Works For Me-In Home Grocery Store

My Little Dude LOVES his play kitchen. I got it used for really cheap, along with a few play food items. However, as great as the play food is, Little Dude knows that pineapples (or whatever it is) aren't really green and crazy small. So, I have a throw back on one of my old preschool activities that keeps him super happy and super busy cooking in his kitchen:

A Home Made Grocery Store great for ages walking and up.

What you need:
Paper bag or bags or baskets for each child
Empty food boxes and containers

Save up empty food boxes and containers. Pudding or Jello boxes work well, as do cereal boxes, small yogurt containers, empty vitamin bottles, empty spice containers, granola bar boxes, -ANYTHING from your kitchen you can wash out, and is not a chocking or suffocation hazard (like plastic bags-NO plastic bags). You can store you "groceries" in a box or laundry basket (that is what we used at school). Your child will have fun going shopping with a paper bag (with handles so he/she can hold it easily) or a small handled basket.


Yes, kids LOVE fill up bags and baskets with just about anything and everything, ESPECIALLY when said activity mimics adult activity, like grocery shopping! So, on some rainy days, my preschool class would pull out all the saved up food boxes and items, and grab a paper bag, as we all went grocery shopping. The kids LOVED it.

And now, my Little Dude does too. Sometimes I let him "cook" his water friendly grocery items in a cooking pot on the floor with a spoon and a little water. He loves it and could do it for hours, which gives me time to tend to JR. Nice.