we take quite a few field trips to the grocery store, and Big Girl is catching on that this isn't exactly the *fun* field trip i've led her to believe. but, i explained to her, if we want snacks, toilet paper, and Band-Aids, [and we do want all those things] then going to the grocery store is a must.
this is one of the ways i turn a trip to the grocery store a *fun* field trip where she is learning and helping.
1) i draw pictures of 8-10 items that we need from the grocery store. this is Big Girl's list.
2) i tell her that i need a helper to find these things and that we couldn't leave the store until we had found them all.
3) i give her the list with drawings and a pen, and the learning and helping begin!
she took her job as Mama's Grocery Store Helper very seriously. aisle after aisle she would look for the things on her list, crossing them off after placing them in the basket, and then counting how many items were left on the list. she was counting, reading, subtracting, and identifying objects. she even drew in some groceries that i needed but that weren't on her list. AND she was really helping me, reminding me the things left on the list! it was a win-win.
i can imagine dozens of other opportunities for learning at the grocery store: money management, couponing, fractions, weight, recipes, and more reading, to name a few. not to mention manners, patience, and social skills.
where are your children learning and helping? are there other things you do at the grocery store to sneak in little lessons? i'd love to hear about how you turn errands into field trips!
more Thirsty Thursday is at Five J's today and every Thursday. check it out for tips and ideas for quenching our children's thirst for knowledge.
