Introducing my son to Monopoly

My wife and I played monopoly with my eldest son for the first time today. The local Toys R Us is closing (all are closing), and we happened to find a new Monopoly game without the gimmicks.
We had to help him with the math, and we both (parents) questioned each other about trades with him.
He does want to play again, even after tearing up about being sent to jail the first time.
We feel good about letting a 3.5 year old play a game that is for ages 8+

I have memories of playing this game with my father and grandfather. It helped me so much with early math- Something I had forgotten until playing it tonight.

Curious about other members thoughts about the game and at what age they introduced their children to it.

originally posted by: randomtangentsrme

He does want to play again, even after tearing up about being sent to jail the first time.

Awww cute!

I loved the game, but could never convince anybody to play it. I miss board games. I thought for sure they went extinct.

originally posted by: NarcolepticBuddha

originally posted by: randomtangentsrme

He does want to play again, even after tearing up about being sent to jail the first time.

Awww cute!

I loved the game, but could never convince anybody to play it. I miss board games. I thought for sure they went extinct.

Only if we let them. . .

a reply to: randomtangentsrme

Lol.. the one game I never completed. It would go on for hours and I wanted to go outdoors. So I always offered up all my property and money to the person who rolled highest. 😉

Sad to see the store go, and the boardgames were the first thing that came to mind... and the Magic 8 Ball.

3.5 yrs.. lol..
Most 35 year olds I know can't math and be responsible. GREAT PARENTING! star and flag.

originally posted by: Bigburgh
a reply to: randomtangentsrme

Lol.. the one game I never completed. It would go on for hours and I wanted to go outdoors. So I always offered up all my property and money to the person who rolled highest. 😉

Sad to see the store go, and the boardgames were the first thing that came to mind... and the Magic 8 Ball.

3.5 yrs.. lol..
Most 35 year olds I know can't math and be responsible. GREAT PARENTING! star and flag.

Thank you sir.
His counting skills I attribute to my parents who watch him while we work. But he impressed me today in the game play.

a reply to: randomtangentsrme

Ours is into King of Tokyo. No, it's not Monopoly, but it does have mechanics that range from surface simple to far more strategically subtle, so it sort of grows with him.

He's at the level of "SMASH!" but he's catching on to how some of the other mechanics interact to get sneakier as he plays it more often.

It also issues expansion monsters. We can now destroy Tokyo with mighty Cthulhu!

a reply to: randomtangentsrme

Lol😆😆😆
You're making me shake my finger of shame at my sisters.

Your son sounds like he has the most patience ever recorded. I have faith in our future

Tip of the hat. My hall closet is full of boardgames. But when the neices and nephews get dropped off.... Trivial Pursuit becomes even more of an issue. Last update I have ended in 1999.. 🙄

I own a PS2 3 4 Xbox... and they know this. But I prefer to flip the sand timer and play Pictionary.. make them animate a scene themselves. They can't emoji😂

I taught my kids math by having them bet macaroni noodles on various sporting events.

Covering the spread was magic at dinnertime... minus the vig, of course...

a reply to: madmac5150



Sporting events ?... 😆



Off I go.. you guys deserve parenting awards.

Off topic.. but 10 years going.
Nostalgia and learning. Can't wait till October in the convertible, in the cemetery again...
I'm a bad uncle.

6 or 7 kids in the middle of a Zombie uprising always bruises my head and torso.. looking forward to Oct.
Everyone of them learns about self reliance. 👻

originally posted by: Bigburgh
a reply to: madmac5150

Sporting events ?... 😆

Off I go.. you guys deserve parenting awards.

Off topic.. but 10 years going.
Nostalgia and learning. Can't wait till October in the convertible, in the cemetery again...
I'm a bad uncle.

6 or 7 kids in the middle of a Zombie uprising always bruises my head and torso.. looking forward to Oct.

They bet early noodles at the beginning of the 2008 season, that the Pens would win Lord Stanley's Cup in 2009. That cost me 10 boxes of "Kraft Mac and Cheese", and two extra cheese packets.

Cheese the color of the Fort Pitt bridge... A tear was shed...

EDIT TO ADD:I never actually placed bets with my children, so they could eat. The bets didn't start until age 13, and it was for smokes and booze.

a reply to: madmac5150

lol I introduced my two sons (9 & 6) a few months ago to this game. And like most games of Monoply end...it did not end well lol.

Ah, Monopoly. I remember introducing my children.
I crushed them. There were tears.
WELCOME TO CAPITALISM, CHILDREN

This made me tear up. Brings back so many memories of playing monopoly with my pappy. He wasn't my biological grandfather, but no one could have ever guessed it. Such an amazing, patient man. He taught me how to play at age 5, and it was always our favorite game.

We always played direct land on go and get 400, as well as any fines or money not paid to other players goes in the pot on the middle of the board. When someone lands on free parking, that player collects the pot.

My girls have been playing it (my husband's Star Wars Monopoly) since they were around that age, 4 & 3. They got the hang of the rules quickly, and aside from teaching basic math, it also gave them a literacy boost having to read the board & cards, too.

They still play regularly at 10 & 9, and very competitively. A single game between them can last days, lmfao. That board does not get put away until one of them loses EVERYTHING to the other. They'd be right at home on Wall Street XD

I was confused by monopoly. I always played it alone.

Then it dawned on me, the poly part meant many. As google even says:

"You can certainly simulate a four-player game of MONOPOLY by playing in as all four players. But this becomes especially challenging (and not very helpful) when having to negotiate a trade between the players when you're playing as all of them."

No wonder I was always in jail and owing my landlord rent money

I was never a big Monopoly player myself. I preferred things more like Risk and Stratego. Strangely I never got into Chess. I like strategy, but I get less interested the more abstract it gets.

I hung out with a group of guys in high school and we used to set up giant, complex strategy games in the basement and speed 8 to 10 hours on week days in the summers playing them.

Games are awesome for kids because they do teach math and literacy in ways that kids don't realize while they have fun.

a reply to: randomtangentsrme


Love this. I taught my son at the age of 4, my main goal besides Math was to teach the importance of owning vs renting.

I still think back to sitting on the floor with him and the cat who would push her piece (the horse) like she was taking her turn too