For children who love stories, running a book shop is a dream. Shelving adventures, recommending books to customers, and handling the satisfying crinkle of a book sale. myplayshop’s book shop puts your child behind the counter of their very own bookshop.
The Book Shop Experience
The book shop stocks a range of books at varied prices:
- Picture books: $3.00–$5.00
- Story books: $6.00–$9.00
- Chapter books: $8.00–$12.00
- Special editions: $12.00–$15.00
This price range creates diverse transactions. A customer buying a single picture book is a simple sale, while someone stocking up on three chapter books pushes the maths further.
Why Book Lovers Enjoy It
Children who enjoy reading bring an extra layer of imagination to the book shop. They often:
- Invent stories about the books — “This customer is buying a dragon adventure!”
- Play for longer — Engagement increases when the theme resonates
- Connect it to real bookshops — “I want to visit a real bookshop and see these prices”
The emotional connection to books makes the maths feel less like maths and more like running a real business.
Maths at the Book Shop
A typical session might include:
Quick sale: One picture book for $4.50, paid with $5.00. Change: $0.50.
Medium order: Two story books ($7.00 + $8.50 = $15.50), paid with $20.00. Change: $4.50.
Big purchase: Three books ($5.00 + $9.00 + $12.00 = $26.00), paid with $30.00. Change: $4.00.
Each transaction tests different combinations of addition and change-making.
Perfect Pairing With Reading
The book shop game creates natural opportunities to talk about books and reading:
- Library trips — “At your book shop, this type of book costs $8. At the library, it’s free! What a bargain”
- Gift shopping — “If you had $20 to buy books for someone, which ones would you choose? How much change would you have left?”
- Wish lists — “Add up the prices of your five favourite books. How much would that cost?”
Who It’s Best For
- Ages 5–7: Enjoy the bookshop theme and can handle simpler transactions (one or two books)
- Ages 7–9: Ready for multi-book orders with more complex totals and change
- Ages 9–10: Can manage the shop quickly and might enjoy the custom shop feature to create their own bookshop with creative titles and prices