Grocery Store Fun and Learning
by Kathy Sena
True, it’s no trip to Disneyland. But taking your kids to the grocery store can be fun — and educational. Try these tips the next time you’re low on milk and bread.
Before You Go
Create a just-for-kids project to shop for. Whether you’re making a lemonade stand, cutting stamps from potatoes or creating a shaving-cream sculpture, ask your child to add the necessary supplies to the grocery list.
Plan ahead. Schedule your trip when everyone is well rested. Eat a healthy snack before you go to brighten everyone’s mood and make that candy aisle more resistible.
Ask questions. On the way to the store, talk about your grocery list. Ask younger children “What shape are oranges?” and “What color is a box of Cheerios?” Recognizing shapes, colors and logos is a great pre-reading exercise.
At the Store
Make learning fun. Preschoolers love to match items with coupons. Once you’re in the correct aisle, give your child a hint about where the item is. Older kids can help compare unit prices. Show your child the price-per-pound sticker on the shelf below each item and explain how he can use the information to find the best buy. Little ones love to pull the number at the deli counter.
Keep little hands busy. For her toddler, one mom I know made a “book” of foods they might see at the grocery store. She cut out photos of foods from magazines, inserted them into small Ziploc bags and stapled the ends together. Her daughter loved to point out the foods from the book as they walked through the store.
Try grocery-store math lessons. Before you do your shopping, go online for wonderful “math at the grocery store” ideas for kids in grades K-4, courtesy of the U.S. Department of Education. www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/Math/grocerymath.html
Give your child choices. Asking, “Should we get peas or green beans?” teaches decision-making skills and makes your child feel important.
Turn off the cell phone. Make this a special time just for you and your child. There’s so much to explore!
Use your senses. Younger kids are eager to learn about shapes, textures and smells. Let them help you fill a bag with apples. Teach them how to “thump” a cantaloupe and listen to the sound. Smell the lemons together. Encourage your child to use all her senses.
Have fun! Wave at babies in passing carts. Make up a song about bananas. With older kids, fun often equals challenge. Ask your child “How many different vegetables can you name in one minute?” or “If you ran your own grocery store, what would you sell?”
Teach money management. You may want to allow an older child to spend a set amount of money on a treat.
Do your own comparison test. Buy two different brands of a particular item on your list, such as orange juice, yogurt or shampoo. Ask each family member to rate the choices. Older kids can create a list of each product’s good and not-so-good features.
Teach kindness. Show little ones how to help others, especially those who may need extra assistance reaching something. Show them how you say please and thank you to store employees. Ask the produce manager for advice on picking a watermelon. Smile at those around you. Your kids will, too.
Explore! Try a new-to-you fruit or veggie. Let the kids enjoy a taste-test session when you get home.
Play check-out line games. Play “I Spy” in the checkout line and have your child guess what you see. Find things that are green, are not for eating, are in boxes, etc.
Back at Home
Keep little hands busy. Even younger kids can help put away non-breakable items. By asking kids to “put all the vegetables in a pile” or “stack all the paper products by the closet,” you’re teaching important concepts.
Reward yourselves! Enjoy a cup of cocoa, make a pitcher of fresh lemonade or carve those potato stamps, Take 15 minutes with your kids to unwind and say job well done.
Kathy Sena is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to MetroKids.