Grocery Store

A great springboard for reality-based fantasy play. Consider involving lots of kids and having two or three adults to facilitate spin-off activities initiated by kids.

Objectives

Children ages 4-5 years can match numerals 1-10 with corresponding number set Cog. IIIC
Children ages 2-3 can name items that one would find in a grocery store Lang. IB
All children participating will partake in a group SE I

 

Materials

Grocery store set-up including empty cereal boxes, plastic fruit, empty food cans, etc. Put a price tag (1—10) on each item. Beans or buttons, etc. could be used for money, but pennies are best. Bags

Procedures

1. Gather children and tell them they may go shopping at a grocery store.

Give each child 10 tokens as money to buy things. Give each child a bag to put groceries in.

2. Have children come over to the store set-up and have them tell you what they would like to buy. If a child can read the numerals have him/her count out the tokens needed to buy the item. For the younger child, when (s)he indicates what (s)he would like to buy, read him/her the numeral and have the child count out necessary money. An older child could play the role of cashier (a play register would be fun).

3. When each child has exhausted his/her cash, (s)he can take goods to the playhouse where the fantasy might be extended to include preparing a pretend meal with the other kids using the food bought.

4. It might also be useful to have the children reassemble in a group to discuss what they have purchased.