Mellody's Math: Making Money Childs' Play

April 25 -- If you're bringing your daughter (or son) to work today, it might provide a wonderful opportunity to teach your child that working for money is quite a bit different from having your money work for you.

After the tour of the office, cafeteria and vending machines, consider taking the following steps to introduce and instill the value of investing in your children. While there are no guarantees when it comes to investing, time spent teaching your children about this topic is certain to yield positive returns.

Money Games: While 96 percent of American adults believe basic economics should be included in high school curriculums, it's only taught to 40 percent of American high school students.

Financial learning skills can start early with simple board games like Payday and Monopoly. Nothing beats the great American classic Monopoly for basic lessons in real estate, taxes and general finance. These games are also a great way for the entire family to get involved in investing and savings and spark a money discussion.

Piggy Bank: It is easiest for someone to learn a foreign language when they are young. The same goes for investing. To this end, instead of just giving your child an allowance, set-up your own "family 401(k)" and explain to your child you will match a portion of the money they put in their bank.

You can take this concept a step further by dividing up their savings into separate pools of money for different types of expenses. Encourage your child to think of a portion of their savings as money they can spend on day-to-day items like soda. Another portion could be used to save for future purchases. The remaining amount should be labeled off limits and used strictly to invest for the future.

Keep in mind it is not the amount but the idea of helping them understand the value of savings. After your child has saved enough money in their personal bank, take them to a neighborhood bank to open a savings account in their own name.