Money game Monopoly has found that 2.3 million British children are unable to name more than ten cities and actually know more about virtual worlds and cities in video games and TV shows.
The research carried out by Research Without Barriers – RWB and the sample comprised 2,002 UK parents of 5-12-year-olds. Whilst over half of kids have heard of Gotham (55%), Zootopia (58%) and Neverland (60%), only a quarter have heard of Shanghai (25%), Milan (28%) or Cape Town (26%).
The top five cities UK kids aged 7 – 12 had never heard of were:
- Shanghai (75%)
- Milan (72%)
- Cairo (70%)
- Belfast (53%)
- Sydney (47%)
Of the parents surveyed, half (50%) stated that their child can’t name more than 10 real-world countries. Monopoly hopes to change that with the latest edition of its classic board game, which aims to help kids learn whilst they play, bringing real locations around the world to life.
The research also discovered that over two-thirds of parents (67%) were concerned that their children will not have the same sense of excitement to explore the world as they did, with 96% agreeing it’s important for children’s development to learn about different countries and cultures.
Monopoly says has launched Monopoly Travel World Tour in response which is a twist on the classic game. The board sees properties and roads replaced with far-flung locations and experiences. Makers say its a bid to educate and excite children today about the many wonders of the world.
They are hosting an immersive travel experience on November 11 and 12 in London for any budding young adventurers and their families at London’s Noho Studios. The experience is free to attend and families will be invited to explore the Great Barrier Reef, build the Great Wall of China and enjoy the festivities at Colombia’s Carnaval de Barranquilla.
This is before finishing with the opportunity to enter a competition to win a trip to any of the destinations on the Monopoly Travel World Tour board game. Steve Backshall, TV Presenter, British naturalist, explorer and author, said: "There are so many incredible places to explore across our globe, and I am lucky to have visited many of them. But not everyone has this opportunity, of course.
"Monopoly has been teaching kids about money for decades, now it is teaching kids about the wonders of our world, with the launch of Monopoly Travel World Tour – a new must-have family game that’s both fun and educational."
For further information and to book tickets to the Monopoly Travel World Tour immersive experience, visit The Universe website head to the Monopoly World Tour website for the digital experience and to enter the prize draw.
For those unable to make it to the event in London, visit www.MonopolyTravelWorldTour.co.uk to start exploring online instead. Visitors to the site will be able to board a virtual flight to China, Australia or Colombia, picking up geographical knowledge and answering questions along the way to also be in with a chance of winning the once-in-a-lifetime holiday to a board game destination.
