AppsFromResearch
Saving with Piggy icon

Saving with Piggy

Michigan State University
Evidence Tier:TRUSTED

Expert-developed at a leading university

For:Kids & Youth
Free
Download on the App Store

App Summary

Saving with Piggy teaches young children ages 2 to 5 the appearance and value of U.S. coins through a simple animated game. Michigan State University's learning lab developed the app with support from the university's federal credit union to introduce early financial literacy concepts. The free game allows children to practice identifying different coins and learn the fundamentals of saving money by feeding a virtual piggy bank.

App Screenshots

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Detailed Description

Functionality & Mechanism

This educational gaming app, developed by the Games for Entertainment and Learning (GEL) Lab at Michigan State University, introduces young children to financial literacy concepts. The app utilizes a gamified interface where users "feed" coins to an animated piggy bank character named Piggy. Through four progressive levels, the platform guides children in learning the visual appearance, relative value, and monetary value of U.S. coins. An endless mode is included to support reinforcement of these concepts.

Development & Context

  • The app was developed at Michigan State University to provide an introduction to financial literacy for children aged 2 to 5.
  • The news coverage notes that the project was supported by the Michigan State University Federal Credit Union.
  • Released in Winter 2015, the game was a collaborative effort involving a producer, designer, artists, and audio specialist.
  • The platform is available completely free of charge and does not contain any in-app purchases.

Intended Use & Scope

This tool is designed for use by young children as an introductory educational game. Its scope is limited to teaching the identification and value of U.S. coins within a gamified environment. The app is intended for educational support; information regarding its development and features is drawn from publicly available descriptions and news coverage.

In the Media

Saving with Piggy

The Games for Entertainment and Learning (GEL) Lab at Michigan State University developed Saving with Piggy to teach financial literacy to young children ages 2 to 5, using an animated piggy bank character that needs help saving coins. The educational game is supported by the Michigan State University Federal Credit Union and features four levels of play plus an endless mode to reinforce money-saving concepts. The app launched in Winter 2015 as a completely free-to-play game with no in-app purchases.

MsuRead article

Saving with Piggy

Free

iOS