preschool activities parents teach at while grocery shopping

Do you have some grocery shopping to do with your child? You many not realize it, but this everyday chore is choked full of possible learning activities for you youngsters. They are fun, simple, and will change the way you think about shopping with your kids.

Grocery Lists

Before you go, jot down a spare grocery list containing some or all of the items you will be buying and give it to your child along with a writing utensil. Give them the list before your trip for a sneak peak at what you are going to buy. Help younger kids read it once so they can study the words in the car. After you get there, have them find and check off the words on their list as you add the item to the cart. If you get in the habit of doing this every time you take your preschooler to the store, this one simple task will go a long way towards teaching your child how to read. Older children will also enjoy this, because it gives them a chance to feel more involved in the shopping process.

Price Keepers

Provide your child with a note-pad and writing utensil and have them record the price of the items you buy. You can do this with younger kids to work on number writing or money concepts. With your older children, it can help fine tune addition and estimation skills. For added fun, give the kids a calculator to go along with the addition.

Nutrition Labels

Build an awareness of health and nutrition by reading and talking about the nutrition labels of the items you add to your cart. You can check the % daily value of different vitamins in each item, keep track of what has the most and least calories per serving, or create other fun games to play.

Price Comparison

Compare the price of the item versus how much product you get in each package. Is the bigger package a better buy? What about items on sale? Are they cheaper than another product, or with the sale price are they still more expensive? Simply by talking with your kids and inviting them to participate in the price comparison process, you’ll be stimulating their brain and teaching valuable life skills.

Coupon Keepers

If you still clip coupons, put your kids in charge of them. Help them find coupons for the items you buy, or find the items for the coupons you have. Either way, they’ll enjoy the chore.

Receipt Verification

After shopping is done, give your child the receipt and a calculator and have them tally it up themselves. This will work on addition, as well as budgeting and money concepts.

So next time you’re at the store, give one of these games a try. You are bound to find one that your child will embrace. Life is indeed the biggest and best classroom. Take advantage of it.