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Supermarket Scavenger Hunt

Turn a supermarket trip into a scavenger hunt. Your child helps make a picture list, searches for each item, and checks everything off with you.

  • 2 years
  • Quick prep
  • Grocery store
  • About 15 minutes
Focus
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Developmental benefits

  • Language：Listening for an item’s name and using a picture list to find it helps your child connect spoken words with real objects.
  • Cognitive：Remembering what to find, checking the list, and completing each part of the shopping trip gives your child practice following a simple plan.

Preparation

What You’ll Need

  1. 1

    Homemade shopping list: paper and a pen

Step 1

Make a Shopping List

Let your child be the family shopper. Before you leave, talk about what your family needs and ask what they would like to buy. Write each item on the list and add a simple picture beside it so your child can recognize it.

What to notice

  • Responds when you ask what they would like to buy Communicating and Speaking
  • Recognizes an item, such as milk, from its picture on the list Emergent Literacy

Tips

  • Invite your child to add a mark or doodle to the list. A circle can stand for milk, for example. Contributing to the list makes the hunt more engaging.
  • When your child names an item—even if they say only part of the word—keep the conversation going: “Milk! That’s the milk you like to drink.”
  • If your child says only “berry,” follow their meaning and check: “Do you want strawberries?”

Step 2

Find Each Item

At the supermarket, name the first item on the list, such as milk. Walk to the right section together to narrow the search, then let your child look for the item.

What to notice

  • Finds an item after hearing you name it Attending and Understanding
  • Repeats an item’s name while looking for it on the shelf Cognitive Self-Regulation (Executive Functioning)

Tips

  • Use specific praise when your child succeeds: “You found the milk!” This tells them exactly what they did.
  • If the item is out of reach, lift your child so they can take it from the shelf themselves.
  • If your child picks a similar item, such as strawberry milk, acknowledge the match first. Then point out how its picture differs from the one on the list and invite them to try again.
  • Mark each item as you find it so your child can see what is finished and what is still left to find.
  • If the search stalls, describe a picture, color, or shape on the package. You can also gesture toward the area and ask, “Could it be this one?”

Step 3

Check the Cart

At checkout, compare the cart with the list. Name one item at a time and ask your child to find it in the cart and place it on the conveyor belt.

What to notice

  • Puts the named item on the conveyor belt Attending and Understanding
  • Uses the list to find the items one at a time Cognitive Self-Regulation (Executive Functioning)

Tips

  • As your child sets down an item, ask, “What did you find?” Naming it again helps reinforce the word.
  • When your child follows your words and puts the matching item on the conveyor belt, they are practicing skills related to #LC-AnU.
  • Use the list picture or describe the item’s color or shape to help your child match the list with what is in the cart.

Better Parenting Content Team · Updated September 11, 2026