Pretend Grocery Store Math Game
Set up a pretend grocery store with price tags and play money. Your child practices counting, recognizing numbers, and basic addition while shopping and selling.
What You'll Need
- 110-15 play food items or empty pantry containers
- 2Index cards or sticky notes for price tags
- 3Marker
- 4Play coins, buttons, or tokens for money
- 5A bag or basket for shopping
What You'll Need
10-15 play food items or empty pantry containers
Index cards or sticky notes for price tags
A marker
Play coins, buttons, or tokens for money
A bag or basket for shopping
How to Play
Tag each item with a simple price: 1, 2, 3, or 5.
Arrange items on a table as a "store." Make it look inviting.
Give your child coins or buttons: "Each coin is worth 1."
"Welcome! What would you like?" Let them choose.
"That apple costs 3. Count out 3 coins." They pay, you hand over the item.
Swap roles — they're the shopkeeper. "How much for the cereal and banana together?"
Add challenge: "You have 5 coins. What can you buy?"
Why It Works
Pretend play plus math is a powerful combination. Your child is practicing number recognition (reading price tags), one-to-one correspondence (counting out coins), and addition (combining prices) — all within a meaningful, motivating context. They're not doing math for math's sake; they're doing math because they want to buy a banana. That intrinsic motivation is irreplaceable.
Tips
Start with prices of 1-3 only. Adding prices above 5 is overwhelming for most preschoolers.
Buttons or dried beans work as coins. Anything countable serves the purpose.
Let your child set the prices. They may charge 100 for a banana — that's fine. It's still number practice.
Add a "receipt" step for older kids: write down what they bought and the total.
Revisit this game regularly. Comfort with the setup lets your child focus on the math.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does this activity take?
This activity takes about 25 min, with 10 min of preparation time beforehand.
What materials do I need?
You'll need: 10-15 play food items or empty pantry containers, index cards or sticky notes for price tags, marker, play coins, buttons, or tokens for money, a bag or basket for shopping.
What age is this activity for?
This activity is designed for 3-6 years. You can adapt it for younger or older children by adjusting the complexity.
Can this be done indoors?
This activity is designed for indoor play, making it perfect for rainy days or when you're staying inside.
How difficult is this activity?
This activity has a moderate difficulty level. It may require some preparation or guidance, but is manageable for most families.
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