Do you have a toddler that gets just as excited about going to the grocery store as they do about going to an amusement park? Then this the perfect fun and free dramatic play activity to recreate at home. Plus, this activity requires the use of recycled materials, which makes it a great opportunity to expose kids to eco-friendly practices. Eco-friendly dramatic play... is that a thing? Can I make it a thing? Anyhow, let's get started!
Step 1: Consume contents of groceries per usual.
Step 2: Save packaging of food products
(items that come in cardboard boxes, plastic jars, milk jugs, etc)
Step 3: Use your imagination to bring the empty packages back to life by making them look and feel realistic! Check out this post for a complete walk-through of that process.
Step 4: Give kid small reusable bags to bag their groceries.
*Note: you don't have to shop at Lululemon to find this size bag, I found a handful of them at my local thrift store for 50 cents each*
Step 5: If you have any foreign currency- or know a friend that has traveled overseas and has leftover currency to spare- slap some clear contact paper over bills to prevent them from tearing easily. Then, give your kiddo their play money! The range of currency bills is a lot more fun for kids more than the boring grey bills at toy stores. Heck, the colors even excite me as an adult! Anyhow, the colors are also a way to throw in some color vocabulary and recognition. A few spare dollars from board games will also work. Next, lend them a wallet you're not using.
Step 6: Look through your wallet and find any old gift cards (which, by the way, have to be recycled in specific places, NOT in your recycling bin). Give them to your kid to use as pretend credit cards.
Step 7 (optional): If you have a few bucks to spare, hit up your local thrift store for a toy cash register. I actually found two at my local Savers and one of them still had working batteries!
Voila! There you have it folks, now get going turning your living room into a grocery store! Drop a comment below, sharing what recyclables you're able to give a second life to!
Sincerely, Briesh
P.S. Stay Conscious + Curious
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