Lakeshore Learning Store

We went by for Saturday craft time with my three year-​old and it was great. It’s nice that a store offers something for free like that! The employees were friendly and the store was immaculate and well-​organized. The prices are a bit high, but if you want to skip the big-​box chaos, then this is your place!

Although the prices can be steep, this place has great quality products and wonderful customer service. Using my tax exemption was super easy and I love the 50% off sales they have on various items (like egg shakers for my little ones!). If you sign up for e-​mails and/​or their teacher card you get 20−40% off coupons each month! They also host events for kids and really support the teaching & learning community which is really cool.

Lakeshore is such a fun store! As a kindergarten teacher, I could spend hours and my whole pay check in this store.
They have fantastic games, crafts, puzzles, books, and music here. They are geared towards educators, but I often tell my parents to come here for ways to challenge their children at home. There’s a learning tool or game for EVERYTHING here.
Yes, they are pricey, but they do have good coupons!

This store is great! Love the open, bright atmosphere and that they have an area to keep the kids entertained while I shop. I bought lots of fun, educational games and toys here for Christmas last year. They can be a bit overpriced but they often have sales and put out coupons so it’s not a big deal. I’m thrilled that they have at least one of each item out and open to play with first hand to see if you like it before making the purchase. Kids seem very welcome here… they often have free activities for them to do.

There’s a new educational products store in the shopping center off Great Hills with the La Madeleine and Macaroni Grill. Like most of the shops in the vicinity, it’s a dreaded chain store, but lordy, I have to admit it’s a wonderful place for people who spend time with young kids.
Lakeshore offers all sorts of toys, books, arts & crafts supplies, and school supplies for kids ages infant to sixth grade, all at very reasonable prices. Products seem most geared toward daycare and elementary school teachers, but families can find lots of cool deals here, too.
One good deal that caught my eye was the bucket of toddler-​safe vehicles: 25 chunky cars, trucks, and tractors for $ 30. These looked remarkably similar to (dare I say, exactly the same as) the Viking Toys chubby vehicles that sell for for $ 40 for a bucket of 15. I love a bargain!
Most products are labeled as «Lakeshore Learning» brand, but they also carry well-​known names such as Alex, Melissa & Doug, and Priddy Books.
Frequent shoppers can sign up for a discount card which gives 15% off most products and early access to sales and special events. You can also take home a copy of their mail order catalog, which offers many other products (playroom furniture, for example) that aren’t available in the store.
The store also offers weekly free crafting events for ages 3 and up on Saturdays.
During my Wednesday afternoon visit, a wonderful song collection of kids singing Beatles classics was playing. I asked whether the CD was available for purchase and the very helpful cashier said that they were out, but he’d be happy to give me a call when they received a new shipment. I gave him my first name and phone number and received the promised call about 8 days later. Old fashioned customer service for a relatively small purchase — that’s something you don’t see much these days. I’m sure I’ll be giving these folks more of my business.
Open: Monday-​Saturday 9:00 — 8:00; Sunday 11:00−6:00
(Don’t worry, Teacher Heaven — I still love you, too.)