Going to the grocery store can be an overwhelming experience for a lot of kids, as well as a lot of teens and adults who are learning to shop independently or for the first time.
After all, there are a lot of steps involved when it comes to a trip to the grocery store or supermarket. It can also be noisy or hard to find what you are looking for. Items might be out of stock. There might be long waits and so on. So it's helpful to learn about the different steps ahead of time.
That's where these free social stories about grocery shopping come in handy. They help break down various steps in the process such as making a shopping list, using the self checkout scanners, and asking for help to locate an item.
Hopefully these social stories will help make the whole grocery shopping experience a little bit easier for you or your child.
This collection of grocery shopping social stories was last updated on April 20, 2024. A new video social story was added and dead links were removed.
Free Social Stories About Grocery Shopping
Have you been looking for a social story about going to the grocery store? Then look no further than these free printable social stories about shopping for groceries. Some require you to have a Teachers Pay Teachers account (which is free!) before you can download them.
I've rounded up some options for you to explore. That way you can find the best grocery shopping social story for you and/or your child or teen. Or you can simply use ideas from different stories below to write your own custom story (free social story templates here to help).
Please note that just because a social story is listed here does not mean I endorse its content. After all, many social stories tend to be poorly written and/or teach autistic masking. Besides, I haven't read all of these stories word for word myself. So please read through the stories carefully before using them, either for yourself or with a child or teen.
1. Supermarket Shopping Social Stories from Happy Learners - There are two text only social stories available here. No images are included. The titles are "Grocery Shopping" and "Supermarket Shopping."
2. Going Grocery Shopping Social Story from ASERT - This story uses colorful clipart and explains what to do when you go grocery shopping.
3. Social Story: Preparing for a Grocery Shopping Trip from Kidmunicate - This story looks pretty detailed. It uses full color photos. The link to download the PDF version is near the top of the article.
4. Going Shopping at the Grocery Store Social Story from Social Stories: Power Tool for Autism - This story is primarily text only. There is one photo and one clipart image included. It's specifically about going grocery shopping after school
5. Shopping at the Grocery Store: A Social Story from Resources for Adults with High Functioning Autism (please note that we don't support the use of functioning labels here) - Near the bottom of the list, you'll find a grocery shopping story. It focuses primarily on asking for help to find what you need in the store and uses lots of full color photos.
6. I Want to Go Grocery Shopping Social Story from Autism Specialty Products on TPT - This story uses colorful icons to accompany nearly every word. It's visually very busy so it may be helpful for some and distracting for others. I personally find stories like these hard to read and annoying.
7. Going to the Grocery Store Social Story from Vancouver Island Therapeutic Resources on TPT - This story looks good for a young child. It uses full color photos.
8. A Trip to the Store: A Social Story from Ms. T's Corner of Calm & Creativity on TPT - Here's a story that's a bit more general and isn't necessarily about grocery shopping per se. But it certainly can be used for that. This story looks geared towards young children and uses lots of clipart.
9. How to Use Self Checkout at Kroger from Allison OMara on TPT - While this story is written specifically for Kroger stores, you could easily adapt it for other stores as well. It uses full color photos and talks about how to use the self checkout lanes.
10. Social Story About Going to the Grocery Store from Emma Epner on TPT - This story comes as a PowerPoint so you might be able to edit it. It includes a mix of full color photos and clipart.
11. Shopping at the Grocery Store: A Social Story from Children's Specialized Hospital - Here's a story that uses lots of full color photos and looks pretty detailed.
Video Social Stories About Going to the Grocery Store
Here are some social stories that discuss what to expect when grocery shopping. You can use these in teletherapy sessions, social skills groups, at home, and/or in classroom settings. Videos are always a great alternative to printing off a story.
Like the stories above, some of the wording in these videos aren't always great. But I wanted to make sure you had lots of different options for learning about grocery shopping.
Ideally, you should write and use a social story that is specific to your child or yourself and the grocery store you like to shop at. But one of these free social stories about grocery shopping should work if you need something quick and premade.
