Let the Customer Purchase a Pizza from Your Pizzeria!
Set up a pretend pizzeria, make menus and play money, take orders, assemble paper or toy pizzas, and practice pricing and giving change.
About this activity
Set up a pretend pizzeria, make menus and play money, take orders, assemble paper or toy pizzas, and practice pricing and giving change.
What you need
Step by step
- 1
Step 1
Gather all your materials and put them in one spot so you are ready to build your pizzeria.
- 2
Step 2
Choose a table or box and arrange it as your pizzeria counter.
- 3
Step 3
Make a pizzeria sign from colored paper with your shop name.
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Step 4
Tape or prop your sign so everyone can see your pizzeria name.
- 5
Step 5
Decorate each paper plate or cardstock circle to look like a pizza base.
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Step 6
Cut colored paper into small shapes to make pretend toppings like pepperoni mushrooms and peppers.
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Step 7
Write your menu on colored paper listing pizza names sizes and prices.
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Step 8
Make play money by cutting blank paper into bill shapes and writing values on them.
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Step 9
Prepare an order pad by writing the word Order on the top sheet of your sticky notes or notebook.
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Step 10
Ask a friend family member or stuffed animal to choose a pizza and toppings.
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Step 11
Write the customer’s choices clearly on your order pad.
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Step 12
Assemble the pizza by placing the correct toppings on the pizza base to match the order.
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Step 13
Ask the customer to pay with play money and accept their payment.
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Step 14
Count the play money to find the total and give the correct change back to the customer.
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Step 15
Share your finished pizzeria and your paper or toy pizza on DIY.org
Fun facts
How do I set up a pretend pizzeria and play the pizza shop game with my child?
To set up a pretend pizzeria, clear a small area for a counter and dining spot. Make a simple menu with prices, create play money and price tags, and prepare paper or toy pizza bases plus “toppings” (paper cutouts, buttons, stickers). Assign roles—customer, cashier, cook—and practice taking orders, assembling pizzas, charging, and giving change. Rotate roles and introduce small challenges (special orders, time limits) to keep play engaging and educational.
What materials do I need to set up a pretend pizzeria with menus and play money?
You'll need paper or cardboard pizza bases, construction paper for menus and toppings, markers, crayons, scissors, glue or tape, play money or printed bills and coins, a toy cash register or bowls for coins, price labels or stickers, a tray or box for the oven, aprons or name tags, and optional printable menu templates or a calculator for older kids. Many items can be made from recyclables so setup is inexpensive and customizable.
What ages is a pretend pizzeria game suitable for?
This pretend pizzeria suits ages roughly 3–10. Toddlers (2–3) enjoy simple role play, naming toppings, and placing pieces. Preschoolers (3–5) can take orders, match pictures, and practice basic counting. Early school-age children (6–8) can handle pricing, making change, and reading menus. Older kids (9–10) can create receipts, manage inventory, and run timed “shifts.” Adjust complexity, supervision, and materials to match each child's fine motor and math skills.
What are the benefits of playing a pretend pizzeria with my child?
Playing a pretend pizzeria builds social skills, vocabulary, and cooperative play as children take turns and communicate orders. It reinforces early math—counting, simple addition, and making change—plus fine motor coordination when assembling pizzas. Creativity grows through menu design and imaginative toppings, while problem-solving and money awareness develop naturally. Short, guided sessions also boost confidence and responsibility as kids manage roles and customer expectations.
Watch & Learn
Need help?
What can we use instead of cardstock circles or colored paper if we don't have them?
Use clean paper plates from the materials list or cut circles from a cereal box or cardboard and color them with markers to make sturdy pizza bases.
My toppings keep sliding off the pizza bases — how can I fix that during the 'Assemble the pizza' step?
Stick paper toppings down with small dots of glue, double-sided tape, or a bit of sticky tack so the toppings from the 'Cut colored paper into small shapes' step stay in place.
How can I change the activity for younger children or make it more challenging for older kids?
For younger kids, pre-cut the toppings and limit choices to two or three when asking them to choose a pizza, while older kids can add prices to the menu and use the play money and order pad to calculate totals and change.
What are simple ways to personalize or extend the pizzeria activity after sharing on DIY.org?
Personalize and extend the project by decorating the pizzeria sign with stickers or glitter, creating loyalty cards and a delivery shoebox 'oven,' and adding a toy phone and menu board for role-play and taking more complex orders.