Physical play shops have been a childhood staple for generations — a wooden counter, plastic fruit, a toy till. They’re wonderful, but they have limits: the money is fake, the prices don’t add up, and the “change” is whatever the child decides.
An online pretend play shop keeps everything that makes shop play magical — the imagination, the role-play, the independence — and adds something physical toys can’t: real maths that actually works.
Why Pretend Play Matters
Pretend play isn’t something children grow out of — it’s something they grow through. Developmental psychologists have long recognised that imaginative play builds:
- Executive function — Planning, sequencing, and following through
- Language skills — Shop play is full of natural dialogue (“That’ll be £3.50, please”)
- Social understanding — Taking turns, being helpful, handling “customers”
- Mathematical thinking — When money is involved, numbers become meaningful
A pretend play shop is one of the richest contexts for this kind of learning because it mirrors a real-world activity children see every day.
What Makes myplayshop Different From a Toy Shop
| Feature | Physical Toy Shop | myplayshop |
|---|---|---|
| Money | Plastic coins (fake values) | Realistic coins and notes from 7 real currencies |
| Prices | Stickers that don’t add up | Real prices that total correctly |
| Change | Made up | Calculated accurately |
| Variety | One set of products | 7 different shop types + custom shops |
| Portability | Stays at home | Works on any device, anywhere |
| Languages | One | 12 languages |
| Cost | £30–£100+ for a good set | Free |
This isn’t about replacing physical play — both have value. But for practising real money skills, the digital version adds a layer that toys simply can’t.
How Kids Play
The experience is designed to feel natural and child-led:
Setting up: Your child picks a shop type — bakery, supermarket, toy shop, ice cream parlour, flower shop, book shop, pet shop, or their own custom creation. Each shop comes pre-stocked with themed items and sensible prices.
Playing shop: Customers arrive and bring items to the counter. Your child scans each item (tap or click), watches the running total, receives the customer’s payment in realistic coins and notes, and works out the right change to give back.
The reward: Correct change earns stars, a satisfying KA-CHING sound, and happy customers. At the end of a session, the End of Day Report shows a summary of all transactions.
Perfect for Different Ages
Young children (4–5) love the sensory side — tapping items to scan them, seeing coins appear, hearing the sounds. The maths is incidental at this stage, and that’s fine. Familiarity with coins, prices, and the concept of buying and selling is valuable learning in itself.
Middle childhood (6–7) is where the maths clicks. Children start paying attention to totals, recognising coin values, and attempting to give correct change. The shop context makes this feel achievable rather than intimidating.
Older children (8–10) enjoy the challenge of perfect transactions, faster play, and the social element of playing with a friend or sibling (one as shopkeeper, one as customer).
Ideas for Play
- Theme days — “Today is bakery day! Let’s see how many cakes you can sell”
- Social play — One child runs the shop, another plays the customer reading a shopping list
- Real-world connection — After playing, visit a real shop and talk about what the cashier does
- Challenge mode — “Can you give perfect change for every customer today?”