If you have pretend food items in your play kitchen then you need these Pretend Play Shopping Lists for kids! The wooden and plastic pretend food that goes with our play kitchen is a disaster! It’s usually all over the floor and it makes me want to walk right back out of the room or throw it all away, however, we use it for so many things all of the time that I keep it around.
We’ve used our play food to:
- sorting – shape, color, type, size
- develop language skills
- social skills
- put into our miniature shopping cart
- “cook” with it in the play kitchen
DIY Grocery Store Dramatic Play Center
We made our own inexpensive pretend play grocery store in few simple steps.
- For the bottom part of the grocery store shelves, we bought two shoe organizers, turned them on their sides, and attached them together with small screws.
- We attached a piece of wood to the top.
- Clear shoe containers were a great way to organize the food on the shelves.
- We added price tags (local grocery stores can give you extras).
- A 3M hook is on the side for hanging a shopping bag and we made a store sign (not pictured).
The play store has brought us hours of imaginative play!
Different Things We Added to the Pretend Grocery Store
- The Melissa and Doug Grocery Cart is sturdy and a great addition to our free play. We use it everyday.
- We stumbled upon a wooden conveyor belt that you could crank by hand. I can’t find anything like it to link to, but it wasn’t used very much.
- We added our toy cash register that we already had.
This is a fun grocery store, but sometimes you need something extra and exciting to do with ALL of that toy food you’ve invested in, which is why I made these printable shopping lists. You could also use this set of printables at the grocery store as a scavenger hunt, an i-spy game, or an interactive shopping list.
These free Pretend Play Shopping Lists for kids have spiced up the kids’ pretend play in the kitchen and grocery store! and helps create a print-rich environment in our play area.
I laminated them so they can check things off of the list using dry erase markers and then reuse them in their imaginary play.
The Pretend Play Shopping Lists for kids are a fun way to practice these skills:
- matching
- counting
- visual discrimination
- listening skills
- beginning reading
- having fun
Your child will have so much fun collecting the grocery items on the list and put them in their shopping basket or bags. Cross the item off if it is out of stock (you don’t have that play food item). Watch your child’s creativity as they take on different roles of the shopper or grocery store worker.
Download and Print the Pretend Play Shopping List
Why is Pretend Play Important?
Here are some more pretend play themes that young children enjoy:
- Play Vet’s Office
- Doctor’s Office
- School
- Superhero
- Princess
- Animals/Zoo
It doesn’t have to be a fancy or store bought set up. Use cardboard boxes to set it up and let your kids draw and create any details they want on them. The more they are involved in the creation, the better!
Rebecca
Sunday 4th of April 2021
love it
Nicole
Sunday 4th of April 2021
Thanks!
Heather
Monday 4th of November 2019
Tomato is a fruit.
Nicole
Tuesday 5th of November 2019
True! Good catch. Luckily, the error didn't effect my toddler's play.
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fivebucksameal
Thursday 28th of June 2012
These are great! I've heard of having picture grocery lists to get kids to help when you are shopping, but I think grocery lists for a play kitchen is even better!!