When it comes to teaching kids important life skills, sometimes the most effective methods don’t feel like learning at all.
That was the thinking behind the Bank’s first-ever financial literacy video game. Treat Island Tycoon is an independently played game aimed at teaching kids aged 10-14 the basics of financial literacy in a way that’s designed to keep them engaged and learning about money management.
TD worked alongside third party game developers to design, develop, and launch Treat Island Tycoon, which is housed on the Roblox platform.
Treat Island Tycoon invites players to take on the role of a young entrepreneur. Guided by a friendly character called Penny the Bear, they navigate a colourful island, where they can gather fruits to turn into frozen treats for sale.
Their business starts with a humble stand, which, through some persistent virtual “work,” can be upgraded all the way up to a treat-making factory. Within this fun, immersive setting, young players learn critical financial skills like budgeting, borrowing, saving, and running a business.
TD colleagues built the game housed on the popular Roblox platform, which works with a wide range of computer and smartphone operating systems, and allows third-party creators to make their own games. It’s free to download and play, and the game doesn’t involve in-game purchases (not with real money, anyway).
As digital experiences become an increasingly important part of children’s education, TD saw an opportunity to continue driving financial education forward for younger learners and meet them where they are — online.
“We did a survey recently and found that 86% of Canadian parents agreed that interactive games that teach financial literacy, or animated videos, make learning about finances more fun for kids,” said Meranda Hamilton, Youth & Student Product Group Owner, Everyday Advice Journey.
"By contrast, only about 22% of parents felt the same way about things like financial literacy books. What we took away from that survey was that having virtual experiences would probably have a greater impact on children when it came to bettering their financial knowledge.”
Treat Island Tycoon on Roblox
That’s been the experience of Marija Capin, a mother of a 14-year-old and a Senior Manager in Change Management at TD. For her daughter Adriana, who grew up playing Roblox games, Treat Island Tycoon was an “intriguing” prospect. Marija was curious whether a bank could produce a game that was fun to play — especially an educational one.
“My daughter was excited to try it out and play it, and she was pleasantly surprised,” Capin said. “She said it was done nicely and subtly, where it wasn't necessarily teaching in a heavy-handed way.”
Beyond earning and spending, Treat Island Tycoon encourages players to think like entrepreneurs. To progress through the game, they must balance costs, take out loans to expand their businesses, and ultimately build a successful frozen treat empire.
"Research showed younger people have a keen interest in entrepreneurship, so it made sense to incorporate elements of that into the game," Hamilton said.
Winning at financial literacy
While Treat Island Tycoon introduces key financial concepts, TD encourages parents to build on these lessons through real-life discussions.
“We believe you could actually start talking to children about money as early as age four or five,” Hamilton said.
“It’s a really good approach to start by introducing really basic concepts like saving, spending and sharing. As they grow, you can build on those basic concepts and help them tackle more complex topics that they're inevitably going to face, like budgeting. Starting young helps build that foundation.”
Treat Island Tycoon debuts amid calls to improve young people’s understanding of how money and finances work.
"For young people raised in an era of digital payments and online transactions, grasping the value of money can be tougher than it was for previous generations," Hamilton said. "Financial literacy is gaining more attention in schools, and parents are looking for ways to supplement their kids’ understanding of money at home."
Capin says she and her husband have always been mindful about teaching their daughter about finances.
“We started at a young age teaching her about saving money and the value of money,” she said, adding that that she has an advantage as a money mentor, given that she works for a bank.
Traditionally, TD staff pass on financial literacy through interactions at its branches, such as teaching kids how to sign a cheque, keep their PIN numbers secure and understand the basics of banking accounts.
"TD branch staff are still happy to help teach young customers how to manage money, because a lot of the bank’s focus around financial literacy is anchored to the in-person experience,” Hamilton said.
"But expanding into digital spaces was a natural next step."
For parents who want to encourage their children to learn more about money and finances after playing Treat Island Tycoon, Capin notes that TD offers a variety of online financial literacy resources to help parents find age-appropriate ways to discuss money with their children, including lessons and activities tailored to different age groups.
For Baanu Ratneswaran, Vice President, Enterprise Innovation at TD, Treat Island Tycoon is one of many initiatives at the Bank driven by TD Invent.
"TD Invent is designed to empower colleagues to be creative, to lead with the human experience, and to own innovation as part of their day-to-day work," said Ratneswaran. "When the team designed the game they took a human-centered approach, uncovering many of the real needs parents have when teaching their children better money management habits."
Ratneswaran said that in the end, Treat Island Tycoon is about providing kids and teens with an approachable and fun way to learn important financial concepts and creating meaningful experiences that resonate deeply with TD customers and their families.
As Treat Island Tycoon rolls out, Hamilton is eager to see how young players respond. Internal feedback has been enthusiastic so far.
“As someone who partnered with the team who built and delivered the game, I personally hope that kids have fun when they play it,” Hamilton said.
“We're always exploring new ways to help parents with financial literacy.”
To explore Treat Island Tycoon and the Bank's full range of financial literacy resources, visit the TD Education and Financial Literacy page.
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