Supermarket Grocery Shopping Pretend Play Set-Up

I saw some toy shelves for supermarket pretend play at the toy shop last week. I thought it is a very good idea to display the products on a shelf and make the set up look more like a supermarket. But the toy shelf cost a bomb. I found some wooden boxes at home and stack them together like shelves. And I display the supermarket goods as below. Some pictures for memory.

I set up two cashiers, one for Little FECS and one for Baby FECS :-)

This activity can get messy with cleaning up, so brave yourself and choose a day, when you have more surplus and are not in the rush to clean up together with your child. Cleaning up is part of learning for your child too, so it's not time wasted :-)

Below is a re-production of the lesson plan from my previous post reproduced here for convenience:

Age: From 4 years old

Objective(s):

1. A fun way to learn:

- number recognition
- counting
- addition
- subtraction
- uses of money
- personal financial management

all into one

Materials:

1. Goods
2. Price tags
3. Toy cash register
4. Money (If you don't have toy money, you can photocopy real money, make it an activity for your child to cut it out, or cut it out for younger children)
5. Shopping basket (optional)
6. Some rough paper and a pen (optional)

Directions:

1. Collect various empty supermarket goods' packaging such as tea, pasta, rice, cheese, eggs, salt, milk, jam, ice-cream box, can food, etc.

2. Arrange them with price tag on a mat. Start with the numbers you want your child to learn. For example, I am revising 1-20 with J, and slowly to 100. Each day, I will concentrate on 20 numbers at a time.

3. Set up the counter with the cash register.

4. Display the price of the items.

5. Start by being the shopper, then take turn to be the cashier and the shopper.

6. As the shopper, point to an item and ask your child how much it costs. He should read the number and tell you the answer.

7. Say the item you wish to buy and give your child that item to scan into his cash register. Reinforce your child's learning by asking him to enter the price into key pad of the cash register. Verify if he has entered correctly. (J loves this the most. At times, when I could not get him to repeat or write the number after me, I would ask him to enter into the cash register the correct number.)

8. Give your child the right amount of money and ask him to verify that it is correct. To increase the level of difficulty later in the game, give your child a bigger note and ask him how much change he should give you back. This teaches the child subtraction and also money management.

9. Put the item that you have bought in your shopping basket.

10. Continue this for a few items and change roles thereafter.

Tips:

1. You can buy two things at the same time and ask your child how much they cost in total? For example choose an item costing $2 and another item costing $4. Ask your child how much in total you should pay him, and let him advise you. Then give him the amount of money he asked.

If he asked for an incorrect amount, revise the addition with him by writing down on paper:

2+4=6

2. Increase the difficulty of this game by increasing the number of items you wish to buy at a single time and invite your child to sum them up.

Additional Information:

J requested for to play Grocery Store or Supermaket Pretend Play often, but it is not my favorite activity, because it is time-consuming and boring for me. I realized that it is because our play has been rather haphazard, messy and a little lacking in purpose. After a few rounds of experience, I have come up with a more fun and clear lesson plan and will quickly jot it down here, before I forget.

Since J loves this so much, to inspire me and excite me to play this game with zest and with my whole heart with him, I think it is worth for me taking the time to make it more structured and more educational. Usually everything I commit to making a lesson plan, I am also more commited to play with J, instead of mommy yawning and falling asleep :-)

This game is very useful in teaching number recognition, counting, addition, subtraction, uses of money and even personal financial management. Oh, why didn't I start working on this earlier, instead of simply making J do more Maths worksheet and Montessori! All because I dreaded to prepare this pretend play! I can't wait to try with J tomorrow!

Gauge as you go along, and be careful not to make it too academic that it loses its fun. I have the tendency to be so.

References:

Here are some links to other ideas with Grocery Play:
http://www.educatall.com/page/442/Grocery-store.html
http://www.preschoolexpress.com/theme_station05/nov05_grocery.shtml
http://www.ehow.com/info_8497233_preschool-activities-supermarkets.html

Without price tags for the younger kids

With price tags for the older kids

Supermarket Grocery Store Pretend Play

Age: From 4 years old

Objective(s):

1. A fun way to learn:

- number recognition
- counting
- addition
- subtraction
- uses of money
- personal financial management

all into one

Materials:

1. Goods
2. Price tags
3. Toy cash register
4. Money (If you don't have toy money, you can photocopy real money, make it an activity for your child to cut it out, or cut it out for younger children)
5. Shopping basket (optional)
6. Some rough paper and a pen (optional)

Directions:

1. Collect various empty supermarket goods' packaging such as tea, pasta, rice, cheese, eggs, salt, milk, jam, ice-cream box, can food, etc.

2. Arrange them with price tag on a mat. Start with the numbers you want your child to learn. For example, I am revising 1-20 with J, and slowly to 100. Each day, I will concentrate on 20 numbers at a time.

3. Set up the counter with the cash register.

4. Display the price of the items in number order clearly on another mat. This helps to reduce confusion and mess. Tip: Use a paper-clip to organize the notes.

5. Start by being the shopper, then take turn to be the cashier and the shopper.

6. As the shopper, point to an item and ask your child how much it costs. He should read the number and tell you the answer.

7. Say the item you wish to buy and give your child that item to scan into his cash register. Reinforce your child's learning by asking him to enter the price into key pad of the cash register. Verify if he has entered correctly. (J loves this the most. At times, when I could not get him to repeat or write the number after me, I would ask him to enter into the cash register the correct number.)

8. Give your child the right amount of money and ask him to verify that it is correct. To increase the level of difficulty later in the game, give your child a bigger note and ask him how much change he should give you back. This teaches the child subtraction and also money management.

9. Put the item that you have bought in your shopping basket.

10. Continue this for a few items and change roles thereafter.

Tips:

1. You can buy two things at the same time and ask your child how much they cost in total? For example choose an item costing $2 and another item costing $4. Ask your child how much in total you should pay him, and let him advise you. Then give him the amount of money he asked.

If he asked for an incorrect amount, revise the addition with him by writing down on paper:

2+4=6

2. Increase the difficulty of this game by increasing the number of items you wish to buy at a single time and invite your child to sum them up.

Additional Information:

J requested for to play Grocery Store or Supermaket Pretend Play often, but it is not my favorite activity, because it is time-consuming and boring for me. I realized that it is because our play has been rather haphazard, messy and a little lacking in purpose. After a few rounds of experience, I have come up with a more fun and clear lesson plan and will quickly jot it down here, before I forget.

Since J loves this so much, to inspire me and excite me to play this game with zest and with my whole heart with him, I think it is worth for me taking the time to make it more structured and more educational. Usually everything I commit to making a lesson plan, I am also more commited to play with J, instead of mommy yawning and falling asleep :-)

This game is very useful in teaching number recognition, counting, addition, subtraction, uses of money and even personal financial management. Oh, why didn't I start working on this earlier, instead of simply making J do more Maths worksheet and Montessori! All because I dreaded to prepare this pretend play! I can't wait to try with J tomorrow!

Gauge as you go along, and be careful not to make it too academic that it loses its fun. I have the tendency to be so.

References:

Here are some links to other ideas with Grocery Play:
http://www.educatall.com/page/442/Grocery-store.html
http://www.preschoolexpress.com/theme_station05/nov05_grocery.shtml
http://www.ehow.com/info_8497233_preschool-activities-supermarkets.html

14 April 2014

 

Updates 13 October 2019:

I saw some toy shelves for supermarket pretend play at the toy shop last week. I thought it is a very good idea to display the products on a shelf and make the set up look more like a supermarket. But the toy shelf cost a bomb. I found some wooden boxes at home and stack them together like shelves. And I display the supermarket goods as below. Some pictures for memory.

I set up two cashiers, one for Little FECS and one for Baby FECS :-)

Montessori Activity: Ring, Ring, Hello Mommy!

Age: From 3 years old

Objectives:
1. To enrich your child's language development with conversation game.
2. To develop your child's ability to express himself.
3. To train listening ability.
4. Provide a fun way for your child to follow instruction and complete his chore.

Materials:
1. 2 plastic or paper cups
2. 1 string of approx. 1.5m long.

Directions:
1. Hold a telephone receiver each and find a spot to sit down.

2. Ask your child, "Where are you?"

3. Your child would answer for example, "I am sitting on the sofa calling you."

4. Invite your child to ask, if he does not do it himself, "Where are you, mommy?", to which you answer, "I am in the kitchen" for example.

5. Invite your child to find another place and continue the telephone call game.

Tips:
Provide a fun way for your child to follow instruction and do his chore:

1. Mommy phone child and give him a simple instruction and ask him to your instruction to complete the task, e.g. Could you put on your clothes please? or Could you bring the newspaper to Daddy please?

2. Child complete the task as instructed.

3. Child phone Mommy back to inform Mommy and invite Mommy to give instructions for another task.

Additional Information:
This is a very simple activity and cost next to nothing. I learn of this idea from a Chinese Montessori book, which I hope to try with Joshua.

Pretend Play: Vacuum Cleaning

Age: From 1.5 years old

Joshua watches us when we use the vacuum cleaner. He was very thrilled, when he had his own vacuum cleaner. Till this day, whenever we are vacuuming, he would take out his own vacuum cleaner and clean along wtih us.

This vacuum cleaner is actually rather useful as it comes with styrofoam balls which it can actually suck in, when you turn on the power. It trains his eye-hand coordination to be able to suck in the styrofoam balls. This toy is not a necessity, and I won't buy it new. But I saw it at the Flea market and bought it for 10 DKK (2.32 SGD or 2 USD) a the flea market. But if you wish to buy one, there is a nice looking one at Amazon:

Warning: This is not a toy for toddlers who are still mouthing.

Pretend Play: Microwaving Food

Age: From 2 years old

Joshua watches us using the microwave everyday and he was very thrilled to have his own microwave. He loves to play with his microwave. He loves to press the button and waiting ot hear it rings. It teaches him the concept of time and waiting for the food to be ready. When it rings, he takes the "food" out to be served. This toy is not a necessity, and I won't buy it new. But I saw it at the Flea market and bought it for 5 DKK (1.16 SGD or 0.97 USD) a the flea market. It is available also in Amazon, but very expensive though:
 

Heritage Education: Through Pretend Play - Making Danish Rice Pudding Risengrød

Age: From 2.5 years old

Materials:
1. 1 bowl of rice
2. 1 toy pot
3. 1 ladle or spoon
4. 1 toy stove

Additional Information:
Joshua saw me cooking Danish rice pudding risengrød recently, and this morning he got inspired and cooked it by himself on his own stove.

He asked me to help him to open the container, and then he poured the rice all himself into the pot and started cooking his risengrød. He was very good and did a good job. I did not have to worry that he would abuse the rice and mess up the whole place.

I look forward to the day he will be helping out to make risengrød in our kitchen, just like his cousin Casper.

Pretend Play: Playing Store

Age: From 2.5 years old

Activity Duration: 15 minutes

Additional Information:
My friend Yang Li told me that kids at this age would enjoy playing with cash register. I didn't think so. She gave Joshua this cash register from the flea market. Boy, what a hit! Joshua pretended to tbe the cashier. Then he pretended to be the shopper. He ran the "packet milk" on the conveyer belt, put them into the basket and gave it to me, including the change! How right my friend was! I haven't been sensitive to it, but my friend Yang Li was more observant and more sensitive to the critical stage of a child's learning than me. I didn't think that 2.5 year old can be ready to play with such completx concept, that least that seemed to me, but I was wrong!

It then donned on me that recently, maybe a month ago, Joshua started talking about buying oranges, when we ran out of oranges at home. Nowadays, he will remind me to buy biscuits, fish, etc. for him. It seems that he has an understanding of the concept of money and using money to buy things.

You can find something similar from Amazon:

Pretend Play: Making "Dough"

Age: From 2 years old

Materials:
1. 1 Toy hand-mixer
2. 1 pot containing colourful pegs or dried beans

Additional Information:
Joshua loves playing with his toy kitchen, so I expanded it with a hand-mixer, which was a hit with all children. I bought this from the fleamarket.

Pretend Play: Ironing

Joshua asked to play with his iron today. I am not sure what the educational value of this activity is, but at least it taught Joshua the concept of ironing and helped his imagination with pretend play. Joshua had some fun with it, and he certainly knew what to do with it - ironing his own jeans. He was clearly mimicking his dad very well, although we don't remember him ever seeing Florian ironing. But there is a limit on how long you can play with an iron. He played with it for at most only 5 minutes. I bought the toy iron for 5 DKK (1.16 SGD or 0.97 USD) a the flea market.

Pretend Play: How to Turn Household Garbage into Toys for Your Child?

Joshua simply LOVES his ktichen set, which we bought from the flea market. It is probably the best investment I have made, as he plays with it almost every morning, making food for the teddy bear and the toy dog for months now. Thus, I am spending some time to think of how to expand his stock and selection without spending too much money.

You don't have to spend money buying those expensive wooden food toys. The next few pictures show how you can recycle household garbage and turn them into interesting toys for your child, when you combine them with some of your child's toys. It provides free-of-charge play... well, almost :-)

I recycled the bread package for Joshua's plastic bread toy, and he loved it. It made the plastic bread toy much more real and life-like.

Here are Joshua's plastic pieces of bread coming straight out from the bread package:

After we have finished eating the cheese, I recyled the cheese pack and put Joshua's rubber cheese toys into it. Joshua finds it very amusing. He now has his own "cheese" complete with real cheese packaging.

After drinking the milk, I washed the milk carton and recycled it for Joshua. He can play pretend play by pouring milk into his toy cups and serve it to his teddy bear.

Don't throw away the pasta package the next time you finish a pack. Save a little of the pasta in the package and include it in your child's pretend play kitchen set stock. You can also turn it into a Montessori inspired activity for your child to scoop the pasta into a pot with a ladle :-)

I recycled the ham package for Joshua's plastic salami and ham toy. It made the plastic salami toy much more real and life-like. Joshua was very excited, when he saw it and played with it immediately.

Pretend Play: Tool Set for Children

Tool Box from IKEA 49 DKK (9.45 USD or 11.28 SGD)...

versus:

Age: From 4 years old

Objectives:
1. To develop the child's fine motor skills through pounding, hammering, screwing, drilling, etc.
2. To incultivate the Danish DIY tradition to Joshua.
3. To teach self-sufficiency and life skills.
4. To teach the child to give respect to blue collar work.

Materials:
1. Screw-driver
2. Hammer
3. Saw
4. Drill
5. Screws
6. Nuts
7. Wing nuts
8. Bolts
9. Wrench
10. Plier

How to Play with It?

Here are some Ideas:

1. Transferring Stones with Pliers

2. Opening Battery-operated Toy with Screwdriver

Warnings:
Such toys are only to be played with close parental supervision, and from children who are able to obey parental/guardien instructions.

Additional Information:
The Danes have a lovely DIY (Do-IT-Yourself) tradition. My brother-in-law built his own wall, fitted his own door and room when improvising their house. I think this is due to the high cost of Danish labour cost. It costs a bomb to hire contractor. As a result, many (although not all) Danish men are very handy. In the day, they work in the offices, bank, etc. and in the evening and during summer vacation, they work on carpentry at home. White and blue work are sometimes very blurred, unlike in Asia. There is generally more respect given to non-professional and blue collar workers in Scandinavia. Class divide does exist in Denmark and Scandinavia, but to a much lesser extent than compared to Asia, China, the USA and India (esp. with India's caste system). I would like Joshua to embrace and perpetuate such egalitarian mentality from his Danish/Scandinavian roots.

Some time ago, we saw the plastic Black & Decker power tool workshop at the flea market and wanted to buy it for Joshua, but decided not to after inspecting them. Those plastic screw drivers, screws, etc. do not work so well, and seems boring. In addition, it is very expensive. We were thinking why don't we give Joshua some kid's friendly real tool and create something for Joshua to work on using real tools!

Then I saw this cute and very sophisticated and real children's tool kit in amazon. It is rather expensive at 30 USD, but the seller doesn't deliver to Denmark or Singapore, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I found something similar at IKEA. Note that the IKEA tool set is not made for children, but I think it fits perfectly as the first tool kit for children.

When Florian has the time, he would make a working board for Joshua, inspired by Counting Coconuts (I intend to ask this for my Christmas gift from Florian, to make sure that it gets done :-)). In the mean time, I have gotten all the tools ready... except the piece of wood :-)

References:
http://www.helium.com/items/1565511-carpentry-for-kids-teach-children-carpentry-teach-kids-carpentry-kids-and-woodwork-kid-carpenter

http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/814044/kids-and-home-improvements-junior-carpentry-1

http://www.510families.com/content/carpentry-kids

http://www.amazon.com/Grip-96009-Grip-Childrens-Tool/dp/B001AIU2UO/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b

http://www.amazon.com/Toysmith-2953-Build-A-Birdhouse/dp/B0009Z3KLC/ref=pd_bxgy_hi_img_b

http://countingcoconuts.blogspot.com/2011/01/diy-activity-board.html

http://pinkandgreenmama.blogspot.com/2010/06/kids-carpentry-making-home-made.html

http://www.ehow.com/list_7434834_children_s-activities-carpentry.html

http://www.ehow.com/info_7931229_childrens-carpentry-tools.html

Homemade "Black & Decker" Power Tool Workshop for Toddlers