Chore to Cheer: Our Best Tips for Stress-Free Grocery Shopping with Kids
Grocery shopping with the kids. The “I wants.” The “No, you can’t have that, so please stop asking.” The exasperation (from you, not them). The threats. The tears, followed by the looks from strangers —whether they’re sympathetic or just curious.
We at Texas Grocery Finds are here to tell you this: We get it. We’re standing beside you in the aisles with our children.
But here’s the thing—grocery shopping with kids can be really fun.
We want to let you in on some of our favorite tips for grocery trips with children.
Make Grocery Trips with Kids Easier (and Maybe Even Fun!)
1. Shop when the stores aren’t busy.
Let’s start with the obvious: Avoid the grocery stores when they’re busy. Drive Research reported in April 2024 that Saturday between 10 a.m. and 1:59 p.m. is the busiest time of the week for grocery stores, with weekdays after 8 p.m. the slowest time of the day. If you can’t make it after 8 p.m., your next-best option is loading up the kids and heading to the grocery store before 10 a.m. on weekdays—you’ll miss the mid-day lunch crowd and after-work rush, especially on Fridays.
Costco is a special case, of course. Simply Recipes found the warehouse store was the least busy between 3 and 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, when parents are picking up their children from school. However, the “Warehouse Wanderer,” Costco blogger Kristen Markel, told House Beautiful she’s found around 11 a.m. mid-week to be a sweet spot for crowds (or lack thereof, rather). Either way, as long as you avoid the after-work crowd and weekend warriors, you’ll miss the aisle-to-aisle traffic jams, inside and outside the warehouse doors.
Pro tip: All bets are off when it comes to the first day of stores’ sale days, typically Wednesday (Sunday for Target). Expect longer lines than the rest of the week (grocery stores) and month (Costco and Sam’s), as shoppers rush to take advantage of new discounts.
Bonus pro tip: At our Costcos, regulars know stores open about 10 minutes earlier than their posted time.
2. Go toward the playgrounds.
We wish we knew who to thank for thinking of adding a playground to a grocery store. Throw in a cool cafe with kid-friendly food, and not only can you get a grocery trip in, but maybe even a playdate with friends, all before naptime.
Central Market consistently knocks this concept out of the park, with grocery store/playground/cafe combinations across Texas; FRESH by Brookshire’s in Fate and Tyler give families with toddlers and preschoolers enclosed spaces to play in; and Whole Foods in Austin on North Lamar is “one of the best hidden gems in all of Austin!” says Austin Fun for Kids’ Addie Gross. “What a fun place to eat delicious, healthy food and let the kids loose in the play area,” she says. “Everyone can choose what they want from the huge food courts and bring it up to eat on the roof next to the playground….. There’s even a bathroom up on the roof for emergency potty runs.”
Pro tip: If you live in the Austin area or visit often, bookmark Addie’s Austin Fun for Kids blog, especially her piece covering local restaurants and grocery stores with playgrounds. She’s broken her extensive list into regions and included photos and reviews, making it easy to choose the best options nearby.
3. A fed child is a happy child (Part 1).
When an infant is hungry, there’s only one thing that’ll calm them down, and it’s not a piece of candy. Enter the Mamava app. Think of it as crowdsourcing for mother’s rooms, quiet spaces specifically designed for nursing and feeding the youngest shoppers. Search by your ZIP code, city or current location, and you’ll find a map and list of stores with lactation spaces and Mamava pods as well as reviews and photos from moms.
Pro tip: Target leads the pack of grocery stores having designated mother’s spaces, with many being in the women’s dressing room, away from noise and distractions.
4. A fed child is a happy child (Part 2).
Kids ages 12 and younger can get a free cookie from Target bakeries, Costco and Sam’s give away samples every day starting at about 11 a.m., HEB has samples set up throughout the store on weekends, and Sprouts often has small tasting areas at the front of the store. If you happen to shop on a day without “good samples” (i.e., ones your kids don’t like), give yourself permission to splurge and end your shopping trip with a treat from the store cafe—you won’t find judgment here. Sam’s, Target, Costco, HEB and sometimes even Kroger have reasonably priced snacks that will either kick off or end your shopping trip on a high note.
Pro tip: If you plan on snacking before or after your shopping, make sure to have hand sanitizer to clean hands before touching the food and wipes or napkins to clean off sticky hands afterward.
5. An even happier child has their own shopping cart.
You haven’t seen happiness until you’ve seen your kid push a just-their-size shopping cart through the grocery store alongside you with actual groceries in it. Trader Joe’s and select HEBs, Tom Thumbs/Randalls and Krogers have the carts, but if your favorite grocery store either doesn’t have one or they’re in short supply, buy your own and bring it with you. Melissa & Doug has a steel cart that looks just like the real thing, HEB shoppers in training can push an authentic red HEB plastic cart past the meat counter, or you can go big and pick up Target’s kids red shopping cart, complete with a drink holder.
Pro tip: Bring along a doll for your child to push around in their cart for added fun.
6. Make shopping a game.
Julie Andrews’ Mary Poppins famously sang, “In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun and snap! The job's a game.” She wasn’t thinking of grocery shopping, but games certainly add an element of fun for children of all ages.
Need to find an apple for a scavenger hunt? Check. Need to find an item that starts with the letter “Y” and something that was made in Costa Rica? Check and check. Pinterest is ripe with grocery store options for every age and reading ability. Among our favorites, though, is this fantastic set of worksheets from 123 Homeschool 4 Me Creator Beth Gorden. Download her free “Learning at the Grocery Store” printable, and you’ll find everything from a basic scavenger hunt for the littles to estimating and comparing prices to geography for the bigs.
Pro tip: Eagle-eyed children can look for Trader Joe’s stuffed animal(s) hidden around the store. Once they find a plushie, they can tell a Crew Member and be rewarded with a sweet treat. A Southlake Crew Member told us most stores move their stuffed animals every day.
Bonus pro tip: If you’re at HEB, as you walk in, check to see if the store’s HEBuddy Spin & Win Game is sleeping. If it isn’t, you’ve struck the next best thing to gold. When you’re checking out, your child can ask the cashier for an HEBuddy Buck to take to the wheel to spin and earn points. They’ll collect points to save and eventually redeem for prizes, like stickers, pens, yo-yos, aprons and more.
7. If all else fails, go with the flow.
If you’re having an off day or nothing seems to be working, cut your grocery trip short and check out. Worst-possible scenario? You change your meal plan and go to the store again later in the week. Pivot and adjust.
Pro tip: Know this: If you notice looks or the feeling someone is annoyed by your child being a child, then that’s their problem. A stranger’s silent critique of your parenting skills isn’t nearly as important as the memories you and your child are creating together. Enjoy your conversations and listen to your child’s perspective on what would be a mundane, boring task without them—let them make it fun for you.
Tell us: How do you make grocery shopping with your children fun? What are your favorite tips?
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