We go to the shop twice a week. That's two hours of maths training we can give them entirely for free — if we think it through. The store is full of prices, kilos, millilitres, quantities, comparisons, change. It's all maths. They just need to see it.
This article shows ten concrete exercises for a 5–7-year-old at the store. At Kluriko there are store games in the Learning Games — but nothing beats the real shop with real prices.
Why the store?
Money is concrete. A 20-note is 20 in their hand. They can see, feel, own.
Prices are comparable. "It's 15 for one, 25 for two. Is that cheaper?" They train.
Quantities are real. 1 kg of potatoes is 1 kg. Not a word.
Decisions are real. Buy this or that? They get to influence.
Ten exercises
1. Count apples
In produce: "We need 5 apples. Put them in the bag." They count.
2. Compare prices
"This bag of crisps is 25. That one is 30. Which is cheaper?" They read the prices.
3. Weight comparison
"This cucumber is 800 g. This one 1.2 kg. Which weighs more?" Concrete g vs kg.
4. Budget
You give them 100 kr. "We're buying sweets for max 100 kr. Count as you put things in the trolley." They keep track.
5. Change
At the till: "It came to 73 kr. I'm paying 100. How much change?" They count (or try).
6. Quantity comparison
"3 eggs cost 25 kr. 6 eggs cost 35 kr. Which is better?" They train price-per-unit.
7. Multiplication
"One milk costs 15 kr. We need 3. How much?" 15 × 3 = 45.
8. Volume comparison
"This milk carton is 1 litre. This one 1.5 litres. Which is bigger?" Litre sense.
9. Sorting
In the trolley: "Put all the fruit together. All the dairy together." Classification.
10. Recipe counting
They read a recipe at home, you go and buy exactly what's needed. No more, no less.
When does store maths begin?
Ages 3–4: they can help putting things in the trolley. Counting practice.
Age 5: they can compare prices (bigger vs smaller numbers). A sense of "cheap" and "expensive".
Age 6: they can count change under 20 kr. Understands 100 vs 50 vs 20.
Age 7: they can do simple budgeting. Understands "save" vs "spend".
Age 8+: full money understanding begins.
The most important tool: cash
Today most pay with cards. But for them, cash is the friend. They see the money. They hand it over. They get change.
Keep some cash. Give them a few kronor a week to shop with themselves. They learn economy just by handling money.
Common problems
They tire. Shop visits are intense. 30–45 min is the max for a 5-year-old. Not a three-hour big shop.
They cry about prices. "It's too expensive!" Teach the word and help them understand. But set limits too.
They want everything. Common. Strategy: one thing per visit. They get to choose.
They can't count change yet. OK. Show them, help them. They learn over time.
Money sense — the most important
Understanding the value of money is more than counting. They should feel that:
- 100 kr is a lot (you can buy many things)
- 5 kr is a little (one sweet, maybe)
- Saving is not spending (a hard concept for a 5-year-old)
This builds over years. Not in one shop visit.
Own envelopes — a savings system
For 6–7-year-olds: three envelopes.
- Spend — money for this week's sweets, toys.
- Save — money for something they want to buy later.
- Give — money for charity.
They get 10 kr a week. They decide the split. They learn economy.
Common parent mistakes
- Saying "it's too expensive" without explaining. Explain why.
- Ignoring prices. "You don't need to think about money yet." Wrong. They should think.
- Buying everything they want. Teaches them nothing.
- Embarrassed when they ask about prices. Never.
The path from store to food
Once home: "We bought 5 apples. How many left after I ate 2?" Subtraction continues at home.
"We have 200 kr left in this week's food budget. What can we eat with that?" They plan.
How Kluriko helps
Kluriko Learning Games have store games where they see prices, count change, compare value. Preparatory training — then in the real shop it sticks.