Lakeshore Learning Store

This place is great if you have a kid and want to get them a toy or game where they can actually learn something as they play. Excellent alternative to the junk they sell kids at toys r us. The staff is very attentive and asks you questions about what your kids like to do so they can make informed suggestions.. My wife asked one of the staff «what if my child is just not into the game, whats the return policy»? They said just like cosctco, bring it back and we’ll give you your money back.
Highly recommend if you have a little one.

This is a wonderful store for teachers or if you just have little ones in your life. The staff is super friendly and helpful and the store is organized in a way that makes sense for shoppers. They have specials everyday which will help you save. My nephew loves anything I get for him there, and it’s all educational! My kindergarten class is filled with posters, pocket charts, and supplies from this store. It’s a one stop shopping spot for new teachers!

I had a fabulous shopping experience at Lakeshore Learning Store. Enthusiastic, knowledgeable staff, great learning toys/​books, free gift wrapping, AND they consistently confirm info. when the credit card says «Photo ID required». Check this place out! I’ll definitely be back.

I LOVE this store!
No, I’m not a teacher. I work from home, and spend my workday breaks playing with the kids. I’m passionate about making our home feel like the daycare/​school my daughter left behind in Cali, and this store has everything I could possibly need.
What I love is they have everything a typical classroom would have — down to the posters on the walls, chalkboard chalk, easels, and paint. I’m able to buy just the right amount of supplies (read: not in bulk) the kids could want to make our home feel more educational, at least during the week. Their nanny is able to create a weekly curriculum with different daily activities for the kids, right in the comfort of our own home. We even have a little art gallery in the family room!
On Saturdays they also have a free crafting hour, where kids can come and participate in a craft event (different every week). My kids came once and made pencil holders, and didn’t want to leave. It’s a good way to try out some of the supplies they sell to see if you want to buy them.
All of the employees are super helpful and friendly, and the prices are reasonable. Granted, you can probably find equivalent stuff at Target, but I’d rather spend a couple extra bucks here to keep this place in business. They’ve got everything — I’m definitely a regular! :)

I have come to the conclusion that the summer leading up to your first year of teaching is both super exciting and extremely frightening! In addition to cleaning and decorating an entire classroom, the list of things to accomplish (i.e. writing welcome letters, leveling classroom books, creating a webpage, long term planning the curriculum for the year, attending trainings, etc.) never seems to stop (coincidently, neither does the caffeine intake). While I wouldn’t trade the experience for the world, I am quickly realizing that there is a LOT to think about and accomplish in a very short time.
Needing to take a guilt-​free break from our projects, a couple of my first year teacher buddies decided to escape our classrooms for a bit and take a field trip out to Lakeshore Learning. Upon our arrival, we were greeted by one of the friendly ladies working that morning. Hearing that it was our first time in, she gave us a brief run down of the store, the specs on current sale, and a standing offer to answer any questions if they should arise. After that, she checked with us a bit later to make sure we were doing alright, but ultimately left us on our own to explore.
Right off the bat, I grew to really appreciate the stores organization. Instead of just putting stuff where it fit or loosely clumping «themes» together, the whole store was broken up into sections like content areas, teacher materials, supplies, decorations, etc. Having a brain that is constantly running a million mph, any effort to help keep it focused on one thing at a time is much appreciated.
Like other educational stores, Lakeshore carries the standard: workbooks for all content areas, manipulatives, hands-​on kits, teacher resources, craft/​art/​school supplies, posters, boarders, presentation boards, educational toys and games, stickers, etc. Unlike the other stores however, Lakeshore seems to have more items that you would find in catalogs or online, such as: individual whiteboards, privacy folders, poster storage boxes and a variety of organization systems. While there seemed to be a wide (and well stocked) selection of teacher loot, on the possibility that something was sold out or missing, the employees working were ready and willing to order anything necessary.
While some of the merchandise seems a bit spendy (which is pretty standard for the products no matter where you buy them), being on the mailing list, I have noticed that the company keeps a lot of coupons and sales passing through my inbox. We happened to stop by during the back to school sale and the whole store was practically 20% off, which was an exciting find. As an added bonus, this sale also included getting a free lesson plan book with your purchase, which was pretty awesome as that helped check yet another thing off my to-​get list (woohoo).
Given the local options for teaching stores, Lakeshore is moving to the top of my totem pole. Not only does it seem like there is more merchandise but the friendly staff and organization make the trip in seem less overwhelming which is a major plus. Now if only they sold magical fairies to help get everything done, then they would be my favorite place in the world!