Where shopping sparks learning
El Super
As part of the Playful Learning Initiative in San Diego, the El Super Playful Learning Grocery Store integrates playful learning prompts throughout the store’s most popular areas, transforming everyday shopping into moments of family connection and discovery. Bilingual signage in English and Spanish invites children and caregivers to engage in observation, counting, storytelling, and conversation as they navigate the aisles together. Each sign encourages families to notice patterns, compare prices, describe colors and textures, and share cultural experiences related to food and cooking. By embedding learning directly into a familiar community setting, the installation turns a routine grocery trip into an opportunity for joyful, language-rich interaction between children and adults.
The Learning Goals
The El Super Playful Learning Grocery Store creates meaningful, bilingual learning experiences inspired by the 6Cs framework while celebrating the cultural richness of the community. Prompts that invite families to count items, compare quantities, and explore patterns support content knowledge in early math. Story-based signs that encourage children to describe foods, share recipes, and invent narratives nurture communication and creative innovation, turning simple errands into opportunities for storytelling and language development. Specific prompts throughout the store also encourage cultural connection, fostering conversations about family traditions, shared meals, and memories that deepen learning and strengthen community ties.
The Team
The El Super Playful Learning Grocery Store was created through a collaboration between Playful Learning Landscapes, Price Philanthropies, and El Super.
Supporters
The El Super Playful Learning Grocery Store was generously funded by Price Philanthropies, whose support of the Playful Learning Initiative in San Diego made this project possible.
