Grocery store

SPECIAL TOOL

For this theme, we have created special name tags which can be used to identify children's belongings or cubbyholes. (Open name tags-The grocery store)

CIRCLE TIME

Greet children like a cashier or store clerk would. You may choose to wear a specific shirt to make the activity that much more interesting.

Educ-chat-The grocery store

Educ-chat is a game which is made up of several different illustrations which represent subjects, verbs, and objects. They can be used to help children make complete sentences and enrich their vocabulary. (Open educ-chat-The grocery store) Print, cut out, and laminate the cards. Make three different piles (subject, verb, and object). Ask children to pick three cards, one from each pile. Have them "read" the sentence. The sentences will sometimes be quite silly but you are sure to have fun. You may also choose to place the cards yourself and have children "read" the sentences.

AREA SETUP

Educa-decorate-The grocery store

(Open educa-decorate-The grocery store) Print, cut out, and laminate. Use the illustrations to decorate the daycare walls or hang them from the ceiling to set the mood for the theme. Hang a variety of empty food containers from the ceiling using fishing wire. Set up a grocery store corner in your role play area by adding several empty food containers.

PICTURE GAME

The pictures may be used as a memory game or to spark a conversation with your group. Use them to decorate your daycare or a specific thematic corner. (Open picture game-The grocery store) Print, laminate, and store in a Ziploc bag or in your thematic bin.

WRITING ACTIVITIES

Writing sheet
(Open writing activity-G like groceries) Print for each child or laminate for use with a dry-erase marker.

Stationery-The grocery store
Use the stationery to communicate with parents, in your writing area, or even to identify your various thematic bins. (Open stationery-The grocery store)

ACTIVITY SHEETS

(Open activity sheets-The grocery store) Print for each child and follow instructions.

OBSERVATION SHEETS

(Open observation sheets-Number 10) Print for each child or laminate for use with a dry-erase marker.

EDUC-NUUDLES

(Open educa-nuudles-The grocery store) Print for each child. Have children color the sheet. Once they are done, they may use Magic Nuudles to turn their coloring page into a three-dimensional work of art. Variation: If you do not have Magic Nuudles, ask children to fill the spaces designed for the Magic Nuudles with bingo markers or stickers. To order Magic Nuudles

LANGUAGE ACTIVITIES

Word flashcards-The grocery store

The flashcards may be used to spark a conversation with your group, in your reading and writing area, or to identify your thematic bins. (Open word flashcards-The grocery store) cash register, bag, counter, basket, vegetables, fruits, meat, bread, baked goods, milk products, butcher, clerk

Picture clue story-The grocery store
(Open picture clue story-Food) Print. Sit in a circle with your group. Begin reading the story. When you reach a picture clue pause and point to the illustration. Encourage children to guess the missing word.

Sequential Story-Food
(Open sequential stories-Food) Print, laminate, and cut out. Children must place the illustrations in the correct order to recreate the story.

VARIOUS WORKSHOPS

Have fun with these wonderful workshop ideas provided by Caroline Allard.

Construction/building blocks:

• Use plastic or paper glasses to make all kinds of constructions.
• Drinking straws make great fences, pillars, or decorations.
• Different sizes of aluminum pie plates can add shine to children's creations.
• Use clean yogurt or applesauce containers instead of your usual building blocks. Ask parents to help you collect them.

Arts & crafts:

• Pasta, rice, or cereal can be used for collages.
• Grocery store flyers can be cut to create delicious meals (individual or collective project).
• Poster paint can be poured into muffin cups... and pastry brushes can be used as paintbrushes.
• Make prints using cookie cutters.
• Use various foods to make prints (cut peppers, apples, potatoes, carrots, etc.)
• Make maracas by adding seeds, pasta, or rice to a container with a lid.
• Use a variety of food containers to create various scenes.
• All crafts should use various types of foods.

Role play:

At the bakery:

• Thematic bin: cash register, pretend money, invoice booklet, pencils, measuring cups, measuring spoons, rolling pin, baking sheets, paper muffin cups, aluminum pie plates, cookie cutters, donut molds, pastry bag, large plastic bowls, wooden spoons, spatulas, egg beaters, plastic food items representing grain products, transparent containers (sealed with hot glue) containing a variety of ingredients such as flour, sugar, chocolate chips, sesame seeds, etc. Children will love using all these items and pretending they are working in a bakery. You may also add empty pie boxes, bread bags, an apron, oven mitts, and a baker's hat.
• Area setup: A box can easily become a bread oven (simply lay it on its side), a table can represent a counter for little bakers to work on...but remember to reserve a corner for the cash register!
• At the grocery store:
  Thematic bin: cash register, pretend money, empty food boxes (cans, pasta boxes, cereal boxes, milk cartons, yogurt containers, etc.), baskets, reusable bags, paper bags, plastic fruits and vegetables, signs which can be used to identify the food items on the shelves, flyers, a uniform or large shirt, a white smock, a hairnet, utensils, plastic meat products, fish, and bread.
  • Area setup: Set the cash register on a table in a corner and place another table next to it to represent the counter. Set up shelves and arrange food items on them. Children can take turns playing various roles.

Manipulation:

• Memory game related to food using educatall.com illustrations or a store-bought version related to the theme.
• Puzzles related to the theme.
• Brightly-coloured or fruit-scented modeling dough can be used to make fruits, vegetables, or any other food item.
• Food shapes for lacing.
• Real pots and pans, kitchen utensils, and instruments which can be manipulated by children.
• Colourful pasta pieces can be used to create bracelets or necklaces.
• Plastic or real vegetables or fruit can be arranged in order, from smallest to biggest or sorted by colour.
• Small containers with various scents: fruit, spices, coffee, etc.

Pre-reading:

• Books related to food, books about professions related to the food industry, picture books.
• Recipe books.
• Laminated recipe cards.
• Sequential stories (recipes for example).

Pre-writing:

• Maze activities.
• Hunt and seek activities.
• Various activity sheets related to the theme.
• Games with educatall.com's word flashcards.
• Words which can be traced (apple, banana, bread, etc.)

Motor skills:

• Children can complete an obstacle course while carrying a carrot, a banana, or any other food item.
• Relay race with an egg in a spoon (real or plastic).
• Treasure hunt. Children search for ingredients for a specific recipe.

Sensory bins:

• Container filled with cereal, measuring spoons, kitchen utensils, measuring cups, etc.
• Container filled with pasta or colourful rice along with kitchen utensils.
• Container filled with water and dishwashing liquid. After all, dishes must be washed after baking!
• Container filled with a variety of legumes. They are so colourful!
• This theme offers endless possibilities! Use whatever you have on hand. Children love exploring new things!

Kitchen:

• Fun recipes are welcome for this theme: a cake, cookies, fruit salad, etc. Choose recipes which require several ingredients so that each child can participate!
• Taste a variety of new and unknown food items with your group (beware of allergies)!
• Explore various tastes (salty, sweet, sour, etc.)

Early science:

• Magnifying glasses and transparent containers filled with a variety of seeds or condiments.
• Vegetable seeds children can observe, associate, and plant!
• A kitchen scale and a variety of food items. Children can weigh food items to discover, for example, that an apple is heavier than a banana.
• Have children search for a butterfly and a star in an apple. Discuss the oxidization phenomenon.
• Hot (oven) and cold (refrigerator or freezer).
• Show children how celery stalks change color when deposited in a glass filled with water and food coloring.
• At snack time, explore exotic fruit.
• Use food items (blueberries, beets, mustard seeds, etc.) to dye pieces of white cotton.

TRANSITION ACTIVITIES

It's my spot
(Open game-This is my spot-The grocery store) Print two copies of each illustration. Deposit one illustration on the table and cover it with Mac-Tac. Place the other copy in a bag. Children take turns picking an illustration to determine their spot at the table for the day. You can also use them to determine naptime spots or their place in the task train.

ACTIVITIES FOR BABIES

My grocery bag
Fill a grocery bag with a variety of empty food containers. Let babies explore the various shapes, colors, etc. They will enjoy emptying and filling the bag (be sure to have a few extra bags on hand). For extra durability, you may fill cardboard boxes with newspaper and seal them with adhesive tape.

Fruits and vegetables
Let babies explore a variety of fruits and vegetables. Let them smell them, touch them, manipulate them... even taste them!

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND MOTOR SKILLS

Metallic towers
Ask parents to help you collect as many metal cans as possible. Organize different contests for the children in your group (the tallest tower, the fastest team to pile up X number of cans, etc.) Note: Certain can openers leave a sharp edge behind. Simply add adhesive tape (duck tape) to the edges to make them safe for little hands. You can also wrap the cans in pretty paper for a touch of color!

Packages
Ask your local grocer for cardboard boxes. Let children play with the boxes as they please. They will spend hours building tunnels, houses, towers, etc.

Lacing vegetables
(Open lacing-Fruits and vegetables) Print, laminate, and punch holes around the contour of the fruits and vegetables. Deposit them on a table along with shoelaces or ribbon. Let children lace the shapes.

Vegetable hop
(Open games-garden) Print six copies. Laminate the illustrations and arrange them on the floor so that children can hop on identical illustrations (from one cabbage to another cabbage for example). Children must hop on the vegetable you name, without touching the other vegetables. Name a different vegetable and children change their route. Variation: Deposit the same quantity of each vegetable as the number of children in your group (6 children=6 of each vegetable). Play music. When the music stops, children must run to the vegetable you call out.

Musical food
Sit in a circle with your group. To the sound of music, children pass food items around the circle, one at a time. When the music stops, the child holding the item keeps it. Continue with the other food items. At the end of the activity, children count their items. Determine which child has the most vegetables, the most milk products, etc.

Don't drop the potatoes!
One child curls up in a ball, with his hands under his thighs. He becomes a bag of potatoes. Two or three other children pull him by the legs to the area where potato bags are stored. Children will all want a chance to be the bag of potatoes!

Food hunt
Pictograms are available in the educatall club. Hide a variety of food items within the daycare (pictograms or plastic food items). Children must collect the items associated to one of the food groups. Unhealthy food items must be ignored. You may also ask children to collect vegetables only, for example.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Hit the target!
Make pyramids using metal cans. Children throw a ball to make the cans fall down. They will want to try over and over again! This activity can be done indoors, but it is very noisy!

Fruit salad
Divide your group into two teams and have them stand on two lines, facing each other. Deposit a ball or another object in the centre, between the two teams. Associate a fruit to each player from the first team. Associate the same fruits to the players of the second team. Name a fruit. The two corresponding players must run to the centre of the circle and try to grab the ball before running back to their team. The child who succeeds is awarded a point for his team and so on!

I am hungry!
One child plays the role of the ogre. He is very hungry. The ogre crawls around the daycare. The other children are healthy foods. They must avoid being eaten (touched) by the ogre. When the ogre eats (touches) a food, the other child becomes an ogre too. He must crawl around the daycare, attempting to eat (touch) the other food items. The game continues until there is nothing left to eat!

Orange, lemon, lime
Children move around the yard. When you say "orange", they must walk quickly. When you say "lemon", they must walk slowly, whereas when you say "lime", they must stop. You may also delimit a territory with a start and finish line.

MUSICAL AND RYTHMIC ACTIVITIES

When I go to the grocery store...
Sit in a circle with your group. Begin the activity by saying, "When I go to the grocery store, I put ...... in my basket." (name a food item) The first player repeats your food item and adds one more. This activity can be done with plastic food items to help children recall the items chosen by the other players.

Pots and pans band
Provide metal pots and pans, plastic containers, and utensils. Organize a parade around the yard.

COGNITIVE ACTIVITIES

Educ-shadows-The grocery store
(Open educ-shadows-The grocery store) Print and laminate for durable, eco-friendly use. Children must draw a line to the shadow which corresponds to each illustration using a dry-erase marker.

Educ-differences-The grocery store
(Open educ-differences-The grocery store) Print and laminate for durable, eco-friendly use. Children must identify the differences between the two illustrations and circle them with a dry-erase marker.

Educ-math-The grocery store
(Open educ-math-The grocery store) Print and laminate for durable, eco-friendly use. Children must count the objects in each rectangle and circle the corresponding number.

Educ-same and different-The grocery store
(Open educ-same and different-The grocery store) Print and laminate for durable, eco-friendly use. Children must circle the illustration which is different in each row.

Memory game-The grocery store
(Open story and memory game-The grocery store) Print twice, cut out, and laminate the pictures. Place the cards face down on the floor. You may glue the illustrations on cardboard to make them stronger. Children take turns trying to turn over identical cards.

Number and letter hunt
(Open poster-Apple alphabet) or (Open cans-numbers 0 to 9) Print and laminate. Give each child a grocery store flyer. Pick a letter or number card. Show your group the card. Children must search for the letter or number in their flyer and circle it. You can continue the game until all the cards have been picked... or as long as your group is interested!

I sort, I associate
Use items which can be found at the grocery store to practice sorting and associating (by color, by size, by use, by food group, etc.) with your group.

Food bingo
(Open bingo-Food) Print, laminate, and store in a small box. Play bingo with your group.

The correct group
Deposit four paper grocery bags on the floor. Glue a poster which represents one of the food groups on each bag. Add a fifth bag and glue a poster which represents treats on it. Provide a large quantity of plastic food items and invite children to deposit them in the correct bag. We have prepared posters for this activity. (Posters-Food groups) Print.

Egg carton
Pour several buttons into an egg carton. Ask children to sort them by color, shape, number of holes, etc.

Where does food come from?
(Open association game-food) Print and laminate. Using Velcro, children associate the cards to the correct origin.

Story and memory game-Food
(Open story and memory game-Food) Print, cut out, and laminate the pictures. Place the cards face down on the floor. Children pick three cards and invent a story in relation to the illustrations. Trick: To solidify the cards, glue each illustration onto the top of a frozen juice can. Variation: Print the pictures twice and use as a memory game.

MORAL AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

The grocery store
(Open price list) Print and laminate. Set up a cash register and let children take turns playing the role of the cashier. The other children can pretend to purchase food items. They can fill a bag with the items they want and then go to the checkout counter to pay for them. Some children may prefer to be store clerks. Tell them stores must be tidy in order to ensure that customers find what they are looking for. They can place items on shelves and use dusters. (Open pretend money)

I choose the right foods
(Open I eat well) Print. You can laminate the cards or place them in small plastic bags to protect them. Arrange the cards face down on the table. Give each child a paper plate. The object of the game is to build a complete meal. Children take turns turning a card. If the card belongs to a food group they do not have in their plate, they take the card and deposit it in their plate. If they already have an item from the same food group in their plate, they put the card back in its place, face down. The first child to fill his plate wins. Variation: You may also add cards with treats on them. Whenever a child picks one of these cards, he must skip his turn.

Food game
Sit in a circle. Deposit several different food items in the centre of the circle. You may use plastic food items (fruits, vegetables, meat, cheese, bread, etc.) or empty food containers (yogurt, applesauce, pasta, candy, etc.) Show children a poster which represents one of the food groups. Encourage them to pick a food item which belongs in this food group. (Open posters-food groups)

THEMATIC BINS

Cook
(Open poster-Cook) Glue the poster on a thematic bin or use it to decorate your daycare. Include the following items in a thematic bin: apron, oven mitts, sieve, utensils, pots, pans, rolling pin, salt and pepper shakers, tablecloth, egg beater, wooden spoon, funnels, measuring cups, measuring spoons, etc.

Grocer
(Open poster-Grocer) Glue the poster on a thematic bin or use it to decorate your daycare. Include the following items in a thematic bin: cash register, pretend money, pencils, brown paper bags, empty containers (egg cartons, milk cartons, pasta boxes, etc.), a kitchen scale, plastic food items, aprons, etc.

Baker
(Open poster-Baker) Glue the poster on a thematic bin or use it to decorate your daycare. Include the following items in a thematic bin: apron, oven mitts, utensils, cake pans, rolling pin, flour, sugar bowl, egg beater, wooden spoons, measuring cups, measuring spoons, etc.

Florist
(Open poster-Florist) Glue the poster on a thematic bin or use it to decorate your daycare. Include the following items in a thematic bin: plastic or fabric flowers, vases, ribbon, cards, adhesive tape, scissors, order forms, cash register, telephone, wrapping paper, pretend money, etc.

ACTIVITIES INVOLVING PARENTS

Grocery store visit
Visit your local grocery store. Invite parents to join you. Identify the fruit and vegetables section, the cheese section, the baked goods, etc. If you ask your grocer, you may even be able to visit the meat department or the bakery.

Calling all parents
Ask parents to provide empty food containers (cereal boxes, plastic containers, milk cartons, etc.) Children will love playing with them throughout the theme.

EARLY SCIENCE/EXPLORATION/MANIPULATION

Crack! Pop! Crunch!
Have children eat a variety of foods and help them notice the sounds their mouth makes.

Learning to measure
Fill a container with rice and add measuring cups, a variety of containers, and utensils. Deposit a few empty containers on the table next to it. Slide rubber bands around them to indicate how much rice must be added to each. Once children have filled all the containers to the indicated level, have them place them in order, from the least full to the fullest. Children will enjoy manipulating, pouring, and measuring throughout this activity.

Milk explosion
You will need milk, food coloring, dishwashing liquid, toothpicks, and a large bowl for this experiment. Pour milk into the bowl until the bottom of the bowl is completely covered. Add a few drops of food coloring. The drops mustn't touch each other. Dip the toothpick in dishwashing liquid. With the toothpick, touch each drop of food coloring in the milk. Children will be amazed by the colourful fireworks. Explanation: When you touch the milk with the toothpick, you weaken the surface tension and cause an undulation which in turn causes the colors to mix.

My vegetable garden
Let each child plant seeds in a certain area of the garden (or in a large container). Let children care for their vegetable garden regularly.

Quick experiment

• Combine baking soda and vinegar.
• Combine flour and water.
• Melt sugar in hot water, then in cold water.

How can we use these mixtures? Describe the texture of each mixture.

The importance of water
Purchase dried fruit or vegetables (used for soups). Deposit them in a transparent container and fill it with water. Children will understand the concept of dehydration and rehydration. Leave apple or orange slices out to dry. Eat dried fruit at snack time. Water plants with your group and explain the importance of water. End the activity by offering each child a tall glass of water to drink.

CULINARY ACTIVITIES

Vegetable man
Provide carrots (sliced, grated, sticks), celery, (sticks, with leaves), peas (in pods), lettuce, green pepper, parsley, potatoes, and cucumbers. Invite children to create their own unique vegetable man.

ARTS & CRAFTS

Coupons
(Open models-coupons) Provide several grocery store flyers and construction paper. Ask children to make their own coupons, just like the ones often found in flyers. You may also print our models and have children color them.

My shopping bag
Give each child a brown paper bag. Let them decorate their bag as they wish. They can use it when they pretend to go grocery shopping throughout the theme or to bring their crafts home at the end of the week.

Food groups
(Open posters-food groups) Present the food groups to the children in your group. Display the posters on the wall. Provide grocery store flyers, labels from various food items, bags, etc. Invite children to associate each one to the correct food group. They can glue them around the posters.

Crumpled food
Collect several pictures of food items. Let each child select one picture. Provide tissue paper. Let them tear the tissue paper, crumple it into tiny balls, and glue it on their food item.

Modeling dough food
Encourage children to sculpt various foods with modeling dough.

Veggie-paint
Cover a table with a paper tablecloth. Use the items children sculpted in the previous activity to make prints on the tablecloth. Simply dip them in poser paint and gently press them on the paper. You may also use real vegetables. A celery heart, when cut at the base, looks like a rose. An apple will look like a star, etc.

Spaghetti paint
Cook spaghetti and drain well. Dip the pasta in poster paint and use it to paint on paper.

Mr. Potato
Give each child a potato and colourful toothpicks. Prepare a platter of food items they can use to make characters. A few suggestions are: marshmallows, banana pieces, dried raisins, apple slices, grapes, strawberries, etc. Children will love this activity!

COLORING PAGES

(Open coloring pages theme-The grocery store) Print for each child.

CREATIVE COLORING PAGES

(Open creative coloring-The grocery store) Print for each child. Invite children to fill their grocery basket.

SONGS & RHYMES

At the grocery store

by: Patricia Morrison

sung to: A farmer in the dell

A shopping we will go
A shopping we will go
See you at the grocery store
A shopping we will go

Fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables
Take your pick, fill your basket
With fruits and vegetables

Nutritious grains and meat
Nutritious grains and meat
For breakfast, lunch, and dinner too
Nutritious grains and meat

Milk and milk products
Milk and milk products
Yogurt, cheese, and ice cream too
Milk and milk products

At the grocery store
At the grocery store
Find everything you need and more
At the grocery store

Have fun!

The Educatall team