Looking for a resource for educational family fun in Minnesota’s metro area? Lakeshore Learning shops are retail stores that sell innovative educational materials and toys — mainly for preschool through early elementary school aged kids. As a parents who have educated our kids through public, private, charter and home schooling, we love trying fun new ways to support our children’s educational growth, and Lakeshore Learning is one of our go-to resources. Before we had kids, my husband was a teacher at a small private school. We visited Lakeshore Learning to find some supplies for his classroom. At that time, I thought it was a neat store, but it wasn’t for me. I wasn’t a teacher. Years later, however, as a mom always on the lookout for ways to encourage a lifelong love of learning in my kids, I couldn’t get enough of the store. After a few years’ hiatus, Saturday activities have returned as monthly events in 2023. We, my 10 year old and I, visited the St. Louis Park location one sunny Saturday morning. We were invited to give the Free Crafts for Kids program a try during March a/k/a National Craft Month (who knew that even existed?!). As both local stores are located in shopping centers, visits to Lakeshore Learning for craft events can often be combined with other errands or family fun. When you participate in the Free Crafts for Kids program, you also receive a coupon. If you enjoy the activity, all of the necessary supplies are available to purchase at the store. I can see me spending a lot of money there, especially since next year I will be a homeschool mom. If you can’t make it to a particular Saturday event, Lakeshore Learning also offers a lot of other free educational tools on their website. We link to their free resources page at the bottom of this article. These can be great for building on a child’s favorite book or interest with a little education thrown in. Any materials you need for these early learning activities can be purchased online through Lakeshore Learning or ordered for convenient curbside pick up. We arrived before 11 a.m. when the crafts started so we took time to check out the store. The building was divided in half. One side focused on preschool activities and the other on primary educational tools. There were picture books, workbooks, science books, history books, reading books, grammar books, writing books, health books, etc. Manipulatives for young and younger alike as well as bulletin board decor. Baskets for school and art supplies. Kids will love the store because there is always toys out for them to try out and play with. Adults will enjoy shopping. It is really a great alternative to a traditional toy store because Lakeshore Learning has a focus on educational toys, art and craft supplies and classic books. Purchases can help you reach new educational milestones rather than litter your house with more cheap plastic. (I’m not saying they don’t have cheap plastic, they do, but they have a lot of great, high quality educational options, too.) So many great things to explore and check out. It is kind of a one-stop shop for all the things you might need for early childhood education programs, elementary schools, and homes with preschool and grade school aged kids. We could have stayed the whole day learning about educational tools. We didn’t because we had plans for our family, but we did enjoy our time while we were there. The staff was helpful and attentive. They were kind to the kids and moms with big smiles. Lakeshore Learning is a national retail store (with its home base in California) that specializes in “high quality educational materials.” They live up to their motto. You shop online or go to one of the two locations in the Twin Cities: Maplewood (near Maplewood Mall) and St. Louis Park (near the Shoppes at West End). Go on select Saturdays from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and your whole family will fall in love! This Article Originally Published by Gianna Kordatzky on March 30, 2015
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