Play store/ Ideas please!

[SusannahR]

My kids love to play store and shop keeper type games.  They don't really have any play store accessories, but they are creative about using things around the house to set up their shop.  My twins birthday is coming up, and I have decided to get them a wooden cash register to play shop keeping with.  I would also like to add some homemade shop accessories. 

   Has anyone made a play shop for their kids, and could share pictures or could tell about what they made?  I need some inspiration. 

[LaughingHyena]

The mini shopping bags I made have seen quite a lot of use. I think it would be cute to make plain ones then stencil on your own store logo. I just used fabric I had around though and roughly followed these instructions

http://www.sleepingbaby.net/jan/Baby/clothbags.html. Mesh ones for packing produce would be a nice addition too.

They also like to display the toy produce in baskets/boxes. We have a few small baskets and some old shoe boxes which I covered in wrapping paper. 

We also have some old boxes taped shut which they use. I stuffed them with old newspaper to make them a bit stronger. Toilet roll middles make good canned goods, and the kids have enjoyed drawing on labels themselves.

[4alt]

I would skip the cash register. My dd loved playing store but the wooden cash register got hardly any use. Instead make some wooden coins (similar th the haba ones) about 5 or 6 each in the value of 5, 2, & 1. My 4 year old was doing addiction and subtraction while adding up the value of the purchases and then subtracting payment and giving the correct change. Also dried beans in a variety of containers work well. My kids love playing and sorting them and there are so many varieties of beans to choose from.