Kids Frugal Fun-Creating Your Own Store

 
Each week I bring you a craft/activity that is both educational and frugal.  Last week’s focus was on making change and I received some requests for more money crafts.  Enjoy!
Materials:
Construction paper
Magazines/Internet
Glue
Scissors
Play Money (can be printed HERE)
Markers

Directions:
1.  Talk with your child about what kind of store they would like to open (Will chose a dinosaur store).  Draw that store on paper.
2.  Browse magazines or the internet for pictures of items that may be in the selected store. Cut out the pictures and glue them in a display on the paper (Obviously we used PBS.org to get our Dinosaur Train pictures).
3.  Label the items in your store with prices. 
4.  Print out the paper money and cut it out or use play money from the Dollar Store. 
5. Shop your store.  Be sure to give your child a set amount of money they can spend so they learn the concept of not spending more than they have.

Language Arts Modifications:
1.  Have your child create a shopping list before they “shop”.  Making a list is one form of pre-writing in the writing process. 
2.  Have your child write about their “shopping trip” afterwards and seqence the items they bought.
3.  Have your child write how they determined what items they could buy and still maintain their budget.