It is that time of the year again... A much-dreaded shopping trip for school supplies. It seems like just yesterday you threw away a ton of crumbs from their worn backpack and scraped out a few melted crayons from the pencil box. Yet, here we are again! It feels like Christmas to the kids, yet an expensive chore for us, parents. And it always comes right after the summer and all that it did to our wallets. But it has to happen. So why not make it fun?
I put together a visual list for my girls when they were in preschool and couldn't read yet. They enjoyed seeing the colorful pictures of each item and knew exactly what to grab at the store. They each had a pen and were marking off the things they had already put in the cart. Now that they can both read, they still enjoy the picture list!
Benefits of making the visual list for your children:
It keeps them involved in the store. They are busy being responsible for their supplies and don't get bored quickly while mom shops for them.
Picture lists are great because what kindergartner knows what a thin dry erase marker in assorted colors looks like?
If you don't want to splurge for the brand-name items, add a picture of a generic one! My rule-follower oldest child will only get what's on the list! She thinks that's what the teacher asked for. Ka-ching!
Lastly, it keeps them on track. It gives the child an idea of how many stops you will have to make. I have written before about the sense of time (or lack thereof) in young children. So instead of you having to say "5 more minutes", you can ask them "how many more things do you still need to get? Ok, let's go find them!". It's like a treasure hunt!
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