Read what Mumsnet users thought of NatWest Island Saver

[LucyBMumsnet]

This is the feedback thread for the Mumsnet users who have been testing NatWest Island Saver with their child aged 5 to 12 years. NatWest Island Saver is a fun and educational video game designed to teach children aged 5 to 12 about money management.

Here’s 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 whilst learning about money along the way. We know that it is 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 ever feeling like a lesson. Island Saver is free to download here on iOS, Android, Steam, PlayStation®4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.”

Testers, please give your feedback by answering the following questions, as well as completing the short survey we’ve emailed you.

1. What did your child enjoy most about NatWest Island Saver?
2. Do you think playing NatWest Island Saver has taught your child money management skills? If yes, what have they learned?
3. Did NatWest Island Saver encourage conversations about money between you and your child? If yes, what did you talk about?
4. Did you use any of the activity sheets on the NatWest Island Saver website to help guide your child through important money questions?
5. Would you recommend NatWest Island Saver to other parents looking to talk to their children about money management? Why?

All testers who leave their feedback on this thread and complete the survey will receive a £5 Amazon voucher and will be entered into a prize draw to win a £100 voucher for a store of the winner’s choice.

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

Insight Terms and Conditions apply

1. What did your child enjoy most about NatWest Island Saver? The opportunity of using a device/screen to learn about what they see as a grown up topic!

1. Do you think playing NatWest Island Saver has taught your child money management skills? If yes, what have they learned? Yes, I think it gave them the opportunity to learn about money and money management, as well as some of the jargon.

1. Did NatWest Island Saver encourage conversations about money between you and your child? If yes, what did you talk about? Yes, we talked about earning money from work as well as a bit about savings and tax.

1. Did you use any of the activity sheets on the NatWest Island Saver website to help guide your child through important money questions? Yes, only a few times though.

1. Would you recommend NatWest Island Saver to other parents looking to talk to their children about money management? Why? I would recommend to other parents but probably parents with younger kids - my 6 year old was very interested in it but my 10 year old felt like he knew a lot of it already.

1. What did your child enjoy most about NatWest Island Saver?

She enjoyed tidying up the rubbish, and collecting the animals to then play with them. Found there was lots to do, and she wanted to keep playing and replay the next few days until she had 100% the game! She also wanted the dinosaur DLC to play more.

1. Do you think playing NatWest Island Saver has taught your child money management skills? If yes, what have they learned?

She learnt to not leave money lying around. And she didn't like the idea of tax!

1. Did NatWest Island Saver encourage conversations about money between you and your child? If yes, what did you talk about?

Yes, she talked about the money she's saving in her piggy banks. We discussed the Junior ISA she has as well, because she understood the concept of interest; though she was reassured by the fact that the tax bot can't get to her money in the ISA!

1. Did you use any of the activity sheets on the NatWest Island Saver website to help guide your child through important money questions?

No, only looked at the game.

1. Would you recommend NatWest Island Saver to other parents looking to talk to their children about money management? Why?

Yes, the game is pitched to a good level for primary school children to learn the basics about money and banking. Good to include environmental responsibility, as well as financial knowledge. Like the educational info on the animals, as well as banking.

1. my child really enjoyed the concept and liked that there were clear goals and felt a sense of accomplishment when these were achieved.

2. to some extent. It helped him to think more about the importance of saving and to really link how working and money are connected.

3. Yes, we discussed the importance of protect your PIN number and why you needed to save some of your money.

4. no, I didn’t realise that there were any!

5. Yes, I think it’s a great introduction to a really important life skill. I think it’s definitely better for younger children - primary age is ideal.

1. What did your child enjoy most about NatWest Island Saver?

She liked the different animals esp. the tree frog. She liked on the second island there was two different types of rubbish to pick up

1. Do you think playing NatWest Island Saver has taught your child money management skills? If yes, what have they learned?

She didn’t really pick up any saving skills, she feels it’s more about saving planet earth than money

1. Did NatWest Island Saver encourage conversations about money between you and your child? If yes, what did you talk about?

Yes - we talked about earning money by doing jobs

1. Did you use any of the activity sheets on the NatWest Island Saver website to help guide your child through important money questions?

No not yet

1. Would you recommend NatWest Island Saver to other parents looking to talk to their children about money management? Why?

Not sure, possibly for someone a little older

1. What did your child enjoy most about NatWest Island Saver?

Saving the planet

1. Do you think playing NatWest Island Saver has taught your child money management skills? If yes, what have they learned?

Not really except PIN numbers are very important

1. Did NatWest Island Saver encourage conversations about money between you and your child? If yes, what did you talk about?

Yes. Talked about his savings accounts that we have for him. How they earn interest and what they are for (deposit for house when older)

1. Did you use any of the activity sheets on the NatWest Island Saver website to help guide your child through important money questions?

No

1. Would you recommend NatWest Island Saver to other parents looking to talk to their children about money management? Why?

It's a fun game he enjoyed playing and it did prompt a conversation about savings but there are better tools out there such as Martin Lewis for these discussions

1. What did your child enjoy most about NatWest Island Saver?

Rescuing the animals, growing the plants, collecting money and saving the island.

1. Do you think playing NatWest Island Saver has taught your child money management skills? If yes, what have they learned?

Yes to an extent - they learned about tax and what it’s used for and the importance of remembering passcodes, plus reinforced the link between work and earning money.

1. Did NatWest Island Saver encourage conversations about money between you and your child? If yes, what did you talk about?

Yes, tax and how to remember passcodes!

1. Did you use any of the activity sheets on the NatWest Island Saver website to help guide your child through important money questions?

No, I didn’t know they existed but I will have a look now that I do.

1. Would you recommend NatWest Island Saver to other parents looking to talk to their children about money management? Why?

Yes, because it does show them a number of important issues around earning money and money management when they think they’re just playing a fun game. I think the worksheets might be better incorporated into the game somehow like as a quiz to act as a knowledge check rather than a separate activity that some players won’t access.

I did find it hard to get my child to stop playing as there weren’t any natural breaks so I also think it would be better if daily limits were incorporated into the game.

He really liked it and will continue to use it after this trial. He’s nearly 9. I also have a 5 year old but he’s a bit young for it yet.

It was used on my iPad and I would have liked to have individual player accounts so it could be used across different devices or so that two or more children could play using the same device.

1. What did your child enjoy most about NatWest Island Saver?

Collect the rubbish

1. Do you think playing NatWest Island Saver has taught your child money management skills? If yes, what have they learned?

Some skills yes as learnt things cost different prices.

1. Did NatWest Island Saver encourage conversations about money between you and your child? If yes, what did you talk about?

Yes that it better to not overbuy things.

1. Did you use any of the activity sheets on the NatWest Island Saver website to help guide your child through important money questions?

No as we talked through them instead.

1. Would you recommend NatWest Island Saver to other parents looking to talk to their children about money management? Why?

Yes as it gives pointers on things to talk about.

1. What did your child enjoy most about NatWest Island Saver?

Picking up the water bottles

1. Do you think playing NatWest Island Saver has taught your child money management skills? If yes, what have they learned?

No, not really.

1. Did NatWest Island Saver encourage conversations about money between you and your child? If yes, what did you talk about?

No

1. Did you use any of the activity sheets on the NatWest Island Saver website to help guide your child through important money questions?

No

1. Would you recommend NatWest Island Saver to other parents looking to talk to their children about money management? Why?

No, it was a fun game, but not much more.

1. What did your child enjoy most about NatWest Island Saver?

He loved it. Wants to play it all the time. Apparently he likes the bankimals best and sucking up coins.

1. Do you think playing NatWest Island Saver has taught your child money management skills? If yes, what have they learned?

Not so much, but he's only 6 so I think he struggles to extrapolate the principles from the game.

1. Did NatWest Island Saver encourage conversations about money between you and your child? If yes, what did you talk about?

Not really, he got the game but not necessarily what it was trying to teach him.

1. Did you use any of the activity sheets on the NatWest Island Saver website to help guide your child through important money questions?

I didn't know about these but I've had a quick look and think they aren't really suitable for him.

1. Would you recommend NatWest Island Saver to other parents looking to talk to their children about money management? Why?

Maybe, for slightly older kids. For fun, definitely!

1. What did your child enjoy most about NatWest Island Saver?

He loved the game and the graphics. He liked the piggies trading stand and jumping across the lava.

1. Do you think playing NatWest Island Saver has taught your child money management skills? If yes, what have they learned?

Yes he said kind of - he learnt more about tax.

1. Did NatWest Island Saver encourage conversations about money between you and your child? If yes, what did you talk about?

Yes we talked about the different types of money.

1. Did you use any of the activity sheets on the NatWest Island Saver website to help guide your child through important money questions?

No, I didn’t know that there were worksheets.

1. Would you recommend NatWest Island Saver to other parents looking to talk to their children about money management? Why?

Yes I would recommend. It’s a fun game and a great way to learn more about money.

1. What did your child enjoy most about NatWest Island Saver?

Collecting the rubbish and then receiving money for it when it was recycled.

1. Do you think playing NatWest Island Saver has taught your child money management skills? If yes, what have they learned?

Yes about interest rates and working to earn money.

1. Did NatWest Island Saver encourage conversations about money between you and your child? If yes, what did you talk about?

Yes we talked about interest rates but also the cleaning up/importance of recycling.

1. Did you use any of the activity sheets on the NatWest Island Saver website to help guide your child through important money questions?

No - didn’t know there were any.

1. Would you recommend NatWest Island Saver to other parents looking to talk to their children about money management? Why?

Yes it was good. My son found it quite addictive though and wanted to complete it which he did in a few days. Would be good if there could be a time limit to put on it and then this would enable conversations with parents to take place at appropriate times. For example when they learn about interest rates it stops so the child has a conversation with a parent. Then the parent has to put a code in for the child to continue the game. That way it can limit time playing the game but ensure conversations happen too. But my child really enjoyed it and that’s rare for him to play a game which was also teaching him real life concepts. Thank you for the opportunity.

1. What did your child enjoy most about NatWest Island Saver? He really enjoyed the whole game. He’s played Minecraft on a tablet so was fine with the controls. He liked the concept of cleaning up the island.

1. Do you think playing NatWest Island Saver has taught your child money management skills? If yes, what have they learned?

Perhaps not money management skills as such, but it has definitely introduced him to concepts of earning money/saving/taxes which aren’t things we’ve really discussed before.

1. Did NatWest Island Saver encourage conversations about money between you and your child? If yes, what did you talk about?

Yes, but we kept it quite basic, just about how concepts in the game relate to real life.

1. Did you use any of the activity sheets on the NatWest Island Saver website to help guide your child through important money questions?

No

1. Would you recommend NatWest Island Saver to other parents looking to talk to their children about money management? Why?

Yes, as a fun way to introduce money management at a basic level.

1. What did your child enjoy most about NatWest Island Saver? He enjoyed collecting the rubbish, although found it a bit repetitive and hard to control.
2. Do you think playing NatWest Island Saver has taught your child money management skills? If yes, what have they learned? Not really.
3. Did NatWest Island Saver encourage conversations about money between you and your child? If yes, what did you talk about? Again, not really
4. Did you use any of the activity sheets on the NatWest Island Saver website to help guide your child through important money questions? No, it didn't really come up.
5. Would you recommend NatWest Island Saver to other parents looking to talk to their children about money management? Why? I would. Its an interesting concept, and with the right children will be an amazing learning tool.

1. What did your child enjoy most about NatWest Island Saver?

The idea of making an actual game of recycling things which even apply to real life!

1. Do you think playing NatWest Island Saver has taught your child money management skills? If yes, what have they learned?

Yes, they have learnt that some people (for example the loan shark in game) are not trustworthy and not all people are good in this world.

1. Did NatWest Island Saver encourage conversations about money between you and your child? If yes, what did you talk about?

Yes, we discussed about loans and further information about what a loan is.

1. Did you use any of the activity sheets on the NatWest Island Saver website to help guide your child through important money questions?

No, we struggled to access the activity sheets.

1. Would you recommend NatWest Island Saver to other parents looking to talk to their children about money management? Why?

Yes, I would definetly recommend it to other parents because it is teaching your child really important skills about money and overall it is just a fun game for you and your child to enjoy.

1. It was a fun and interactive game, with interesting facts. He found it easy to use and spoke to us during his play, explaining what he was doing and how he could collect more coins.

1. Yes, he appreciates the fact that money needs to be kept safe.

1. Yes, we spoke about how it would be a good idea to start to put some of his pocket money in his savings account, rather than just wait for his birthday.

1. No, not yet but I think he would benefit from this

1. Yes - my son loved playing the game and it enabled us to approach the subject of saving and keeping money safe in a fun and enjoyable way. He likes it so much he will continue to play.

1. What did your child enjoy most about NatWest Island Saver?

My encouraging him to play on his switch 😂

1. Do you think playing NatWest Island Saver has taught your child money management skills? If yes, what have they learned? It certainly made him aware of money and how it. Can be kept in a bank, interest and also we have just touched on the tax side of things.

1. Did NatWest Island Saver encourage conversations about money between you and your child? If yes, what did you talk about? We discussed the pin code and why it's important to keep it to yourself and make it memorable. Also a conversation about how we can earn money.

1. Did you use any of the activity sheets on the NatWest Island Saver website to help guide your child through important money questions? No, wasn't aware there were any, will have a look this weekend.

1. Would you recommend NatWest Island Saver to other parents looking to talk to their children about money management? Why? It's definitely a novel way to encourage children on their level to consider and talk about money, banking, tax etc.

1. What did your child enjoy most about NatWest Island Saver? The Bankimals

1. Do you think playing NatWest Island Saver has taught your child money management skills? If yes, what have they learned? - yes especially the link between work and earning money.

1. Did NatWest Island Saver encourage conversations about money between you and your child? If yes, what did you talk about?

We talked about how tax works and what it pays for.

1. Did you use any of the activity sheets on the NatWest Island Saver website to help guide your child through important money questions? - no I didn’t see these.

1. Would you recommend NatWest Island Saver to other parents looking to talk to their children about money management? Why? Yes, it is a fun game and I think children will learn without realising that they are.

1. What did your child enjoy most about NatWest Island Saver? Collecting the trash and coins
2. Do you think playing NatWest Island Saver has taught your child money management skills? If yes, what have they learned? i dont he learned anything about money management he just wanted to play the game
3. Did NatWest Island Saver encourage conversations about money between you and your child? If yes, what did you talk about? No we didnt.
4. Did you use any of the activity sheets on the NatWest Island Saver website to help guide your child through important money questions? I didnt know there was worksheets will have a look at them
5. Would you recommend NatWest Island Saver to other parents looking to talk to their children about money management? Why?

For the 'fun' element yes.

1. What did your child enjoy most about NatWest Island Saver?

Collecting stuff

1. Do you think playing NatWest Island Saver has taught your child money management skills? If yes, what have they learned?

No it didnt teach them anything

1. Did NatWest Island Saver encourage conversations about money between you and your child? If yes, what did you talk about?

No it didnt

1. Did you use any of the activity sheets on the NatWest Island Saver website to help guide your child through important money questions?

No

1. Would you recommend NatWest Island Saver to other parents looking to talk to their children about money management? Why?

No as it was a game which my kids disliked as the controls were difficult to manoeuvre and it did not teach anything

1. What did your child enjoy most about NatWest Island Saver?

My child enjoyed earning the money from cleaning the bottles and the gloop. He also enjoyed collecting more water and all the different gadgets on the machines.

1. Do you think playing NatWest Island Saver has taught your child money management skills? If yes, what have they learned?

It gave my child some idea of money management such as he learnt about tax and the importance of saving money.

1. Did NatWest Island Saver encourage conversations about money between you and your child? If yes, what did you talk about?

Yes. We talked about how my child can be careful about how much they spend and what is a necessary buy and what isn't. We talked about the benefits of a bank account and some of the different types of accounts.

1. Did you use any of the activity sheets on the NatWest Island Saver website to help guide your child through important money questions?

No. We didn't realise there were worksheets

1. Would you recommend NatWest Island Saver to other parents looking to talk to their children about money management? Why?

Yes because it is a fun method to teach them about using a bank account and using a pin to keep your money protected. However, if we had used it for longer we may have more understanding of the game.

What did your child enjoy most about NatWest Island Saver?
He enjoyed collecting the rubbish and coins, but the controls were a little hard for him to use in his own. He became slightly annoyed in places with having to go back and forth between areas to find things due to issues with controlling the character. However with my help it was a much more enjoyable experience.

1. Do you think playing NatWest Island Saver has taught your child money management skills? If yes, what have they learned?

Absolutely, it taught the concept that money is earned from work. Which translated into a real work conversion of money for chores. Also the concept of saving money to buy thing later was also discussed as he could see his coin total rising. So I used to explain how he could save his money to buy bigger things. While the basic idea of interest was understood, I don’t think it actually meant anything to him.

1. Did NatWest Island Saver encourage conversations about money between you and your child? If yes, what did you talk about?

Absolutely we discussed how to save money to buy what you want when you don’t initially have the funds. It also started a dialogue about pocket money and payment for chores.

1. Did you use any of the activity sheets on the NatWest Island Saver website to help guide your child through important money questions?

No, they were in my opinion targeted at an older audience than my child.

1. Would you recommend NatWest Island Saver to other parents looking to talk to their children about money management? Why?

I would but I would suggest it be a game played together opposed to letting them play in their iPads alone.

Tested by 11 yr old son.

1. He likes the tax bot character and liked how the recycling machine blasted into space

2.Yes, he knew some of the info but he said it reinforced it for him in a fun way - he said new things he learnt was the tax aspect

1. Yes - mainly about how we are taxed
2. No
3. Definitely, he really enjoyed playing the game and did so on several occasions

1. What did your child enjoy most about NatWest Island Saver?

My 7 year old liked collecting the rubbish to gain the animals. He also liked being able to ride on the animals. He thought the graphics and sounds of the game and found the game easy enough to play.

1. Do you think playing NatWest Island Saver has taught your child money management skills? If yes, what have they learned?

Yes it has taught him about a savings account and choosing a pin number that is easy to remember but that other people will not know.

1. Did NatWest Island Saver encourage conversations about money between you and your child? If yes, what did you talk about?

Yes we spoke about pin numbers and the importance of saving money.

1. Did you use any of the activity sheets on the NatWest Island Saver website to help guide your child through important money questions?

No I was unaware there were activity sheets, I will have a look at them this afternoon.

1. Would you recommend NatWest Island Saver to other parents looking to talk to their children about money management? Why?

Yes my son enjoyed playing the game and it is educational to learn about money, my son also says it teaches a little bit about the environment as well.

I forgot to add to my post that I was utterly disgusted that an app run by a bank supposedly to teach children about money and saving had in-app purchases. This seemed totally inappropriate to me.

1.What did your child enjoy most about NatWest Island Saver?
She enjoyed hosing down the trees and collecting the coins. She loved the colours and thought it was a fun game.

1. Do you think playing NatWest Island Saver has taught your child money management skills? If yes, what have they learned?

Not really - she said it didn't seem like a money saving game as the emphasis was more on the environment.

1. Did NatWest Island Saver encourage conversations about money between you and your child? If yes, what did you talk about?

No not really. We had one or two conversations about saving money and different bank accounts etc

1. Did you use any of the activity sheets on the NatWest Island Saver website to help guide your child through important money questions?

No

1. Would you recommend NatWest Island Saver to other parents looking to talk to their children about money management? Why?

We would recommend it to other parents as it was a fun game