Magic and Mayhem

Victoria asked permission to run her own lemonade stand tomorrow and I told her okay.  She’s been planning it for a few days now and today we walked downtown to the grocery store for her to buy her supplies.

Things learned so far….

• Math:  She kept a running total of how much she had spent in the store.  She also figured out how many cups of lemonade she would have to sell at 25 cents in order to recoup a $2 investment, how many brownies she’d have to sell at the same for a $1.25 investment, the number of brownies she’d have if she cut a 9×13 pan into 3 rows by 5 and how much that would be worth, and more.
• Vocabulary: We discussed the meaning of profit versus investment, recoup and some other business-related terms.
• Environmental Studies: Victoria learned firsthand why companies choose to do things that are bad for the environment when she had to choose between 51 styrofoam cups for $1.15 or over $3 for 20 paper cups.  She chose the styrofoam even though she said “this isn’t good for the environment” as she put them into her cart.  We’ll find a way to repurpose the cups so they don’t end up in the landfill and then pick up cheaper paper cups for next time when we’re in a bigger city next week.
• Business practices: She’s been deliberating letting Anna help and finally agreed to let her help for 1/3 of the profits after her initial investment is recovered.
• Home Ec: She’s baking the brownies and making the lemonade herself.
• Art:  She’s already made up signs with pricing and is making one for the garbage can that will have a ladybug on it and the saying “Don’t be a litterbug.”

We live across the street from a school and down the street from another section of it.  School kids walk past our house between classes all day and then walk home after school right past our house.  She should be able to sell a fair amount of goodies.  I’m interested in seeing how she does!