Let’s go shopping!

September 3, 2014

This is a delightful way for your budding entrepreneur to pass an afternoon. A large part of the fun is planning the venture: where will we have our shop? what shall we sell? How will we make it? How will we price the goods? Once the idea has hatched, watch your resourceful children spring into action: constructing the shop, collecting and/or making the products, setting up and, of course, doing the shopping. Be prepared to browse and sample some of their creative wares!

Skills/learning/benefits: drama, role play, creativity, sensory, kinesthetic, math, fine motor, social skills, language, extended play, building.

Bakery/Candy Shop

This could take the entire afternoon if your little entrepreneur builds the bake shop and ‘bakes’ the goodies ahead of time! You could get ‘real’ with this venture and bake a batch of cookies for your child to decorate. This project could be as simple as setting up a table with goodies or as elaborate as creating a storefront with an overhead banner, several display tables and a variety of products.

A few things that you may have on hand will help your children create the scene: Cardboard or poster board for shop sign; paints , markers, streamers or ribbons to decorate. Safe table to ‘prepare’ and later display the goodies; play doh and tools, play dishes for display; small boxes, lunch bags or tissue paper to package orders; kitchen tongs or spatulas for serving, and of course, play money for you to purchase your favorite treat! A borrowed apron or paper chef’s hat makes the perfect costume.

Grocery store/ specialty shop

In this classic game children get to reenact experiences and roles from a familiar situation they encounter at least weekly. We all love to shop.

Some simple items can go a long way in this creative effort. After the store front is prepared, your children will want to stock the store with appropriate products. Are they selling food? Empty food boxes, play food, real food for sampling, and whatever odds and ends they fancy. Select an assortment of clothes, hats and shoes for a clothing shop. Maybe a sporting goods or toy store? There are lots of possibilities! A toy shopping cart is a perfect prop, but a smaller box can be a great shopping basket. Certainly a cash register (make this from another box if needed), perhaps a pad and pen to price items and write orders or receipts and a few bags to package the goods. Bring your list, your wallet, some money and have fun shopping in the comfort of your own home.

Keeping a stock of must have items on hand goes a long way to stirring the imagination and opens the door for lots of fun learning and play!