Problem Solving Activity

List it. Give your child the grocery section of the newspaper to make a list of foods that will feed the family for the week and also meet a budget of a certain amount of money. Have your child make a chart and use mental math or a calculator to figure the cost of a few items. If the total of groceries is more than you have budgeted for, talk about which items can be eliminated, while still serving the needs of the family.

Shop Around. Have your child search for advertisements in the newspaper for an item they have been wanting in order to find the lowest price. After your child finds the best buy, have him/her compare the best buy to other advertised items. Are this store’s prices lower for everything or just the item in demand?

 

Highs and Lows. Have your child search the newspaper for daily temperatures and create a graph showing weekly trends. Ask your child for the differences in temperature from day to day.