The Best Grocery Store Toys for Kids

Shopkins Mini Pack Mega Variety Pack

Fun-sized favorites

These adorable minis add some grocery store staples to your youngster's shelves.

Best Pretend Groceries

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If you’re looking for a fun pack of pretend groceries for your kiddo, you can’t go wrong with Skopkins’ variety pack of miniature market must-haves. It comes with 12 mini-pack groceries with 12 matching Shopkins characters. Each mini-pack food is adorable and realistic, and the Shopkins make great friends — or customers. As a bonus, the set comes with an informative collector’s guide, so if your child loves this set, you can help them collect more.

Pros:

• This set includes lots of fun toys in one convenient pack
• They’re affordable
• The matching little toys make great accessories to a play grocery store

Cons:

• We do wish there were more fresh foods included as opposed to just boxed foods
• Foods are quite small

Melissa & Doug Shopping Cart

Sturdy and realistic

No grocery store is complete without a good shopping cart — squeaky wheel not included.

Best Shopping Cart

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What better way to explore your child’s grocery store than with a lovely little shopping cart? This one from Melissa & Doug looks and feels like the real thing, so your child gets to have an authentic experience. The wheels run smoothly and don’t get caught on rugs or any other surfaces in the home, so they can play for hours without getting stuck or frustrated. There’s even a little seat for your tots favorite baby doll to ride along in while they pack food into the basket. For convenience and realism on wheels, you can’t go wrong with this cart.

Pros:

• Durable metal frame ensures it can last
• Great for older toddlers and preschoolers
• You can pack it up and bring it to the real grocery store for added developmental play

Cons:

• The plastic handle can slide back and forth and pinch a little, so you may want to secure it somehow
• Real metal means that the cart is hard, so it can ding walls and furniture

Cheffun Play Cash Register

Educational and interactive

Your child can check out all of their customers with this cool little cashier's kit.

Best Checkout Equipment

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You can’t teach your child the ins and outs of running a grocery store without providing them with their very own cash register, which is why you might want to take a look at Cheffun’s comprehensive set. It comes with all kinds of fun stuff, including a scanner, card reader, groceries, a basket, and of course, the register itself. There’s even play money and credit cards to give them the full cashier experience. Providing plenty of opportunities for developing essential skills, this set is as educational as it is fun.

Pros:

• The scanner, register, and card reader all have realistic lights and sounds
• This set is affordable, especially considering the amount of included toys
• It helps teach your child about money and exchanging it for the things they need

Cons:

• The register is on the small side
• We wish the food were a bit more realistic

Melissa & Doug Grocery Store and Food Group Set

Check it out

This play store sets your child up from top to bottom in one convenient package.

Best Play Store

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Do you want to set up your child’s play store without taking the time to find and purchase multiple pieces? If so, Melissa & Doug’s all-inclusive kit may be just what you’ve been looking for. We’re a little bit blown away by the realism of the checkout — the conveyor belt is powered with a hand crank, and at the end, there’s a beeping scanner, bagging area, and card swipe. Sturdy shelves hold the included baskets, and you can choose from a variety of food options to fill them with. Best of all, the quality wooden construction ensures it can hold up over time.

Pros:

• This is one of the most realistic sets available
• It includes both the food and hardware, so you don’t have to get it all separately
• There are other coordinating sets available

Cons:

• Quality like this costs more than the average set, but it’s hard to find a more immersive make-believe market setup
• This set takes up quite a bit of space

Play Circle Pantry in a Bucket

Affordable accessories

The more inventory, the better, which is why this set is such an excellent addition.

Best On A Budget

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When you want to add some accessories and fill out your child’s grocery store shelves without breaking the bank, you have to consider the Play Circle’s Pantry in a Bucket. This set comes with lots of play food, including fruits, veggies, boxed foods, condiments, and more. There is also a play knife and cutting board to make imaginary food prep simple. When your kiddos are done playing for the day, they can set it all back up on their grocery shelves or tuck it away in the included storage box.

Pros:

• This set is available at a great price
• It’s excellent as an addition to a play kitchen, restaurant, or grocery store
• All of the foods are durable and last through rough play with young kids

Cons:

• Some of the colors and sizes are a bit off
• The sticker labels can come off easily

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do kids like pretend grocery stores?

Make-believe grocery stores are a hit because they remind kids of the real thing, and youngsters absolutely love to mimic the adults in their lives. It helps them learn real-life social and math skills and engage in valuable pretend play that engages their imaginations and lets them feel like a grown-up.

How are pretend grocery stores educational?

Pretend grocery stores are educational in lots of ways. For example, kids will learn about food groups, nutrition, and ingredients. Organization comes into play in a big way — veggies, fruits, boxed foods, and household goods all have their own spaces. They’ll also learn to count and handle money, and as they sell or buy pretend food, they come to understand its value, which introduces them to basic economics.