NatWest Island Saver rated highly by parents

Teaching children about all things money can be tricky, which is why we asked Mumsnet users to put NatWest's Island Saver to the test with their children aged seven to 12.

What is NatWest Island Saver?

NatWest Island Saver is a fun and educational video game designed to teach children aged seven to 12 about money management.

A group of amazing islands needs your child's help – horrid plastic waste has washed up and they need to sort it out with their trusty Trash Blaster, all while looking out for the Litterbugs who love mess and are out to muck things up.

As your child plays, they'll need to wash away gloop, collect litter, earn coins and rescue 'bankimals' – special animals who live on the island as living piggy banks who will help you save the Savvy Islands and make things good again.

What features can my child expect from the game?

As well as providing tonnes of educational fun, Island Saver also offers the following features:

• Tropical jungles to explore including – the icy arctic, dusty deserts and volcanoes

• 'Bankimals' you can ride and use their powers to access new areas

• Help Kiwi find his missing nest eggs

• Collect coins and discover spending, saving and more

• Two additional islands available to download

Visit NatWest's website to find out more about the concept of Island Saver and how it can help your child learn about money management.

Engage and guide your child through important money questions, plus help them get to grips with the game with NatWest's handy activity sheets.

NatWest Island Saver is available to download for free on iOS, Android, Steam, PlayStation®4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

What Mumsnetters have to say

"It's the first game of its kind that I've seen. It thoroughly kept my son entertained while also teaching him about money. I never would have thought to speak to my six-year-old about tax or savings interest, but it's a really good way to get them interested in the different elements of managing money and having a bank account."

"My daughter loved the whole game. She said the look of it she was like Fortnite. She also liked the characters and tasks."

"It's such a clever app and it demonstrates all sorts of things about money, banking and money management. It led to spontaneous discussions while also having fun. I think it's ingenious – and DS will keep on playing!"

"DD isn't really a gamer, but I couldn’t get her off this game once she had grasped how to use the controls! She finished all the islands and loved it."

"It's a very fun, clear and easy way of teaching children. I love the fact that it also encourages recycling and looking after the planet."

"DS really loved it and thought it was really well thought out and genuinely fun to play with just the right amount of challenge. He's a pretty experienced gamer and I thought he might find it limiting, but he thought it was very high quality for a mobile game and generally excellently plotted."

"I would recommend it as a way to learn about money and savings in a fun way. My son enjoyed it simply as a game too, so that was a positive, as he didn't feel like he was doing something to learn – just having fun. So the educational element was a bonus."

What NatWest has to say

“NatWest Island Saver is the world’s first video game that teaches children all about money. Set on the once idyllic ‘Savvy Islands,’ players are tasked with an exciting quest to clean up polluted islands and save the 'bankimals' while learning about money along the way.

We know that it's crucial for children to develop good money habits at a young age to help them make better financial decisions in the future, and studies have shown that games outperform textbooks in helping children learn fact-based subjects.

So, by introducing important money themes such as interest, taxes, loan sharks and debt management through gaming, NatWest Island Saver is the perfect way to help your child become money savvy, without it ever feeling like a lesson.”

The fun stats

155 Mumsnet users tested NatWest Island Saver; 83% would recommend.*

80% were satisfied with NatWest Island Saver.

65% of testers said that their child learned links between working and earning money from NatWest Island Saver, as well as how to keep money in a bank account (61%) and the importance of saving (59%).

Page sponsored by NatWest

*223 Mumsnet users tested NatWest Island Saver. The statistics on this page are based on Mumsnet users who tested the game with a child aged seven to 12.