where kids learn to be smarter consumers
In our virtual mall, you can play games, design ads, chat with customers and store owners, and much more. You’ll learn key consumer concepts, such as how advertising affects you, how you benefit when businesses compete, how (and why) to protect your information, and how to spot scams. What better place to do it than at the mall!
Each area of the mall focuses on a different topic. To enter, choose an area. In the mall, scroll over a store to find out more about it, then click to go inside. You can also use the Mall Map or the options at the bottom of the screen to navigate.
- Visit the West Terrace to learn about advertising techniques, target marketing, suspicious claims, and more.
- Visit the Food Court to learn about business competition, supply and demand, the history of the FTC, and mergers and monopolies.
- Visit the Security Plaza to learn about protecting your privacy (online and off), and protect the citizens of Earth against identity-stealing invaders.
- Visit the East Terrace to learn about bogus modeling offers, “free” vacations, “miracle” products, and tip-offs to rip-offs.
You are welcome to use the resources and activities on this site to teach kids about today’s marketplace. The site is intended for students in 5th through 8th grade and can be used to complement lessons in critical thinking, writing, language arts, media literacy, business, civics, and social studies.
If you're looking for more detailed information about the topics covered on this site, check out the Parents and Teachers page for suggested activities and ways to use the site in your classroom.