Teenz Annual Supermarket Sweep

Price check in aisle 5! Our members had a terrific time this weekend during our famous Supermarket Sweep outing to Fairway Supermarket in Kips Bay. Upon arrival to the session, members were engaged in a conversation regarding the supermarket and how each of their families typically get groceries (shopping at a local supermarket, specialty store such as Whole Foods, Costco, or shopping online on a site such as Amazon or Fresh Direct). We discussed these different options comparing different factors including convenience, quantity, and price. We then distributed a list of 25 common household items including milk, eggs, bananas, paper towels, turkey, peanut butter & jelly. Members were given 10 minutes to review the list of items and to make an educated guess on the price of each item. They were told that we would then have the opportunity to explore the supermarket and have the opportunity to compare their initial guess with the actual item prices. Upon arrival to the supermarket, we discussed how the supermarket was organized by sections (i.e. produce, diary, frozen, deli etc.) which makes the supermarket easier to navigate and certain items easily accessible. Everyone did an excellent job navigating the store, using the signs on each aisle as a guide to locate each item on their list. When an item was unable to be located, they advocated for assistance from a store associate which was excellent practice. Members worked really well together, each using different strategies to complete the shopping list in the allotted time frame. After navigating the supermarket and being tempted by so many delicious foods, the members developed quite an appetite and decided to dine at a local pizzeria for a delicious lunch. We also took a pitstop for some games at the Modern Pinball Arcade in Murray Hill! During lunch, the members tallied up their supermarket lists and engaged in an educational discussion on their experience and their guesses. They were surprised at the cost of certain items, and expressed that when food shopping in the future, they would keep in mind factors they learned during this outing such as sale price, quantity, brand name vs. store name etc. We were extremely impressed by the members' excitement and motivation during this outing. These skills are critical to developing increased independence for adulthood. We look forward to doing more educational activities like this in the future!