Objective

By the end of this lesson, the 2-year-old student will be able to engage in imaginative play as a grocery store cashier, using play food, money, and a register.

Materials and Prep

• Play food items (fruits, vegetables, etc.)
• Play money (coins and bills)
• A toy cash register
• A small play shopping cart or basket

Prior to the lesson, set up a pretend grocery store area with the play food, money, and register. Make sure the play food is easily accessible for the student to choose from.

Activities

• Role Play: Encourage the student to pretend to be a grocery store cashier. They can use the play food, money, and register to act out different scenarios. Prompt them to take turns being the customer and the cashier.
• Sorting and Counting: Ask the student to sort the play food items into different categories (fruits, vegetables, snacks, etc.). Then, have them count the items in each category.
• Price Tag Matching: Create price tags for the play food items using sticky notes or small pieces of paper. Help the student match each food item with the corresponding price tag.
• Money Recognition: Show the student different play coins and bills. Teach them the names and values of each. Practice identifying and matching the play money to its value.
• Paying for Groceries: Role play a grocery shopping scenario where the student selects items and "pays" for them using the play money. Encourage them to count the money and give the correct amount to the cashier (you or another family member).

Talking Points

• "Let's pretend we are in a grocery store. Can you be the cashier and I'll be the customer?"
• "Can you sort these fruits and vegetables into separate piles? Let's count how many we have in each pile."
• "Look at this price tag. Can you find the matching food item?"
• "This coin is called a quarter. It's worth 25 cents. Can you find another coin that looks like this?"
• "You have three apples. How much do they cost? Can you give me the right amount of money?"