Twice during the summer holidays I walked past pop up roadside shops that had been opened by enterprising children, on the first occasion selling unwanted toys and books and on the second home made lemonade – yes, just like in that television advert. I say enterprising, but actually I think the kids were just playing shop. I remember doing something similar with an old blanket draped over a pair of dining chairs and using Monopoly money in place of the real thing. Maybe it’s something on our blood – after all, Napoleon described England as a nation of shopkeepers – but whatever the reason, each generation of children enjoys setting up a pretend shop and selling those things that they imagine Mummy and Daddy won’t miss.
Here at WoodenToyShop we are naturally huge fans of play shops and we believe our extensive selection of wooden toy shops, market stalls and related accessories, toy food and groceries will prove extremely enjoyable and entertaining to all junior shopkeepers. And as with so many toys and games, we are also aware that playing shop has many educational and developmental benefits:
Language and Communication
Even the grumpiest of shopkeepers have to converse with customers from time to time! Pretending to work in a shop provides children with a relaxed and safe environment to experiment with language and conversation, either with other children, soft toys and dolls or even grownups.
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Social Play
Spending time with children and grownups outside of the immediate family is an important part of every child’s development. This comes easier to some kids than others and for those that struggle with this, playing in a pretend shop is an ideal opportunity to interact with other children and learn to socialise in comfortable surroundings.
Practice for Real World Experiences
It is so easy to forget as an adult that almost any new or alien experience and environment can be daunting and even frightening to little children. So a play shop provides an excellent opportunity for grownups to show children that shops, shopping and encounters with new people are completely natural and not at all scary. A trip to the shops can be equally traumatic for adults if children feel unhappy and intimidated, so there are very real benefits to practicing and role playing real world experiences.
What a fun way to learn about money and counting!
Basic Mathematics
Remember the Monopoly money? We certainly should not forget that counting and sorting is an important part of playing shop, whether you choose to be the shop assistant or the customer. Learning basic numbers and simple sums helps children become familiar with the essential building blocks of numeracy and mathematics. They can even learn about weights and measures if your play shop contains a set of play scales.
Concentration and Problem Solving
Small children can be easily distracted and may also be frustrated when faced with problems which aren’t immediately resolvable. Letting them loose in a play shop where they have to work out how to display their stock and how best to serve their customers is a gentle way of encouraging them to learn to concentrate and solve problems. What could be more fun than learning these vital skills while presiding over your very own mini mart?
Click here to browse our play shops.
