Grocery Store

The vaiations on this activity are limitless. Simplify, elaborate, expand, improvise.

Objectives

The children can role plays specific situations Cog. IV A
Children between 3-4 can uses words to ask for things, ask questions Lang. IIIA
and they can also categorize and sort kinds of foods Cog. IIIA
Children 2½ to 3 years can understand and follow single directions Lang. IA
and children under 2 can identify some foods Lang. IB

Materials

Empty food boxes, cans, bottles, egg cartons, milk cartons, pictures of meats, desserts, etc.; play money and cash box; shelves; counter; white aprons for grocers; paper bags; telephone; plastic fruits and vegetables, if available.

Procedures

1. On the day before the lesson, have children visit a real grocery store.

Note kinds of foods, arrangement of food, check-out procedure, etc.

2. The next day, in the housekeeping corner, have the children arrange the store as they wish, sorting the food into categories on the shelves. They can decide who will play grocer, sacker and customer. Be available to help in categorizing and sorting the material. A few questions during preparation will help them see and understand these concepts: "Are the boxed foods usually mixed with the canned foods? Which foods do we eat for breakfast? For lunch? For dinner? Can you name some kinds of vegetables? Fruits?"

3. Have the customer(s) ask the grocer for specific things. "I want eggs, cereal, and a can of tomatoes." Have the grocer get each thing, place it on the counter, repeating the name of each item back to the customer. Then have sacker bag the groceries. Grocer must say how much the food costs—piece of play money (or strip of paper). Customer counts out the proper amount and gives to the grocer in payment. Have children switch roles and replay the game.