Here's a Novel Idea: Teach the Kids Economics, Firsthand.

We were recently visiting relatives in West Palm Beach, Florida. We decided to take the kids to this new indoor park. It's called Wannado City. Here's how it works: At the entrance, the kids receive $160 Wongos. Then, they are set loose on the streets of Wannado City. There is an actual kid sized city, with every kind of shop you can imagine. The kids then get jobs with training programs, like a firefighter, for example, and they are dispatched to an actual (fake) fire.The firetruck and the recent trainees are sent to zoom through the streets of the city with the siren wailing and the lights flashing. When the job is complete, they are paid. Dangerous and difficult tasks pay more that less strenuous jobs. There are also opportunities for the kids to spend their Wannado bucks, like at the bakery where they can make their own cookies.

I thought it was a marvelous concept and a great teaching opportunity at many levels.