What can possibly be more fun than taking the kids grocery shopping with you? Well, yes, pretty much anything. Since sometimes we simply have no choice but to bring along our little proteges, we may as well make it as fun as possible. Distraction is key. To help you out a little, I've put together a few ideas of grocery store scavenger hunts for all ages! Yee-ha!
Grocery List Scavenger Hunt
Even if you don't have readers and writers yet, this one is great because it helps you approach the task of shopping as a team. Kids love to be helpful if you let them.
Keep a list in the kitchen during the week and add items that you need before your shopping trip. If your children have yet to master their letters, have them draw pictures of things to find once you hit the store.
Hit the store with the list and a pencil, crayon or fun stickers.
Put the kids in charge. As you find your items together, have them mark off what you put into the cart.
Bonus rule. If it's NOT on the list. It does NOT go into the cart. This will save you money and begging angst.
Color Scavenger Hunt
A grocery store scavenger color hunt is super easy and is a good one for the youngsters. It may seem silly and simple but it keeps their attention focused on things other than making you nuts.
Before you reach the store, have kids use crayons on a blank sheet and draw dots with their favorite colors.
As you travel the store aisles, have your child mark each time they see their colors. This is especially fun in the produce area because fruits and veggies are like walking through a rainbow!
Once you are done shopping, tally how many times they saw each color.
Letter Scavenger Hunt
Sometimes we get so caught up in life that we forget that learning opportunities surround us. The grocery store is full of letters! You can tailor this to be more challenging based on ages by giving a bonus for the harder to find letters such as Z, Q and Y.
Write the alphabet on a sheet and take it shopping.
Set the goal of finding each letter at least once.
Give them a sticker, a high five or whatever works each time they discover one of the letters on packaging throughout the store.
Brand Scavenger Hunt
This one is a little harder and requires a bit of pulling things off of the shelves. But, it's kinda fun even for adults.
Have the kids make a list of popular brands based on what is already in your kitchen. Pillsbury, Proctor & Gamble, Kraft...you get the idea.
Once you reach the store and stroll the aisles, make their job to find at least one item by each maker. If you want to create a little local awareness, have them find items that are only made by companies in your state.
Very important step since you may be grabbing things off of the shelves...make sure that the kids know to do this task with grace and re-locate whatever they peruse properly.
Expired Coupon Scavenger Hunt
Okay, I must admit that I love this one because it actually puts use to my expired coupons and adds a touch of financial savviness to our future generation.
Have kids paste a selection of expired coupons to a sheet.
When you reach the store, their job is to note each time that they see that product on the shelf. If you want to add a little math to the task, give them a bonus for calculating the final price.
If they do their task well and get the math right, let them pick out a little bonus treat.
We're all in this mess together and I love to hear new strategies. Share your scavenger hunt ideas in comments, on Facebook or our Pinterest page!
