Help avoid grocery store meltdowns with cart learning

No need to dread taking the kids along to the grocery store anymore. One Houston Moms Blog writer has turned this sometimes hectic chore into an educational experience.

Grocery shopping is fun for Piper Nitchman and her two young children. At just 3 and 1, these little ones are learning their colors, shapes, and numbers each time they visit the grocery store.

"We'll practice colors with this one, and for her we'll practice her different hues and different names of flowers which helps with her vocabulary," says Nitchman.

As she makes her way around Kroger, her kids have learned to play "I Spy."

Down in the snack aisle they look for different shapes on the boxes.

They're spotting squares and triangles and counting how many sides a box has.

Even the 1-year-old is getting in on the learning. Looking at the price tags, he's able to recognize and name some of the numbers.

The cereal aisle is great because of all the different fonts. Nitchman says it helps the little ones with letter recognition.

She says it does get hectic and there are times they only get to one activity, but it is all part of their routine.

To help keep kids occupied in the cart, Kroger gives children under the age of 12 a free piece of fruit and a coloring sheet to help occupy their time.

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