Toy Shopping Cart for Toddlers are Best Pretend Play
Being a SAHM I am always looking for the best pretend play ideas for Amelia and toy shopping cart for toddlers keep her entertained and busy! At the same time I want fun toddler activities which will encourage her to use her imagination and be creative! I always have this in mind when selecting the best toddler toys for her! What some people do not realise is that pretend play is indeed one of the easiest ways to help promote your child’s language development! One of Amelia’s favorite ways to use imaginative play is to use her shopping cart and pretend she is at the grocery store!
I will summarize what she does with her toy shopping cart and how you can encourage your toddler from as young as 18 months.
The Best Toy Shopping Cart For Toddlers
First things first for this type of pretend play for toddlers you need a shopping cart. I bought Amelia one for her second Birthday but these are great for little ones as soon as they can walk. Initially they can be used as a push toy which will help develop gross motor skills and help early walkers gain confidence on their feet!
I purchased a pink Little Tikes one simply because I wanted her to have a girly toy, although I may regret this as I have a baby boy who will need his own in less than a year’s time!! Fortunately this Little Tikes shopping cart comes in unisex red/yellow which will suit girls and boys! It is one of the top recommended toys on Amazon and will make an awesome Birthday or Christmas gift. I also like the Step 2 cart which is very popular with toddlers!
Little Tikes Shopping Cart – Yellow/Red
Step2 Little Helper’s Shopping Cart-Pink
There are sturdy shopping carts which bare a similar resemblance to the ones us Mom’s use at the grocery store. These are sturdier and would suit older kids! This Melissa Doug one comes highly recommended.
Melissa & Doug Toy Shopping Cart With Sturdy Metal Frame
How Amelia plays with her toy shopping cart
Amelia plays with toy shopping carts for toddlers every single day right now! She is 26 months so is at the age where she is exploring and enjoying pretend play!
She loves filling her cart with her toys, basically building blocks, lacing beads, teddies etc. If she is playing with her babies one of them goes in the seat of the cart, the same way we put her baby Brother in the seat the grocery store.
She wheels her cart around the house gathering small items and moving toys from room to room. She will empty the cart and then reload it again. She always tells me she is going shopping to buy bananas and sweets!
How I use a toy shopping cart for toddlers to promote language development
I always ask her questions to make her think while she is playing. I will ask things like:-
What are you buying at the grocery store? She normally says bananas, and then I will further prompt and ask what color are they or will you use them to make sandwiches?
Will you buy something for dinner? She normally answers meat. I will further ask what type of meat and if she says steak, I might say what about some pork or lamb?
What else do you need to take to the grocery store? She will say money! She loves my credit cards and handbag so she will grab them. Honestly this toy shopping cart has helped her learn so much!
There are so many other things you can ask to encourage thought and expression. My husband and I always explain everything when we are cooking and what vegetables we are using so this is how she brings this
You can take this pretend play idea for toddlers so much further
There are lots of other ways you can expand this pretend play idea and really get your toddler thinking.
You could buy some play food stuffs, a toy kitchen set, a cash register, picnic basket, washing up stuff etc. Scatter the pretend play food around the house and let her use her shopping cart to collect it. Afterwards remind your toddler they need to pay with money; this is where the cash register comes into play. Then I will say it is time for dinner so it is into her toy kitchen and cooker to make dinner! After dinner I ask her what comes next and she will say tidy up and wash dishes!
I do plan to come up with lots of pretend play ideas for toddlers and how to use them as top learning toys for toddlers so stay tuned for some more ideas!