Open a Christmas pretend shop with four empty parcels
Use empty boxes, dot price tags and large paper tokens. Agree that this is a game, choose a customer and finish by returning the stock.
An empty box can become the stock in a Christmas pretend shop. Set out four parcels, give them simple pretend prices and take turns choosing one. Everything returns at the end of the round. The game does not require real money, new gifts or a promise that the imagined contents will appear at Christmas.
Make the stock visibly pretend
Choose four empty boxes or folded paper parcels that are easy to handle. Remove anything inside and let the players see that they are empty before you begin. A child can decide what each parcel represents: a story, a toy train, a scarf or something entirely imaginary.
Put a large drawing on a tag so the customer knows what is being offered. Explain that the drawing belongs to the game and does not describe a real gift waiting elsewhere. If a child wants to use a favorite toy instead of an empty box, ask its owner first and agree it will be returned after play.
Give the tags simple dot prices
Draw one, two or three large dots on each tag. Make six large paper tokens and let one token stand for one dot. Use flat pieces of paper, not small loose objects. These are invented game prices; they do not estimate what an actual gift costs.
Try one exchange together before opening the shop. For example, the customer chooses a parcel with two dots, counts out two tokens and receives the box. The shopkeeper puts the tokens aside. If the customer does not have enough, they can choose another parcel or ask to reset the round; no real purchase follows.
Take a turn on both sides of the table
Agree who starts as shopkeeper and who is the customer. Use a short greeting, choose one parcel and complete that exchange before moving on. A child can point to a drawing instead of explaining it aloud. Someone who prefers to watch can join a later round.
After the agreed number of exchanges, return all four parcels and six tokens to their starting places, then swap roles. Keep any story about the parcels separate from their dot prices; nobody needs to prove that an imagined scarf is worth more than a story. Finish by putting the game pieces away together so the next opening begins with a complete set.
Our four pretend parcels: Drawing on each tag: Dot price for each parcel: Six paper tokens ready: First shopkeeper and customer: When we reset and swap:
