Grocery Pretend Play {Store Dramatic Play Centers, Labels, and Printables}

This Grocery Store Dramatic Play Center has all of the labels, materials, activities, and extension activities you need to set up a pretend play area in your classroom or home. When children engage in pretend play, they build social-emotional, problem solving, and academic skills. A pretend "market" or "grocery store" is a great way to build patience, conflict resolution, number sense, emergent literacy, and more.

This resource is over 300 pages, and includes everything you need to set up your dramatic play center. You can purchase pretend food, or use empty containers from your pantry. I've even included templates and directions for creating your own groceries with craft supplies you likely have on hand. Each activity is included in color and black/white so you can decide how you want to print.

The following resources are included.

Suggested Materials

· Book Suggestions

· Pretend Market Suggestions

· Cash Register and Cart Suggestions

· Pretend Food Suggestions

Printables (In Color & Black/White)

· Employee Schedule

· Nametags (Manager, Cashier, Baker, Deli Clerk, Meat Clerk, Cafe Server, Florist, Stocker, Customer, Pharmacist, Bagger, Cart Manager)

· Grocery Store Invoice

· Grocery Store Receipt

Extensions

· Daily Deals (2 versions)

· How to Take Inventory Flipbook

· How to Stock Groceries Flipbook

· Grocery Store Flyer (3 versions)

· If I Ran a Store (2 versions)

· Store Map (with map pieces and labels)

Order Totals Activity

You’ll find 8 cards with 3 items each. Each card has a customer’s name, and 3 items with their prices. Students will write their number sentences with 3 addends and the total sums. You can provide manipulatives for students or let them use their groceries to add. This is a great activity for students who are ready for basic addition within 10, or you can let students use whatever skills they have to “pretend” to add up their totals. This activity comes with an answer key.

Counting Bags Activity

Each bag has a label to glue on a disposable bag or container. Inside the bags, students will count the ingredients and put the totals on their recording sheet. This activity comes with an answer key. You can use the paper ingredients I’ve provided, or use “real” groceries for counting. You’ll find 10 recipes and their ingredients (spaghetti, shrimp & rice, tacos, sandwich, burger, omelette, pizza, apple pie, stew, and fruit salad).

Sorting Activities

I’ve included directions for setting up sorting centers using pretend groceries or craft supplies. Each sorting activity comes with labels for containers, and recording sheets.

· Berry Inventory Sorting (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries)

· Vegetable Inventory Sorting (asparagus, brussel sprouts, carrots, green beans)

· Sort by Color

· Cut and Sort (2 versions)

· Sorting Recording Sheet for students to sort groceries however they want and record their thinking (2, 3, and 4 categories)

Measuring Activities

Measuring groceries is a great way to build math skills during pretend play. I’ve included recording sheets to use for nonstandard measurement.

· Item Weight Recording Sheet (2 versions)

· Compare Weights Recording Sheet

· Order by Weight Recording Sheet

· Item Length Recording Sheet (2 versions)

· Compare Lengths Recording Sheet

· Order by Length Recording Sheet

Beginning Sound Sort

This center is a great way to build phonemic awareness during dramatic play. I’ve included “grocery carts” with beginning sounds, and 3 “grocery bags” for each sound.

· B (butter, banana, berries)

· C (cookie, carrot, coffee)

· M (milk, mustard, mushrooms)

· P (potato, pie, pizza)

· S (sandwich, sushi, soup)

· T (tortilla, taco, tomato)

Menus with Prices

· Bakery Menu

· Meat Menu

· Deli Menu

· Bulk Food Menu

· Cafe Menu

· Flower Menu

· Daily Specials

· Daily Deals

Shopping Lists

I've included quarter-page, half-page, and full-page shopping and grocery lists. Your students can complete these with emergent writing, invented spelling, or whatever skills they currently have. I've also included a cut/paste grocery list for students to use to shop with. You’ll find lists with lines, boxes, and blank spaces to make sure every student has something they can use.

Price Tags and Coupons

· Produce Barcodes

· Price Tags

· Coupons

· Clearance Tags

· Sales Tags

· Credit Cards

· SNAP Benefits Card

· Debit Card

· WIC Card

· $1, $5, $10, and $20 Dollar Bills

· Coins

Labels and Tags

· Use By Date Tags

· Expiration Date Tags

· Gluten Free Labels

· Dairy Free Labels

· Peanut Free Labels

· Halal Labels

· Kosher Labels

Felt Food Templates

· Vegetables (mushroom, asparagus, onion, pepper, tomato, cucumber, broccoli, and cauliflower)

· Fruit (apple, lemon and lime, strawberry, orange, blueberry, raspberry, pear, grapes)

· Deli and Meat (cheese, deli meat, chicken, fish fillets, sliced ham, sliced chicken, sliced turkey, string cheese, shredded cheese, sliced cheese)

Labels for Set Up 

· Lane 1, 2, 3, and 4 

· Welcome To The Market

· Open And Closed Signs 

· Grocery Store & Fresh Market Signs 

· Cashier

· Checkout 

· Customer service 

· Pharmacy 

· Deli

· Florist 

· Cafe

· Bulk items 

· Toiletries 

· Bakery 

· Deli

· Meat And Fish

· Fruits 

· Vegetables 

· Frozen Goods 

· Prepared Foods 

· Sauces & Spreads 

· Refrigerated Goods 

· Grains And Beans 

· Breads 

· Canned Goods 

· Baking & Cooking 

· Cakes & Cookies

· Chips & Crackers 

· Cereal & Bars 

· Drinks 

· Pasta 

· Carts 

· Bags 

Food Labels

· flour, baking mixes, sugar, salt, spices, oil

· sauces, spreads, soups, meals, pasta, race

· milk, non-dairy milk, cheese, butter, cream, yogurt

· juice, chocolate milk, coffee, tea, water, soda

· frozen vegetables, frozen fruit, ice cream, frozen meals

· frozen meat, frozen food

· candy, chips, cookies, cakes, crackers, pastries, cereal

· bread, cakes, cookies, muffins, tortillas, flatbreads

· bacon, chicken, beef, tofu and meat alternatives, sausage, deli meat

· canned meat, tuna, fish, sushi, eggs, beans

· nuts, pickles, raisins, asparagus, beets, broccoli

· cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, corn, cucumber

· eggplant, garlic, lettuce, onion, peas, peppers

· potatoes, pumpkin, radish, squash, sweet potato, tomato

· apple, banana, blueberries, cherries, grapefruit, grapes

· kiwi, lemon, melon, orange, peach, pear

· mango, lime, pineapple, plum, raspberry, strawberry

· hot dog, hamburger, french fries, nachos, taco, pizza

· candy, popcorn, cupcake, ice cream, pie, donuts

· toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, cream, medicine

· flowers, vases, bouquets, plants, cards, balloons