Setting up shop can be great fun for small children to play. Older children can practice their sums by placing a value on the items being sold and learning what change is needed. If this is something you think your kids would enjoy, here’s 9 fun items that would make playing shop great fun.
  • A play cash register. This wooden cash register is just back in stock. It comes with a barcode scanner and a credit card machine. It also comes with some play money.

Play Wooden Cash Register

  • If you want money that looks just like ours, then my euro play money is what you need. It will help children recognise notes and coins and hopefully, over time, they will learn the value of it!

Play money euros

  • Your child can sell lots of different things in their shop, depending on what they have at home. My kids always loved serving food and drink when they played shops, so here are some of the food items that I stock. The wooden pizza is a great selling toy and the toppings are interchangeable so they can be made to order!

Melissa and Doug Wooden Pizza

  • If it’s a coffee shop, your child will need a tea set. This wooden one that I stock has also just came back in stock. It comes with a teapot, cups, tea bags, biscuits, a plate, spoons, a milk jug and a sugar bowl. If this set is too pink for you, I stock a lovely white and grey wooden kettle and tea cup set, which might suit you better?

Wooden Tea Set from Small Foot Design Toys

Melissa and Doug Triple Layer Party Cake wooden play food available at Toys and Games Ireland

  • It’s good to have some groceries in your shop. Many of these can come directly from your food cupboard – like tins of beans and pasta but other items might be a bit risky to supply, like eggs. This egg box looks like the real thing, as do the eggs inside. However, they are made of wood and can be cracked open and made whole again.

Egg box with 4 wooden eggs for pretend play, from Small Foot Design Toys

  • Ice-creams are also great for warm weather. This set comes with a selection of wooden ice-creams and ice pops on a wooden stand. The cones can be separated from the ice-cream by velcro.

Wooden Ice cream stand

  • My kids love going to our local butcher as he gives lollies to the kids! Maybe your children will want to be generous to their customers too by giving out wooden lollypops. The great thing about these lollies is that they won’t rot your teeth or spoil your appetite!

6 wooden lollipops from Goki Toys

  • Shops don’t have to be traditional in your child’s mind. Perhaps they want to set up a maintenance shop. If so, they’ll need some good tools and a tool belt. Or a beauticians or hair salon would need a vanity set. Whatever it is, these are just tools to help them enter into a completely different world.
  • Finally, let’s not rule out an online shop. If that’s what your child wants to play, then they’ll need their own computer and phone. This wooden one is just what they’ll need. The screen doubles as a magnetic blackboard and the keys are magnetic too, so they can be placed on the screen.

Wooden Laptop with Magnetic Chalk Board and Letters from Small Foot Design Toys

I’m always adding new stock to my imaginary play range so keep an eye here, if you haven’t spotted what you want!
xx Suzie
PS. If your children are always fighting over toys, I think you might find this blog helpful!