Picture Shopping List

from 38 months · 30-40 min · Everyday helper

What you need

Sit together with the paper and crayon and choose four things to buy from your own kitchen, like an apple, some pasta, a cup and a spoon.
Let your child draw each one on the list, one under the other. Any marks count: ask them what each one says.
Hand them the basket and the list and let them shop the cupboards, finding each thing in turn.
Tick each one off as it goes in the basket, then they pay you at the till and put everything back where it lives.

A list they drew becomes something to read and follow, so their marks have a real job to do.

Marks that mean things: A squiggle that stands for pasta still says pasta when they read it back.
Drawing small: Small pictures in a column take a steadier grip than big scribbles.
Following a list: Finding each thing in turn and checking it off.

Notice them pointing at a mark on the list and saying what it is before they go to find it.

Keep the list short and the things easy to reach, and leave knives, glass and anything heavy off it.

Easier: draw the list yourself while they say what goes on it, then let them do the shopping

Harder: take the list on a real trip to the shop and let them find the things and tick them off