Inventory game for kids: track stock in a pretend school store, 3–5

1. Explain: "Inventory is everything a store has ready to sell. Stores count it so they know when to order more."
2. Teams copy the starting inventory into their tables.
3. Day 1: teams roll two dice for each item. The sum is how many sold. They subtract and write how many are left.
4. Add the reorder rule: a team may reorder once per day, and new items arrive the next day in packs of 10.
5. Play days 2 to 5. If an item runs out, teams record a "lost sale" for each one a customer wanted but could not buy.
6. Compare: which teams lost the fewest sales? Which teams had too many items left on the last day?
7. Discuss: "What is the problem with ordering too few? Too many?" Name the balance stores try to find.

Differentiation: students who need support use one die and track only two items. Students who are ready add a cost of 30 cents for each item left on the shelf at the end, to show that extra stock costs money. English learners can use the words stock, sold, left and reorder with gestures.

Quick check: "You have 9 erasers, you sell 7, and new packs come in 10s. Should you reorder today? Why?"

Save this activity to your library so it is ready when you need it.