I bought this board game for our family last week and it became an instant hit.

We played with it on the same afternoon that it was delivered. Talk about excitement. hahaha

We have played this game with our kids almost daily on the first week that it was delivered. But, the duration of the game is quite long. Thus, on the second week, my husband and I begged off from playing with the kids sometimes.

I interviewed my eldest child who is 13 years old and asked him why he likes playing with the Game of Life.

Below are his answers:

• He can earn and win money as part of the game.
• He can handle big amounts of money.
• he has the option to work right away and study later or not at all if he wants to.
• He can choose what career to have. He can choose to change it also if he wants to. He can do this also in real life. But in the game, there isn’t much investment of time and training to change your career.
• He can have pets. I think this is big for him because, in real life, we can’t have pets like dogs and cats due to his allergy.
• He can have a car and drive it.
• He can pretend to get married and have his own kids.

By the way, my eldest child was the winner during our very first game of The Game of Life.

Now, let me share with you why I like this game and why I bought it.

1. I love that while playing the game, the kids get to practice their math skills! I like to use play or games to teach our children lessons that they need to learn. I even use games as a corporate trainer to teach adults in my workshops and talks. I know very well that this is a fun and effective way to teach. While playing this game, the kids get to practice addition, subtraction, and multiplication as they handle money.
2. The game teaches kids that studying can help them acquire skills and knowledge that could enable them to earn a higher income.
3. The game also gives the players the opportunity to discuss big life events and choices like choosing a career, deciding whether you will work right away or get an education, getting married, and having kids.
4. The game includes real estate investing. This is a good opportunity to teach kids the basics of investing in real estate properties. Our kids know this concept already because we have a rental property (a condominium unit that we rent out) and they know that we have sold one of our condominium units also at a profit and the proceeds helped us pay for our current house and lot. But, it’s still a good opportunity for them to pretend that they are buying and selling real estate properties.
5. The game also enables kids to practice their communication skills.
6. The game teaches them that, sometimes, life isn’t fair. One example of this is that there are careers that enable people to earn a big income/salary even if they did not study. One example of this in the game is being an actor. The actor in the game can earn 100 dollars and it’s the same as the income of a vet or a scientist. The actor earns higher than an inventor also.
7. The game provides opportunities for the players to say or do good things while playing the game. One example of this is the Action Card wherein the player needs to say something nice or a compliment to the other players. Another example is the Action Card wherein a player throws a birthday party for a relative. That is, certainly, a good gesture that we would like our children to do in the future.
8. It’s an easy game to play and learn. My children learned to play the game on their own after a couple of times of playing with my husband and me. Even my youngest child, who is only 7 years old, can play it even though the game is recommended to be played by kids 8 years old or older.
9. There are opportunities to do fun things and to move and not just sit the whole time that you are playing the board game. One example of this is the Action Card wherein 2 players are asked to dance or one player is asked to tell a joke.
10. Last, but not least, the game teaches kids that their decisions or choices in life have consequences. This is an important lesson. We teach cause and effect to kids in school. But, they also need to learn the cause and effect of things in life that they might experience in the future.

I have shared the pros based on our experience of playing the game. Next, I will share the cons. I have mentioned one already earlier.

1. We need to spend a longer amount of time playing the game compared to other board games. This is okay if you are not in a hurry. But, if you are playing on a weekday and you and your spouse are working, this could be challenging. I do my best to play with my kids daily. Most days, I play with them with a game that does not require a long amount of time because I have a lot of things to do daily. I homeschool my kids, I do chores (including cooking our meals and buying our supplies), and I work from home.
2. Only 4 players can play. The 5th one is the banker.
3. The pegs used in the game are too small. It’s hard to hold them.
4. There is no option to stay single in the game. All players need to get married. That does not happen in real life.
5. You need to tell your children that money is the determining factor if you win in life. The objective of the game and the factor that will make you win is if you have the most money at the end of the game. In real life, money is NOT the main reason why you will win in life. There are more important things in life that will help you determine if you are a winner or not.
6. Last, but not least, the cost of having children is not reflected in the game. The players get money from the bank every time they have a kid. In real life, you can get a tax exemption. But you spend so much more on raising a child! That’s something that our children need to learn.

Having shared all that, I still recommend this board game to parents. =) We have a lot of fun playing this game as a family!

The benefits outweigh the cons. Plus, I love that it provides many opportunities for the family to discuss important and relevant topics. This makes playing an extension of our homeschool lessons. 😉