Grocery Store Scavenger Hunt

by karen
(Kansas City Missouri)

Use a fun game to teach your child all sorts of things in the grocery store. Make a list of items you want your child to find in the store-even be brand specific for more of a challenge.

On some of the items, when they are found, have them write down the price next to the item, or the size/quantity amounts available for the product. Help them notice the many choices there are (especially in the pasta aisle!). They could write down all the brands which sell a particular item.

In the produce section, have them measure out certain weights of different fruits and vegetables. If they are old enough, have them figure out how much that amount will cost.

Perhaps you might write out a short recipe and its ingredients and have the child find the items (and then go home and make the recipe for extra credit:)). Have the child find an item and write down its ingredients from the side of the package. Or have them find two different cereals, for example, and compare the sugar and sodium quantities.

This game would be lots of fun for your child to do with a friend. Or, have a couple of teams, each taken with a parent. Give the kids a clip board and a pencil, and let them take off-guiding YOU through the store. Tell them you'll give them help only so many times.

Other ideas include:
-have the child write down what the aisle marker has on its list of food items for that aisle

-make a list of various foods and have the child write down what aisle they found the food on

-don't forget to include things other than food that the store sells, such as cleaning supplies or pet supplies (if you use them)

-have the child notice a few items that are sold in eye catching areas of the store-or just out of their ordinary places-such as bananas near the checkout or milk and eggs near the entrance. Ask the child why they might be there.

My Response: Wow! Those are great ideas. One of the few memories I have of elementary school is a field trip to the grocery store.

I'm assuming you let the manager know before you brought a big group into their store. I would think they would like it because it would mean more sales for them. You could even interview the manager or workers. Maybe they would give you a tour of the warehouse area too.