Games at Grocery Stores

Many times when parents are at a grocery store, the kids are in tow. It's actually a great place to take kids. They can be introduced to produce, mathematics and reading! Parents love learning games for preschoolers, but this is better, trust me. A walk through the grocery store is also sensorially rich. Kids can touch, smell and see the rich colors of produce. People who run the store might be afraid that things might end up in a mess with kids around, but more often than not, they are tolerant of kids. In fact the Tesco ban can help us understand how kids are frequent visitors at grocery stores. 

In the grocery store with our little helpers by Jaro Larnos

Here are some games that kids can play at a grocery store:

1. Counting Cans

Young kids love counting. If they are young, they might just go upto 5, but older ones can go farther. You can ask kids to pick up cans. Specify a number, and they can get it. Or, just ask them to count cans which are lined up on shelves. They can even try skip counting. 

2. Identifying Veggies and Fruits

Ask kids to identify vegetables and fruits. Next you could ask them to identify fruits and vegetables which are of a certain color. Or ask them to find fruits and and vegetables with a common color. Purple cabbage and purple plums. Green apples and gree herbs. If done from a young age, this really prepares them for school where this is also part of classroom learning. Ask kids to pick up fruits and vegetables. You could say 'Pick up 5 oranges' or you could say, 'Pick up 5 fruits which starts with the letter P'. They could pick up pears or plums.

3. Spotting Labels

With packaging which is bright and eye-catching, the sellers are trying to give it a distinct look. It helps while playing simple games at the grocery store. You can ask kids to spot packages, using colors and shape. Or you could ask them to get packages that they are familiar with. Essentially by helping you they are helping themselves.

Parents can come up with games to make a trip to the grocery store more interesting. With the massive inventory they maintain, the spotting games can be played for long. Play more at the grocery store and have some fun.