Money & Life Skills · A family activity
Needs vs. Wants: A Grocery Store Game for Kids
Turn a grocery trip into a simple needs vs. wants game. Try three questions, a small shopping choice, and a no-purchase version at home.
By James Teen · September 29, 2026
“Can we get this?” A grocery aisle can produce that question before you have even found the bread. Instead of turning every request into a lesson, choose one small part of the trip for a game: What do we need, what would we enjoy, and what do we need to know before deciding?
This original James Teen activity takes about five to ten minutes. There is no score, and you do not need to buy anything extra. The goal is to hear your child’s reasoning and practice one manageable choice together.
Start with a simple distinction
A need is something essential, such as food to eat. A want is something we would enjoy but can manage without. At the store, the distinction often involves the particular item, not the whole category: you need food for breakfast, but you might have several suitable options.
Try saying, “We need something for breakfast. This cereal is one option. Having the box with the toy inside would be an extra preference.” Wanting it is not wrong. It simply does not make that exact box necessary.
Leave room for context. A particular food may be important because of an allergy, accessibility need, or another family circumstance. Do not use someone else’s cart as an example of what people should or should not buy.
Before you shop: agree on the boundaries
- Pick two or three items from your actual shopping list.
- Choose one small decision your child can help make, such as selecting between two suitable breakfast options.
- Decide whether any optional purchase is available today. It is fine if the answer is no.
You might say, “We are getting what is on our list today. You can help choose the apples. We can notice other things we like without buying them.” If there is room for an extra, state the limit before browsing. Do not promise a treat for giving the answer you want.
Round 1: find the job behind the item
Point to an item on the list and ask, “What do we need this for?” Bread might be for tomorrow’s sandwiches; soap might replace a bottle that is nearly empty.
Then ask, “Do we already have something that can do that job?” This separates a real need from buying another version of something you already have. You do not need to quiz your child about the entire cart—one example is enough.
Round 2: sort into three possible answers
For this game, use three spoken labels: Need for our plan, Want or extra, and Need more information. Your child can point or explain instead of reading or writing.
- Rice for tonight’s meal, with none left at home: a need for the meal you planned.
- A second flavor of crackers when you already have enough: an optional extra for this trip.
- A carton of milk: check what is at home and whether it fits your family’s needs before deciding.
These answers belong to the situations described; they are not permanent labels for the foods. Ask, “What would change your answer?” If there is already rice in the pantry, buying more may be able to wait.
Round 3: make one choice within a limit
Offer two options that you have already checked are suitable and affordable. Let your child choose and tell you why. You can do the price reading and arithmetic.
For a pretend example, imagine you have $5 for one breakfast item. A suitable cereal costs $4; another costs $6. The $4 option fits the limit and leaves $1. The $6 option is $1 over. These are made-up prices for the example, not current store prices.
Ask, “Which fits our plan?” Then, “What else matters besides the price?” Whether the family can eat it, will use it, and has space for it matters too. If neither option works, choosing something else—or postponing the decision—is allowed.
For a child who enjoys numbers, compare two shelf prices together. Keep the first round simple: packages of different sizes are not directly comparable just because one costs less overall.
When your child says, “But I really need it!”
Try acknowledging the wish before restating the limit: “You really want that one. I understand. It is not in today’s plan.” You can offer to write it on a wish list without promising to buy it later.
Avoid calling wants wasteful or describing your child as a bad spender. An optional purchase can still be enjoyable. The question is whether it fits this particular plan.
If the game becomes frustrating, stop playing and finish the errand. Adults remain responsible for the grocery budget; your child does not need to solve household money worries.
Try the no-purchase version at home
Use a grocery flyer, a few empty packages, or quick drawings. Invent a situation: “We need ingredients for lunch and already have bread.” Pick three pictured items and decide which help with lunch, which are extras, and which need more information.
Change one fact for a second round: “Now imagine we have no bread.” Does an answer change? This keeps the activity about explaining a decision, rather than memorizing a list of supposedly good and bad purchases.
If your family would prefer a game built around pretend prices, our 10-minute pretend store activity offers a separate way to practice choosing within a small budget.
Finish with one question
On the way home, ask, “What helped us decide today?” Your child might mention the list, what was already at home, the price, or choosing a favorite. Accept a short answer. The next shopping trip can bring a different example.
Sources for grown-ups
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau suggests explaining small shopping choices aloud and talking about essentials and optional purchases. See Young children and shopping. Its Playing a need or want game resource also explores the distinction through discussion. The examples and three-round activity on this page were created for James Teen; CFPB does not endorse them.