Eat before you go
A snack before you leave the house does more to prevent a meltdown than any amount of bribery in aisle four.
Practical tips
Shopping with kids without the stress.
Nine small things that make the supermarket calmer, plus a free printable game that keeps little hands and eyes busy.
- Free printable game
- A4, no sign-up
- Printer-friendly
9 tips
A calmer supermarket trip, step by step.
Give them a job
Ask them to find the red things, count the apples or tick items off. Our free Supermarket Spotter turns the whole shop into a game.
Keep your list short and in view
If you’re not rummaging for your list, you’re not distracted. Keep it where you can see it, on a clipboard, a fridge or a Twistaroo.
Use the harness
If your child rides in the trolley seat, fasten the harness every time, and never let them stand up or ride on the outside of the trolley.
Shop in aisle order
Fewer laps means fewer rounds of “are we nearly done?”. Our free aisle-by-aisle list gets you round once.
Decide about treats before you go
A treat each, or no treats: say it in the car, not at the checkout. Children cope better with a rule they heard first.
Choose your moment
After a snack or a nap and not right before dinner. Quieter times of day are calmer for everyone, too.
Keep one hand free
List in one hand, phone in the other and steering with your elbow is how things get dropped. Anything that frees a hand helps.
Praise the helping
Say thank you out loud when they help. It works better than you’d expect.
A safety reminder. If your child rides in the trolley seat, always use the harness and keep them seated. Twistaroo holds a clipboard or a phone. It isn’t a child restraint and should never be used to support or secure a child.
Free up a hand
Your list in view, a hand free.
Twistaroo wraps round the trolley handle and holds your list at eye level, so one hand can steer and the other can hold a little one. It’s the reason we made it.
Questions
Shopping with kids FAQs.
Is Twistaroo safe to use with children in the trolley?
Twistaroo holds a clipboard or a phone. It is not a child restraint, so never use it to support or secure a child. Always use the trolley’s harness and keep your child seated.
What age is the Supermarket Spotter for?
It suits children who can recognise colours, shapes and numbers, roughly from four or five. Younger children can play along with a grown-up reading each clue.
Is the Supermarket Spotter free?
Yes. Download it, print it and share it as much as you like. No sign-up.
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