Shopkeeper in charge

From the house

• Cans, boxes and fruit from the kitchen
• A table as the counter
• A bag
• Paper money
• A hat or scarf for dressing up as customers

How to play

1. They set up the shop and practice the opening line: “Hello, can I help you?”
2. You come in as different customers, changing your hat each time: a shy one, a chatty one, one in a big hurry.
3. They greet each customer, answer questions like “Do you have bananas?”, and pack the bag.
4. Swap: you run the shop, and they ask for what they want and say thank you.

Fit it to your child

• Easier: Give them one line to say each time, “Hello, what would you like?”, and stay the same friendly customer.
• Harder: Add a tricky moment, like asking for something the shop doesn’t have, so they practice “Sorry, we don’t have that, but we have apples.”

Words to use

• hello
• can I help you
• please
• thank you
• goodbye

Why it helps

Practicing hello, questions and goodbye with you makes it easier to speak up with real shopkeepers, teachers and new friends.