Homeschooling at the Grocery Store

Hello All!
Today I wanted to share with you my Quick Tips for homeschooling at the grocery store.

Toddlers/Preschoolers:
Ask them the colors of the fruits and veggies.
Ask them to identify various foods. “Do you know what this is?”  When they get it right, praise them AND say back the name of the food.  If they get it wrong, still tell them the name of the food “Close, it’s actually a ____”
“This is a B-B-Banana.  What letter does BANANA start with?” “What was the last sound you heard when I said the word banana?”

Elementary:
Read Labels “What brand is THIS yogurt?”  “What flavor is this?”
Read Isle Labels. “What isle number is the cereal in?  Cereal starts with a C-e-r-…Can you find it?”
Simple Math:  “These are 4/$1.  How much would one cost?”

Older Kids:
Pricing–
Have them weigh cantaloupes, melons, bananas, etc.  “This cantaloupe costs 80 cents per pound.  Can you weigh it and let me know how much it will cost?”  If you have one that struggles with two step math facts, work with them.  Bring a notebook and pencil so they can work the problems out right there in the store.
“How many pounds of meat will we need if we are serving XX people and each person eats about half of a pound?”
“I’d like 36 oz. of cereal.  How many of these 18oz boxes would I need to get to equal 36oz?”
Keep these older kids reading too!
“Hey can you read the ingredient list to me on that jug of orange juice?”
“Can you check to be sure there isn’t any Red #40 in this box of crackers?”

I know there are tons of other ways to learn at the grocery store, and I am so thankful that we have a grocery store who gladly accepts our homeschoolers coming in and taking their sweet time to explore and learn.  The manager has even given us an impromptu field trip to the back of the store to see the boiler system and how they heat the store!

I try to take the kids during non-peak hours, so we aren’t holding anyone up.  An hour before closing is usually a pretty slow time.  We avoid the hours of 4-7, because it’s just swamped then!

Do you have any Schooin’ in the Grocery Store tips to share?  Post them in the comments section!