Kids don't play enough today. I mean good old imaginative play. There are so many benefits from it and it is a fun way to teach your child basic skills. Creative play is a great opportunity for children to work on their math skills. We have a play cash register, but you could use a toy computer or just use your imagination.
Bookstore
- All you need is a cashier and a customer and a shelf of books for this one. Have a few different prices for different sized books. Remember to make the level of difficulty age-appropriate.
Art Gallery
- Put your child's artwork up for sale in an "art gallery". You can even work on the concept of more or less by negotiating the price.
Floral Shop
- Gather up a bunch of fake flowers and have the "florist" put together bouquets to fill orders. I like to save tissue paper from presents for my son to wrap bouquets in. His favorite part is delivering the flowers and finding the correct change in his apron.
Train Station
- Help your child come up with prices for each stop. We use stuffed animals as the passengers on the train. We have a concession stand where we sell newspapers, drinks and snacks as well. This is a fun way to work on money values and telling time.
Farmer's Market
- This is great for multiple kids to play. Have a couple kids set up booths to sell their goods. Then have customers go shopping. You can even have your kids make signs for their booths. If they aren't writing yet, have them draw pictures for their signs.
