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Supported by HSBC UK

Kingdoms of trade

Work together and develop your financial literacy skills in this fun fantasy themed game.

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You’ll need

  • Tables
  • Scrap paper
  • Pens or pencils
  • Scissors
  • Money from a board game to use as "gold coins"
  • Raw resource cards (two cards per team, plus extra for the marketplace)
  • Crafting recipe card (one per team)
  • Marketplace price sheet (one for leaders)
  • Optional: signs, props, cloaks, or fantasy music for immersion
Kingdoms Of Trade Resources Pack
PDF – 114.8KB
Download Kingdoms Of Trade Resources Pack

Before you begin

  • Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. There’s also more guidance to help you carry out your risk assessment, including examples.
  • Make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.
  • Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help.

Planning and setting up this activity 

  • Print out the resources and divide them between the teams and the tables.
  • Set up a Marketplace Table, where raw materials can be bought from the Leaders.
  • Set up a Merchant Table, where finished goods can be sold for fixed prices.
  • Appoint two Leaders to act as Market Vendors (who buy and sell raw materials) and Merchant Buyers (who accept crafted goods and pay with gold).
  • Go through the rules of the tables with the Leaders. These rules are provided at the bottom of this page.

Aim of the activity

The aim of this activity is to help young people develop financial literacy skills in an engaging and memorable way by immersing them in a fantasy roleplay scenario. Through buying, selling, and trading within their guilds, they’ll experience real-world money concepts like budgeting, profit margins, supply and demand, and resource management—while having fun as merchants in a mythical kingdom. 

Understanding the important role money plays in our lives

  • Personal and economic links with the wider world

Managing risks and emotions associated with money

  • Using information and advice to make financial decisions
  • Managing risk


Play the game

  1. Split everyone into teams of 4 or 5. Each team will represent a Kingdom Guild. Ask each team to choose a name for their guild.
  2. Give each team two raw resource cards (for example, wood and ore), 50 “gold coins,” and a crafting recipe sheet.
  3. Explain that within their guilds, they need to earn as many “gold coins” as possible. To do this, they must use and buy materials to make crafted items, which they can then sell to earn more “gold coins.”
  4. Show everyone the Marketplace Table and Merchant Table, and explain what happens at each one.
  5. Before starting the game, explain that there may be fluctuations in prices and that events may occur during the game, affecting the resources available.
  6. When everyone is ready, start the game.
  7. Play for approximately 45 minutes.
  8. After the game ends, add up the “gold coins” each guild has earned. The guild with the most “gold coins” wins.

  • Sell raw materials to teams at prices on the sheet. 

  • Adjust prices during event cards. 

  • Maintain stock levels and remove rare items if sold out. 

  • Check teams hand over correct resource cards for crafted items. 

  • Pay them the gold listed on the crafting sheet. 

  • You can roleplay as a grumpy dwarf or regal merchant if you like! 

Example changes you could make during gameplay

  • Fluctuating prices – Prices can rise or fall at any point during the game. You can do this as often as you like. Consider what the teams are buying the most or least and adjust prices accordingly.
  • Event cards – There are some game cards included in the resources printout. You can introduce these at any point during the game to create challenges or opportunities.
  • Bartering – You could allow teams to barter with the Merchant and Marketplace Tables from a certain point in the game. You could also allow them to barter with each other.
  • Trading – You could allow teams to trade resources with each other from a certain point in the game, adding another strategic element.

Reflection

This activity gave everyone the opportunity to work together and develop their skills in financial literacy. When working in your guilds, did you take any risks? Did they pay off? What strategy did you use and did it change during the game? Did the fluctuating market affect your plans? Would you do anything differently next time?

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

You must run your activities in line with the Safeguarding Code of Conduct for Adults (Yellow Card) and report any concerns to the UK HQ Safeguarding Team.

Sharp objects

Teach young people how to use sharp objects safely. Supervise them appropriately throughout. Store all sharp objects securely, out of the reach of young people.

  • You could make the teams smaller or larger.
  • you could increase or decrease the time available, or only allow them to purchase or trade at certain points of the game.

Make it accessible

All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.

Explorers Money Skills Activity Badge
Explorers Money Skills Activity Badge