Learning Resources Pretend & Play LER 2629 - Manual (Page 3)

whole dollar amounts for younger children and larger
denominations for older children.) Encourage children to take
turns being customers, salespeople, or the check-out person.
Measure children’s feet with a ruler. You may want to make a chart
to record foot size. The fit of the shoes is not as important as the
opportunities for language enrichment and number reinforcement.
”Those shoes are too big!” ”I think these shoes are too small for
you, but they might fit your baby sister.” Children will appreciate
your humor as you try to wear a pair of shoes that is obviously too
small or too large. Help the check-out person ring up the amount
owed and make change.
Lunch Time!
You Need:
Calculator Cash Register
Money
Paper plates
Magazine photos of food
or children’s drawings
of their favorite foods
To Play:
Set up cafeteria! Price food items with realistic values, for example
drinks and desserts should cost less than main courses. Arrange
the food on a long table. Children can select their food, put it on
their paper plates, and pay at the cash register.
All Aboard!
You Need:
Calculator Cash Register
Money
Local map
Tickets
Row of chairs
To Play:
Create a train station! Use the map to decide where your railroad
will go. Plot the route for the imaginary train and make tickets with
prices based upon destinations!
Decide who will be passengers, who will be the ticket seller, the
conductor, and the engineer. Children may want to have
attendants who pass out snacks or magazines. Let their
imaginations make up the play. The ticket seller, attendants and
vendors are responsible for collecting money and making change.
The conductor gets the important job of calling out “All Aboard!”
The more children are involved in planning their journey, the more
fun it will be!
Weigh it, Stamp it, Mail it!
You Need:
Calculator Cash Register
Money
Envelopes from opened mail
Trading stamps or stickers
Small boxes wrapped in brown paper
Scale for weighing letters and packages
Rubber stamps
Pretend mail box
To Play:
Children love to send and receive mail, and they will really enjoy
creating their own post office! There are letters to be written,
stamps to be purchased, change to be made, packages to weigh
and deliver; it’s a game that can incorporates reading, writing, and
math!
Encourage children to create their own roles. Some children might
want to write letters or notes that need to be weighed, stamped,
and delivered. Create prices for various services, for example
extra speedy delivery will cost more. Make sure that all children
receive some mail.