Games for Kids to Learn How to Shop
Although you might dread taking your children shopping when they are toddlers, it can be a learning experience for them as they get a little older. Teaching children about shopping includes helping them recognize the best deals, stick to a budget and count money. Use games to instill these important skills in your children. Although many shopping games center around food, the skills translate to other shopping experiences, such as shopping for clothing.
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I Spy
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A game you can play with children of almost any age is I Spy. Use this game to teach children the difference between fruits and vegetables, healthy foods versus unhealthy choices, or brand-name products versus store brands. In the store, say, "I Spy with my little eye, something green, leafy and healthy." Continue giving hints until the children find the lettuce.
Count Money
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As kids get older, they must be able to give the store clerk enough money to cover the cost and to know if the clerk returned the correct amount of change. One idea is to create a snack store in your pantry and refrigerator. Label each snack with a monetary amount, and explain the basics of money counting to your children. When it's snack time, ask them to pay for their snacks with correct change. Use either real or play money. Also, play free online money games (see Resources).
To add a budgeting challenge, expand the money-counting game by giving each child a budgeted amount of money that he must use to purchase his snacks from the pantry. Make sure some snacks cost more than others. If he doesn't budget correctly, he must choose a less expensive, and perhaps less desirable snack, such as carrots instead of cookies.
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Budget
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A main concept of budgeting involves separating needed items from wanted items. When returning home from the grocery store, give each of your children one bag to sort. Ask them to separate their contents into two piles: necessary items and unnecessary ones. The first child to correctly finish sorting her bag receives a sticker or other prize.
Deal Hunting
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Searching for the best deals lends itself to games for older children with basic math skills. At the store, give each child a list of several items. Ask each child to choose which brand of his item to buy when it's his turn. Ask him to look at the listed prices as well as the number of ounces for each option and the cost per ounce, which is typically listed on the shelf's price sticker. A store brand will almost always be cheaper than the name brand. If a store brand bottle of juice, for example, isn't available, a larger, more expensive name-brand bottle might be a better deal if the cost per ounce is lower than that of a smaller, less expensive name-brand bottle. Make a note of each item's most and least expensive choices. At the end of the shopping trip, add up the savings gained by each child's choices and award a prize to the winner. For a more challenging twist, have the children compare the cost of the store brand with the cost of a name brand for which you have a coupon.
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References
Resources
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