Magic House- Money Doesn't Grow on Trees

Yesterday we went to the Magic House for our economics field trip.  The students had jobs in the village, took breaks and earned pay checks.  Following their time role playing producers and consumers, they became families.  Each family had a $3600 budget.  They had to make decisions about where to live, what kind of transportation to have, how often to eat at home vs. out, and what kind of a vacation to go on.  $200 of the budget was automatically removed to cover taxes and each family had to have a rainy day fund.  The students loved this experience.