Savings Spree Review: A Fun Game App to Help Young Kids Learn About Money

Bottom line: Savings Spree takes kids through several rounds of money games to teach them smart financial habits.

At a glance

What is Savings Spree and how does it work?

Savings Spree is a game app from Money Savvy Generation that's designed to teach children about money. There are six rounds of activities total, which are presented in a game show format and hosted by the Money Savvy Pig.

As players go through the game, they'll learn the basics of personal finance. Savings Spree will show them the different ways they can use their money: Saving, spending, donating, or investing. Players will also see how small expenses can add up over time and why unexpected bills make it important to have an emergency fund.

This app is intended for children ages seven and up. Younger kids can benefit as well, but they may need some help from a parent, teacher, or older sibling. The money lessons are aimed at kids in elementary school and will likely be too basic to interest older kids.

Top perks

Teaches money lessons through games

There are several different types of games that Savings Spree has to help children learn about money. One game takes players through a mall where they need to navigate around products to avoid spending too much money. Another presents them with two options at a time and asks them to pick out the wealthy habit that's better for improving their financial situation.

Part of teaching younger children about personal finance is keeping them interested. Savings Spree works wonders there. The games it offers are both educational and entertaining, so they're perfect for holding kids' attention.

Covers important financial basics

The concepts covered in Spending Spree are the building blocks of personal finance. It shows kids how they can work to earn money. The app also explains what they can do with their money and the effects of each option. They'll learn about how they can spend money and why they should be careful with their spending choices. They'll see how they can save for big future purchases. They'll learn about donating to good causes and how they can invest money to make it grow.

A big focus of Spending Spree is decision making and how seemingly minor decisions can add up over time. It explains to players how much buying one soda per day can cost over the course of a year and how leaving the water on while brushing their teeth leads to more expensive utility bills. Lessons like these help demonstrate to players the long-term consequences of their actions.

Encourages kids to save money

There's no overstating the importance of saving money regularly. And considering how many people of all ages struggle with this, it's never too soon to learn why and how to save.

Savings Spree does a great job of encouraging children to save. It shows how diligent saving allows you to pay for expensive purchases later or for future needs, such as college. There are also unexpected costs that come up throughout the game, which helps players understand why they need to have extra money set aside for situations like these.

Plenty of content

When there's a fee to download an app, you want to know that you'll get your money's worth. Your kids will have six rounds of financial games to go through with Savings Spree. That's plenty of content overall, and it makes the app well worth the $5.99 fee.

What could be improved

Download fee

As mentioned above, there's a one-time fee of $5.99 to download Savings Spree. This isn't a serious drawback, but parents who are looking for a free option will need to try other financial literacy apps.

For a limited age range

This app is mainly aimed at kids who are in elementary school or near that age range. According to the description, it's for kids ages seven and up, although younger kids can also play with a little assistance.

If your children are older than about 10 or 11, Savings Spree probably won't be a match. The games and content will be too simple to hold their attention.

Only available on Apple devices

Savings Spree is only available in the iOS App Store. That's no problem if you have an iPhone or iPad, but Android users are left out.

If you want an app with financial lessons for kids of all ages: The free World of Money app has video modules for kids ages seven to nine, 10 to 12, and 13 to 18. It also offers more advanced lessons for adults ages 19 to 26. The game format of Savings Spree may work out better for younger kids, though.

If you want an Android app: Zogo is a free financial literacy app available on both Apple and Android devices. It has a skills tree where users can progress through fun money modules. But Savings Spree comes out ahead for explaining simple money concepts.

Spending Spree costs $5.99 to download from the App Store. That's the only fee you need to pay to use the app.

Parents of kids ages five to 11 who want to give them a head start on their knowledge of personal finance.

For anyone with children in that age range, the Savings Spree app is a great introduction to important money concepts. The game format makes lessons fun and keeps users coming back to learn more. If you have an iPhone or iPad and you don't mind a small download fee, then Savings Spree is worth checking out.