Many skills can be taught through a student store, snack bar, or some kind of a small canteen or shop. Products may be made by the students themselves (such as baked goods being made in a cooking class) or commercially-available products may be sold. Some of the skills that can be taught through this activity include:
math skills (making change, adding totals)
money identification
communication (greeting customers, asking what they would like, vocabulary)
social skills (interacting with customers and peers, manners)
motor skills (lifting, grasp and release, bi-manual coordination)
orientation & mobility (perceptual-motor & spatial relations of person to person/objects/environs)
Materials
items to sell (snacks, school supplies, etc.)
cash register or cash box
signs advertising products
display racks
Procedure
Determine what items will be sold. Students can be included in this discussion and simple business concepts can be introduced, such as profit, capitol, etc. This activity is also a good opportunity to address nutrition, hygiene, and other life skills in a functional context
Assign different students to different work stations, depending on their needs and abilities. A non-verbal student with limited motor skills may begin by working on stocking shelves, while a student working on multiplication may run the cash register)
Make signs in print, braille, with picture and tactile symbols to advertise products
Decide when the store will be open (during school break, recess, after school, etc.)
Try selling different types of things in different seasons, such as holiday-related items or food that is typically eaten at a certain time of year
Rotate the students through the store, depending on their interests and skills