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[Childcare] Simple DIY ideas you can use for pretend shops
Shopping is exciting for both kids and adults, isn’t it?
Many preschools and kindergartens incorporate make-believe “shop” play so children can enjoy the fun of shopping.
One of the charms of shop play is that children can experience the joy of selling items they made themselves as shopkeepers.
This time, we’re introducing a variety of ideas you can use for shop play.
From classic foods to wearable items, plus ideas for cash registers and wallets—there are plenty of ideas to get kids excited!
Use these as inspiration and have fun with shop play!
[Childcare] Simple DIY ideas you can use for a pretend shop (1–10)
donut
How about playing donut shop, a classic pretend snack game? Since we’re at it, it’s also fun to recreate popular donuts that kids usually eat.
For example, ones with chocolate on the top half, or those shaped like a ring of connected balls.
Familiar-looking donuts are sure to get them excited.
For both types, try shaping them by crumpling and forming origami paper into balls.
And don’t forget to prepare tongs for picking up the donuts.
wristwatch
When kids play “shop,” it tends to turn into food-related stores.
As an accent, adding a watch shop is a great idea.
The nice thing about this watch shop is that children can make their own while expressing their individuality.
First, cut into a paper cup and open it up.
Next, use the bottom as the watch face and the sections above and below as the band, and cut off the other parts.
Finally, color the face and band or draw illustrations, and you’re done.
sushi restaurant
One especially fun and distinctive idea is to craft sushi.
First, prepare some polystyrene foam packing material.
Choose palm-sized, oval pieces.
Then treat this packing material as the rice (shari) and place the toppings on it.
You might start by assembling popular items like egg (tamago), salmon roe (ikura), and salmon.
Also, if you recreate the garnishes—pickled ginger (gari), wasabi, and tea—it will enhance the atmosphere even more.
glasses
It’s fun to have items you can wear after buying them at a shop, isn’t it? With that in mind, I’d like to introduce an idea for making glasses out of toilet paper rolls.
The basic structure is simple: use cross-sections of a toilet paper roll for the frames, and recreate the temples with bendable straws.
If you want to add an extra twist, pay attention to the color scheme.
For example, if you use blue straws, decorating the toilet paper roll with blue stickers will give it a cohesive look.
You can also make it feel more original by adding character stickers or drawing illustrations.
hat
In pretend shop play, one thing that’s surprisingly easy to forget is hats.
If you have different hats ready for each shop—like a bakery or an ice cream stand—it really boosts the atmosphere.
You can even make the hats using just paper plates and origami paper, so check that out.
Once the hats are done, finish them off by attaching cutouts from candy boxes or flyers.
Or, it could be fun for everyone to design a shop logo together.
By the way, there’s also a way to make a chef’s hat, so feel free to prepare those if you like.
bread
Playing pretend as a baker is a popular role, isn’t it? This time, here are bread craft ideas that kids can enjoy by age.
For 0-year-olds, crumple origami paper to make fillings like lettuce.
For 1-year-olds, use paper clay to make the bread itself.
For 2-year-olds, make the bread and add patterns or decorations.
When you display the items, it’s fun to set them up buffet-style so kids can place lettuce and other toppings on the bread.
You can also get creative and make baguettes or croissants.
Authentic register
The best part of playing store is buying and selling products, right? What really livens things up at that moment is a cash register.
Of course, you probably can’t get a real one, so why not make one as a craft? First, get a stationery case from a 100-yen shop or similar.
It’s ideal if you have a drawer-type case and one that’s cut at an angle.
Stack them together, and it will start to look like a cash register.
Then add a calculator and other decorations to complete the vibe.
ice cream
Playing pretend ice cream shop is a classic, isn’t it? Here’s an easy way to make pretend ice cream.
First, make a palm-sized ball out of newspaper.
Next, prepare origami paper in the same color as the ice cream flavor you want to recreate.
Then simply wrap the newspaper ball with the origami paper to finish.
However, that alone looks a bit plain, so it’s nice to decorate it by using beads as toppings.
To secure everything, just attach it with cellophane tape or similar.
Colorful cotton candy
How about recreating a classic festival staple—a cotton candy stall? The method is simple: put cotton into a bag and insert a stick.
If you like, adding color to the cotton makes it even more fun.
Using a water-based marker will make coloring easier.
By the way, this cotton candy craft is perfect for kids who don’t usually show interest in crafts, because the unfamiliar texture of the cotton tends to spark their curiosity.
Give it a try!
Jewelry accessories
Many children are interested in fashion, right? So here’s a suggestion: jewel-inspired accessory crafts.
If you crumple glossy origami paper, it takes on a gemstone-like look, and you can attach it to origami necklaces or rings.
Prepare a wide lineup so kids can try them on and agonize over which one to “buy”—that makes it even more fun.
By the way, the crafting tip is to roll the paper so the white back side doesn’t show.
Give it a try!