Let's go to the Grocery Store to Learn!

One of my favorite places on the planet to visit is Costco! From the cheaper bulk canned cold brew coffees, the amazing dad clothes, of course the samples, and the fact that my whole family can eat for under $10, what’s not to like?? That being said, it can be easy to get “Costcoed” as I like to say, when all those deals add up to more than you thought when you get up to the register … That’s beside the point! My new favorite thing about going there though is the game my kids and I have started playing. We don’t have a name for it yet, but the objective of the game is to find the most expensive item on each aisle. They read the price tags, rounding the price to the nearest whole dollar to find the item that costs the most. Jensen really enjoys playing this game, and Logan is starting to pick up on it, although he still likes to mimic his big sister, which is still good practice! They have been begging me to play each time we go to the store, showing that they look forward to and enjoy the challenge and don’t see it as me tricking them into an academic activity.   

While playing this game I’ve made a few observations. For one, the kids have been so engaged with the game that they have not argued with each other, which is helpful! It’s also been a way to inject quality time with them while still getting the shopping done. As an added bonus, it also allows Mrs. Ziegler to zero in on getting all of the groceries while I push the cart. The kids are fully engaged in not only finding the most expensive item on each aisle, but also in the entire store. Needless to say this has made family grocery store time enriching and enjoyable for all! 

Along with the Costco game I have read about and tried a plethora of activities to engage my kids in those types of short and quick activities, such as the classic find the letters in alphabetical order on signs when driving, finding things outside that start with a specific letter or rhyming word while on a walk, or estimating and counting the number of goats in our neighbors yard on our way to school each day. There are so many ways to infuse those types of games, and they really do make a difference in helping students make real life connections to what they are learning in school. As stated above, these activities come with the added bonus of connected conversations with your children in a world that is becoming increasingly distracted. I’ve listed some ideas below to help spark some ideas for you to try!

• Have your child practice telling you directions to get home, like which way to turn next.
• Practice rounding the price of items in the grocery store to the nearest dollar.
• Go on a walk and find things that start with specific letter sounds.
• For older students, create a set budget and have them mark down items they could buy after adding all of the prices together. They could also write their starting budget number and subtract as they go. 
• For younger students, find things outside that are specific colors when riding in the car. You could also say to find 5 things in the grocery store that are a certain color or start with a specific letter sound. 
• Make a fraction of how many neighbors will have their garage door open when you get back to your street. 
• Have your child practice saying your address each time you get in the car. You can also have them practice your phone number. 
• Play Wordle with your child while waiting to get a haircut (or in a waiting room), or even create their own to play on a piece of paper.
• Practice elapsed time in the car, talking about how long the trip will take and what time google maps says you will arrive. Everyone spends time in the car, and talking about those skills regularly will help students gain an understanding of elapsed time! 

These are just a few ideas to help you get started. The takeaway from this article is to highlight the importance of utilizing and looking for moments outlined above to help your child develop a sense of real world application of the things they are learning. This can be achieved by allowing your child to take part in the regular tasks you are completing. I hope this is helpful to you and your family!