Child Developement

Play by itself is an integral and indispensable part of childhood. It is what comes naturally to children. The benefits of play are immense. From creating curiosity, encouraging exploration, to sparking imagination, one simply cannot ignore the benefits of play. Pretend play is an important part of childhood development. Also known as make-believe or imaginative play, it is a form of play where children use objects or actions to represent other ideas or actions using their imagination. 

Role-playing & pretend-play help kids pick up social skills easily and quickly, from within the natural comfort of their homes. It prepares them for real-life encounters that they will have to manage independently as they grow up. 

Today, we’ll be Super Sellers at our shop, but the same game can be played with hotels, toy stores, libraries and the likes. 

So let’s get started!

Things You Will Need

• Papers
• Colour pen
• Pair of scissors
• Fruits (2-3 types)
• Vegetables (2-3 types)
• Shopping bag

Learning Objectives

While you do the activity, ensure you focus on

• Language skills: Names of fruits and vegetables,
  Names of colours, Verbal & non-verbal communication, “I want ___”
• Number skills: Counting fruits, vegetables, and money,
  Money concepts - value, trade, and basic arithmetic
• Fine motor skills: Picking and lifting and putting things in a bag
• Cognitive skills: Categorization,
  Name to Image to Object mapping
• Social skills: Develop socializing and cooperation skills.

Let's Get Started :)

Below is a list of resources, to help you conduct the activity with ease!

• ‍Activity Video
  Watch and follow along!
  

• Printable flashcards for common vegetables and fruits

• Who am I? Question cards for common vegetables and fruits

‍Adaptations and Variations‍

For older children

Create shopping lists that the child has to put together in a single go. Ask them to calculate the individual and total cost of products to be purchased. 

Also, talk about 

• The different types of vegetables, and the part of the plant they come from

• Nutrients (vitamins, proteins and minerals) and the balanced diet

For children with ADHD

A child with ADHD will find their attention unintentionally pulled away from the activity at hand. Work with shopping lists and budgets to improve focus and practice planning and prioritisation. 

For children with low vision

Use flashcards with high contrast and large print. Stick to basic solid colours - black, white, red, yellow and green.

For children with blindness

Pay more attention to the identification of size, shape, texture and smell of the actual fruit/vegetable itself. 

For the flashcards, use tactile symbols. You can use small toys stuck to cards and labelled with braille. We also often use 2D tactile graphics, which use textured materials cut in the shape of the object. Ensure that the top right corner is cut, for easy identification of card orientation. 

For the money, you may want to use real currency, as it will provide practice with coin and note identification.

In today’s fast and busy world, filled with structure and scheduled activities, our children sometimes miss out on the joys of  play. Allow your child to thrive through a world of imaginative play. Give them the gift of imagination.