LeadStreet – a tabletop game that teaches children life and entrepreneurial skills

If you are a parent, and you know that entrepreneurship is not just about coming up with an idea and implementing it, but that it actually involves the whole process of building up personal skills, including effective communication, foresight, thinking, creativity, team work, resourcefulness and focus, then this board game is exactly for your child.

You own a successful business and you know how important it is to have the practical know-how for its management?

You do not own a business but you believe that entrepreneurial thinking is a core competence for the 21st century, which will not only guarantee your kid’s future success but will also make her a more responsible, thinking and pro-active person?

Your answer is “yes”? Well, then I would like to ask you…

When was the last time when you wanted to share at least a small part of your knowledge in time and resource management with your child?

When was the last time when you encouraged your kid to try and make her own money so that she can buy the toy she wanted?

Probably not soon right?

Young people’s ability to build their own future and to be pro-active depends significantly on what they learn during their early years. By the time a child is 9-year’s old, they learn from and copy their parents’ or peers’ behavior. After this point, children start their development as individuals and begin applying what they have learned so far.

Perhaps all of this will make you ask yourselves: when shall we start with the first lessons in entrepreneurship?

Our team will help develop and evoke these skills and abilities, by instilling the supporting belief that, every choice the child makes leads to one or another long-term consequence.

It’s very simple

• Our board game is developed specifically to meet the needs of children in this important developmental age group. It simplifies otherwise complex topics and scenarios, by using multiple examples and presenting them in an easy to understand and accessible way.
• By 2034, 47% of all jobs will have disappeared, so there’s no better time to give your kids a head start!

And so, our mission is to prepare children for tomorrow and what lies ahead. Regardless of trends, good times, bad times and the challenges that life throws at us, no matter what, we always need to rely on our personal skills to get by and to succeed.

We aim to help build character and confidence that will help children to feel competent and able to overcome the different challenges that they will inevitably face as they grow throughout life.

LeadStreet offers an environment in which children are presented with different options for which they need to make choices and take constant decisions. Their first decision starts with choosing a character. The game includes six different characters, each of whom come with their own story and personal skill set. Usually, children prefer to identify and play with a character that is most similar to their own personality. The characters’ personal skills are not just randomly selected and instead, they relate to their personal stories and dreams. Thus, we provide an opportunity for parents – if they are willing, of course- to discuss and explain why and how each character’s skills are important in supporting his or her decisions and helping to make their dreams come true.

When you take a more detailed look at the game, you will see that in order to achieve their goals, children move through the playing field, whilst choosing between different cards on each turn. These cards were designed to reflect the daily life events of the average child. When choosing a card, the child needs to consider which resources they will gain and what they will lose as a result of their choice. For example, if the kid draws out a card saying “You get an A on your English test”, they will gain +2 knowledge and +1 business points. However, if the kid draws out a card saying “You are going to the movies with friends”, they will gain +2 fun and will lose -50 coins. The children’s task is to decide which card will contribute the most towards achieving their final goal.

Although the model seems simple at first, it has a profound effect on children. It teaches them to take decisions, to be goal oriented, and to consider what they need and when. By achieving their goals, children start building up confidence in themselves and the decisions they take, both of which are prerequisites for developing their intrinsic motivation.

It's non-prescriptive - LeadStreet gives children the ability to solve problems within the World they create. This in turn gives them the freedom to express their creativity and aptitudes, without the constraints or distractions of a screen.

It's child-centered – Children are the main characters and the center of attention during the game. The children make all of the decisions on their own, thus helping to build confidence, awareness and responsibility for their choices.

It's autodidact - Solving problems, reaching goals and taking decisions is about trial and error. Every decision that children make will lead to a different result. Thus, children can try various strategies while they play, and then self-correct without adult intervention. Take another turn, have another go and try again!

LeadStreet fits within many different contexts, can be used for many different purposes and suits a range of audiences.

• Homeschooling
• Montessori Schools
• Learning Centers
• Elementary Schools
• Afterschool Programs
• Public Libraries
• Community Centers
• Camps