Prep time: 10mins; activity duration: 20-30mins for kids aged 4-8
As a father of two formerly small humans I can recall their excitement as younger kids about sweets, sweet shops, and receiving money. Now it’s just a contractual expectation.
This little activity lets you combine all three but on your terms, whilst encouraging your little angels to flex their numeracy and budgeting skills without even realising it, and feel all grown-up, empowered and independent.
The idea – give your kid(s) a small amount of money (20p/50p) each to spend in your amazing ‘tuck’ shop full of tasty snack wares. It’s probably all food you were intending on giving them anyway. Just don’t tell them that!
It’s your shop – you control the inventory, but in the interest of nutritional balance – you really need a good breadth of food types here – not just sweets/candy, crisps (potato chips) and chocolate bars, so really give some thought to what healthier options your salivating munchkin offspring might also enjoy – fruit (banana, apple, satsuma, cherry tomatoes, grapes) raisons? Bread sticks, rice cakes or crackers? Crudites – carrots, cucumber, pepper, celery sticks? (probably not the celery eh).sorry, we’re out of those
Mmm doughnuts!
That’s a shame – looks like some of these are past their use by date…
Don’t skimp on the fruit!
Bananas – nature’s Kit Kat.
pricing to sell
My advice is don’t price the sugary sweet treats too low – or your canny kiddiewink will almost certainly work out they can blow the lot on 30 chocolate bourbons.
Inversely, assign a low rice to some foods they may not be overly excited about to represent compelling value “Wow I could get six grapes for the same price as one more cookie.”
Be sure to price anything you don’t want them to eat two of so it’s numerically impossible to buy two with the money they have – (italicse example) eg if you give them 20p/20cents – price the carton drink (juice box) at 12p, alternatively maybe there’s only one in the Tuck Shop!
If you really must have something priced at 1p/1 cent ensure its nutritionally inconsequential or your little darling really will load their pockets on these bargain items.
Like all good salesfolk you can always helpfully steer your kiddie customers in the direction of the irresistable offers and help them out with any tricky arithmetic.
spillage in aisle 9
Of course, the shop roleplay can be extended as much or as little as you want and combined with any other toy food, tills, trolleys, outfits etc, or even a crafting project. Those menus sure are looking a little worn, and would definitely benefit from some squiggly crayon (mis)representations of food.
Maybe Dad’s Tasty Tuck Shop also needs a reward card for the next visit – collect 10 stamps and you get a free rice cake!
Now there’s an offer no kid could turn down.
Moderate
2+
20 mins
Easy
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