial games, Monopoly, has officially made the move into the 21st century. Originally created in 1903 and eventually sold by the Parker Brothers, Monopoly is a game about wealth creation. Players roll dice and take turns to gain property and build their own “wealth”. Players go bankrupt, leaving one in control of the entire “economy”.

Monopoly has been popular around the world for decades but Hasbro, the company now behind the game, has also created a digital version of the game, in addition to new digital offshoots. Players can compete with one another around the world on gaming sites like Pogo.com. Official versions of the game, along with free digital versions, are also available on Hasbro.com.

RollerCoaster Tycoon

Another game by Hasbro, RollerCoaster Tycoon doesn’t seem like a smash best selling video game. Players are tasked with creating, operating, and managing their own theme parks. Issues that arise in the game include restroom limitations, safety concerns, pedestrian flow, and operating income. Since the game’s release in 1999, players around the world have spent millions of hours running their “own” amusement parks. The success of the game has lead to a series of sequels with the most recent “Roller Coaster Tycoon World” due out later in 2015.