An important step toward understanding quantities is one-to-one correspondence. Children learn to assign a number word to each object they count. For example, if parents ask their child to put four bananas in the shopping basket, the child counts »one, two, three, four« and gradually understands that the last number mentioned represents the total quantity. Parents who involve their children in this way also make things easier for themselves, as the child stays busy and doesn’t get bored. Shopping also provides a great opportunity to promote spatial thinking. Terms like up, down, left, and right help children structure their environment and develop a sense of position and orientation. For example: »Place the milk to the right of the apple juice.« or »Place the two cucumbers on top of the other items so they don’t get squashed.« Such instructions foster an understanding of spatial relationships and support spatial orientation.