Keeping kids occupied during grocery shopping

KayleezMom · **Keeping kids occupied during grocery shopping**

I saw this on a website and thought it was a neat idea and just thought I would share...

My daughter hated grocery shopping until I made her a part of it. I covered the labels of foods we buy often with laminate and punched a hole in the top corner and connected them all with a ring. Now I tell her to find the picture of what we are looking for. She then can help me match the labels. She looks forward to shopping now

goin24/7 · 05-06-2007, 09:39 AM

Great idea! Thanks for sharing

Stacey Chambers · 05-06-2007, 09:46 AM

That's a good idea. When my dd was a toddler I would give her a crayon and let her color on the boxes & cans of food. Now I have her help me get them off the shelves & put in the baskets. We play spelling games with the food.

Jodie · 05-06-2007, 01:02 PM

Great idea!!!!

Jellylou · 05-06-2007, 01:23 PM

That's awesome!! My son never sits still when we go shopping. I may have to try that!

Lucky Mom · 05-06-2007, 01:50 PM

Very cute! Very smart! I may have to try that! Thanks for the tip!

-Lucky

jlkhorn · 05-06-2007, 11:29 PM

Great idea! Our grocery store recently got some smaller carts, I think for people getting a few more things than a basket will hold but not enough for a full cart. But, they are the PERFECT size for dd (5). Now when we go shopping I get my cart and she gets hers. She even takes a baby doll and puts her in the seat. She gets to find certain things and put them in her cart. She loves to pick out the bananas, cereal, juice, and she must always put the chocolate milk in her cart. Once I had a gift card with a remaining balance of just about what was in her cart. I gave it to her and let her go through the check out and pay all by herself. She was so excited.

proudnvywf · **my 1 true fear...**

My kids aren't to bad at Target, Wal-mart, heck even home depot. They see the grocery store (commisarry) and well... they lose it.

My husband deploys in 2 wks and I have already formed a coup with other ladies that have the same problem.. Its not that they are really bad kids they are just well.. kids. And they want everything they see.

Thank you for the label idea! Found some other ideas in the Family Fun magazine. Hoping it will help me because lord knows within 6mths I am going to have to go out with them.

One idea was have different small pictures of items from the grocery store put on a card like Bingo. When they see it or you find it.. they put something on the item. When someone wins they switch cards (or you have back-ups) and start over. Could use this for different sections of stores. Trying to do this one...

I can't remember any of the others. But the 1 thing I do at say Target (my favorite place ever!) Is they have that bargian shelves at the front of the store and I let each child pick out 1 item... I can afford 3 bucks for quiet. And sometimes they have 2/1 and I really push those things.
If they start acting up I tell them if they don't stop we will put back their prize. Stops them. And after several trips of this I let the girls pick out a toy from the toys section. I don't do it every time because... as we all know they will expect it when we are broke! eheheh

If anyone has any other grocery store ideas. I am really really in need!!!

OHmom · 05-11-2007, 06:40 PM

Some of the grocery stores near me offer a supervised play area for toddlers. My son loves it, they have Thomas the Train, videos and crafts to work on. I think it's a great idea and now my DS looks forward to going grocery shopping! Although he misses his free cheese from the deli department.

proudnvywf · 05-11-2007, 07:43 PM

That is a brillant idea! All stores should do that. I would spend more on my groceries if it could be stress-free! Keep them busy...

As it stands I have about 5 people and 3 babysitters in line so hopefully I won't ever have to take them. need that break time! heheh

This is sad cause I can load them all up in a car, drive 3000+ miles and it doesn't even phase me. Ask me to take them or someone take their kids to the store? I start to panic! LOL