30 Ways Your Kids Can Learn While You Grocery Shop

I was homeschooled before it was cool. Anyone else like me out there? You told the clerk at Walmart that you were on a field trip when they asked you why you weren’t in school?

Well, now that I’m a homeschooling mom myself, I’m realizing that wasn’t so far-fetched. There is an awful lot that can be learned at the grocery store! I’ve come up with thirty ways – how many more can you add?

1. Write the PLU numbers on the tags from the bulk bins. (writing)
2. Weigh your produce. (math)
3. Put a prescribed number of items in your cart. (math)
4. Keep track of your items for Buy 10 type sales. (math)
5. Figure out which brand is cheapest. (math)
6. Push a second cart because you have too many kids in the first one. (driver’s ed)
7. Tell you how much a certain item will be after a coupon. (math)
8. Tell you how much a certain item will be after a doubled coupon. (math)
9. Identify items in the produce section. (health)
10. Look at where an item is grown in the produce section. (geoography)
11. Figure out whether the small, medium, or large package is the best deal. (math)
12. Cross things off your list. (reading)
13. Re-organize your list, grouping like items together. (reading)
14. Check for coupons in your coupon box. (reading)
15. Look for the latest-dated milk (and check the milk price tracker to see who has the best price on milk!). (math)
16. Keep a running total of your bill. (math)
17. Figure out which items will have sales tax and which won’t. (math, critical thinking)
18. Compute how many fuel points you will earn based on your final bill, and how much it will save you if you fill up with X gallons. (math)
19. Ask an employee where to find something. (communication)
20. Put the shopping cart away. (responsibility)
21. Keep track of a smaller child. (responsibility)
22. Check for broken eggs. (thoroughness)
23. Enter your phone number for your store savings card. (life skills)
24. Compare ingredient lists to find the best-quality products.  (reading, health, critical thinking)
25. Run the self-checkout machine.  (technology)
26. Choose a reward to be received upon good behaviour.  (negotiation, debate)
27. Discuss why you’re waiting to purchase a certain item because it’s not on sale.  (critical thinking)
28. Name the animal that different types of meat come from (ie, pork = pig, beef = cow). (science)
29. Talk about why you might be buying one item organic but not another.  (health)
30. Figure out the percentage discount of something that’s on sale. (math)

How many more can you add?