Shop Play
As most parents will tell you, taking your children to the shops with you can be a nightmare, but have you ever thought about the educational value? Shopping centres are full of text, with letters, numbers, symbols and signs everywhere that your children are soaking up like sponges! This can form the basis of early numeracy and literacy and is a great idea for pretend play at home. Cash registers are very easy to find and your pantry is full of items covered in text that can be used as props for your child’s pretend shop at home. Help them make a name and sign for their shop as well as pretend money and shop away to their heart’s content!
 Credit: Elizabeth’s photo Bringing The Shops Home! Save those boxes and cartons that you would have otherwise thrown out, and hand them over to the kids! They love being able to recreate the shopping experience, and without them realising, they will be literacy learning through logos, symbols, data, number, ingredients and names! |
 Credits: Coles Leaflets and Catalogues Also it’s a good idea to plan your shopping with kids before you go. The catalogue will be an excellent resource because there is great amount of literacy (e.g. saved amount, ½ price, etc.). Even better, the catalogue itself is usually arranged the same way as the layout of the supermarket. So pretty much it is the planning will go like a simulation which adds excitement and fulfilment to the real shopping experience. It can stimulate children’s interest in engaging in dramatic shopping play and they will have good knowledge of how to use catalogue as prop in play. |
 Credit: DHGate.com Popular Culture Shopping In shopping malls children and even elder clothes section is fully printed with text and popular cultures, which is extremely attractive for kids. Children seems interested to read and identify clothes print with their favourite popular culture with text. For example, Thomas train and Dora etc. |
 Credit: Sydney Morning Herald Use Self Check Out Self-check-out service is a good learning opportunity where children can search the name by alphabetic order and engage in counting. Everytime when you finish shopping, encourage children to make decision whether we will go to the fast service or the normal service or even self check out services and explain why. Geting them through these decision making process will improve their agency and ability to make believe in dramatic play. |
 Credit: Unknown Meat Selection Meat section is a good resource and potentially there will be an illustration of different beef/lamb/pork cuts on the wall. Children can match the cut in the picture with the package. Also teach children how to choose meat, with expiry date, organic/non organic, special/reduced. |
 Credit: Brisbane Student Guide Dairy Section Diary section where the products should be kept in the fridge. Children will learn the names of dairy products, e.g. milk, cheese, butter, yogurt. |
 Credit: Brisbane Student Guide Signage Recognising the signs that indicate promotion and bargains, which can help save our shopping bills. Also children learn the phrases that are frequently used by supermarket and extend it by changing the number during their dramatic play. Recognise the card board sign on the ceiling in each aisle, classification of items. |