Grocery Stores

From the babies gazing at amazing colors and lights, toddlers riding in shopping carts and young children whining for their parents to buy them treats, through the teenagers shuffling shopping carts on their first paid jobs, kids spend a lot of time in grocery stores.

And they can learn a lot there.

Parents can ask their preschoolers to point out different colors and shapes, count the number of aisles and check out stands, and discuss where foods come from.

School aged children can practice basic math skills, read signs and labels, have conversations with their parents about how foods are grown and processed, and compare nutritional values.

Older kids can actually do the shopping and maybe even push the heavy shopping carts while parents stand by to give advice.

And, of course, those of all ages can practice good manners, learning to take turns and discovering that whining doesn't accomplish anything.