Now, my husband insists Costco is stressful. Personally, I’m too giddy walking in (giant muffins! samples! aisles of things I didn’t know I needed!) to feel stressed. But I realized the other day—it’s also the perfect setting for a little coding lesson.
Here’s how you can turn a Costco run into an unplugged coding activity:
Step 1: Map it out.
Grab a piece of paper and sketch the layout of your Costco (it doesn’t have to be perfect). Have your kids help you figure out the most efficient path. Clockwise? Counterclockwise? Zig-zag down every aisle? Skip entire sections? Do you circle to all the samples first for sustenance, then shop?
Step 2: Run the algorithm.
Put your plan into action. Stick to it—even if it’s ridiculous. Bonus points for timing yourselves.
Step 3: Debrief & revise.
Was it efficient? Did the bananas get squashed under a 25-lb bag of flour? Were the samples spaced well for morale? What changes would make the plan better next time?
Why this works:
- Your kids practice algorithmic thinking—planning steps, optimizing for efficiency, and revising after testing.
- You never know, you might actually end up with a smoother Costco routine!
- Often, when kids feel like participants in the mission instead of just passengers to “contain,” they’re calmer, more focused, and more helpful.
So next time Costco calls your name, take your little programmers along for the ride. You’ll come home with snacks—and some solid coding practice too.
P.S. This little “algorithm challenge” doesn’t just work at Costco—it’s gold for everyday chores too: laundry, yard work, making lunch… you name it. The payoff for your kids is real: once they optimize a routine, they’ll spend less time doing it forever after. You can even sneak in some math:
“Folding all your shirts, then putting them away at once, saved you 3 minutes compared to doing them one by one. That’s 3 minutes, twice a week, for the next 7 years until you’re 18… almost 36.5 hours freed up. What will you do with that extra time?”
If you want more tips about how to teach coding, grab our free guide below!