BGPF058 | Supermarket pretend play
By Dr. Rajeev Tamhankar and Riddhi Chincholikar
This engaging pretend-play activity introduces toddlers to the concept of supermarkets, teaching them about different product categories, shopping routines, and basic financial literacy. By mimicking real-world shopping, it enhances their vocabulary, categorization skills, and decision-making abilities.
- Set Up the Supermarket: Create aisles using cushions or boxes. Assign sections such as fruits & vegetables, dairy, bakery, and books. Use toys or household items as products.
- Role Assignment: Decide who will be the shopper and shopkeeper or let both participants be shoppers.
- Shopping Cart: Provide a makeshift shopping cart, like a toy trolley, pram, or basket.
- Product Selection:
- Visit the Produce Section: Place toy fruits and vegetables for the child to pick.
- Explore Dairy Aisle: Include toy cartons or labeled containers for milk, cheese, and yogurt.
- Check Out the Bakery: Pretend with toy bread, eggs, or pastries.
- Optional Book or Other Sections: Add other favorite categories from your nearby supermarket.
- Checkout Counter: Simulate a checkout experience. Assign prices, encourage counting, and introduce basic math concepts like adding totals. Use pretend money or coins.
- Bagging & Payment: Teach about reusable bags and charge a pretend fee for plastic bags to emphasize environmental awareness.
- Wrap-Up: Pretend to leave the store and discuss the fun items “purchased.”
- Builds vocabulary through naming and categorizing items.
- Enhances problem-solving and decision-making skills.
- Teaches early financial literacy concepts like prices and payment.
- Improves motor skills while moving products and pushing a cart.
- Encourages creativity and parent-child interaction.
- Adjust the level of difficulty to match your child’s age by simplifying or adding challenges (e.g., sorting items by color or category).
- Rotate roles between shopper and shopkeeper for variety.
- Use familiar household items to make the setup more relatable.
- Include interactive elements like weighing fruits or offering discounts.
- Cushions, boxes, or furniture for aisles.
- Toy or real fruits, vegetables, and packaged items.
- A toy cart, basket, or pram as the shopping cart.
- Pretend money or tokens for payments.
- Paper bags or reusable shopping bags for packing.
- Optional: Calculator or price tags for an advanced experience.
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