Create a kid-friendly grocery list so the kid can help with the shopping

Image credit: Jonahlisa

Jonah Lisa's smart trick for grocery shopping with her little one:

I've been using this little game with my preschooler for a few weeks now and it has tamed the savage grocery store beast.

After I get my grocery list done, I flip it over and draw various items from the list on the back (quick and simple drawings). I try to choose items from throughout the store and I draw them in the order they will appear. Then I grab the crayons and color them in. I explain to my preschooler that one side of the list is mine and one side is his and that it's his "job" to keep a look-out and find the grocery items on his list.

This little game keeps him occupied and well-behaved for our entire trip to the store.

I'm impressed with your quick and easy drawings! I think it might be easier if the little person has a separate list, though -- I know my kid would lose it in about five seconds. If you add words, this would be a great activity for an early reader, too.

Related: Plastic bag "balloons" keep kids distracted while grocery shopping

Comments

[Laura Cooley]

I love this idea. I could never draw the items that nice. I wonder if I could find some food stickers. Might be a good idea to write the name of the item so he learn to read too.

[hedra]

Mine just 'read' my list, because they already noticed that this is THE list (if I try to mess with it or hand them another, they smell a trick... so maybe start this before age 2 or so, if you can!).

The rule for the list is that I have to be able to look at it when I need to, and if they either lose track of it or try to refuse me access at request, they don't get to have it the rest of the trip.

Wish I'd thought of drawing pictures, though. Picture plus words is a standard for our house rules lists, so why not for the groceries?! D'oh!

[LeAnn]

I used the back of my list for learning the alphabet. In between items, I would write a letter on the back of the list, we would repeat it several times, then find items on that isle that started with that letter or had that letter on the package somewhere. I also used it teach the spellings of all our names. I started this about 15 months when my daughter started really putting words together. At 4, she still likes to play the letter game at the store, but now she's responsible for writing the letters and finding the items. After we find an item, I write the rest of the word next to her letter, then we sound it out and she identifies the letters in the word.

In addition to the list game, we have a mini dry erase board that goes everywhere with us. She loves to draw pictures of the things we need from the store. She calls this her list.

[Monica Hall]

What a great tip! I wish i had found this when my boys were toddlers. :)

[tracy]

For those of us who are 'art challenged' - you can use pictures cut from grocery store sale fliers.