Christmas is such a fun time of year- seeing the kids open each gift is one of my favorite parts of the entire year! I am a firm believer that toys can have major benefits to kids, and that’s especially true when you purchase toys that are made with education in mind. Kids don’t want to feel like they’re at school during playtime, but Lakeshore Learning has so many awesome options that let kids learn while they’re having fun!
In fact, Zac recently got one of his favorite toys of all time from there, the Alpha-Sketch Light-Up Center!
Shine a light on alphabet skills! Kids use our light-up center to trace letters and cute corresponding images. Simply slide a tracing card in place, set paper on top…then trace the illuminated letters and images. Along the way, children practice printing skills, boost letter recognition and explore letter sounds! The center has a built-in handle and comes complete with 20 sheets of paper, 13 tracing cards covering all 26 letters, plus a pencil.
This center has been helping him learn how to write his letters and even draw pictures! He’s traced a few pictures pretty well, although he’s gotten creative with some of the pictures, too- which is also great! I love that it gives him a guide that he can choose to use when he wants, and a place to explore when he doesn’t.
You can find the Alpha-Sketch Light Up Center for $24.99 right here! A tip? Splurge on the extra paper- you can use regular paper but for just $3.99 you can get 100 sheets that are cut to the exact size for you. Score!
He’s also getting a couple of awesome learning toys from Lakeshore Learning for Christmas, too!
First up, he’s getting the Dinosaur Adventure Backpack! He has recently discovered dinosaurs and this set is perfect because not only does it come with a playset for your adventures, but the whole thing is portable! We’ve had “portable” sets from other brands in the past that included a playset with a handle, but that meant kids didn’t have their hands free and also often required the figures or other accessories to be carried in the other hand. I love this set because it’ll let Zac put all of his dinos and accessories into the backpack, zip it up, and wear it right on his back!
Enjoy hours of prehistoric play! Our sturdy backpack comes with 8 realistic dinosaurs, accessories…and a large foldout prehistoric play scene. Plus, the roomy, zippered compartment has space for all the pieces and kids’ extra belongings—making it easy to pack up and go!
I was really surprised at the size of this- I expected something tiny but it is definitely large enough for adventures as big as your child’s imagination! At the same time, the backpack won’t be too big for him to wear and I can really see this becoming our go-to travel toy that comes with us on trips to hotels and even Grandma’s house!
In addition to fine motor skills, this toy encourages imaginative play which I personally believe is one of the most important benefits that a toy can bring! The Dinosaur Adventure Backpack costs $39.99 and you can find it right here.
The other gift that’ll be appearing under our tree is the Marble Mania Game Carpet!
A fun twist on the classic game of marbles! Our carpet is actually an arcade-style game board. Children just put a marble on START, then aim, shoot and score! Plus, we’ve included a game guide with multiple ways to play—boosting math skills along the way. Games are designed for one or more players at a variety of skill levels.
I love that this carpet includes a non-skid backing, which is important because most of the rooms in our house have wood floors. I also love that while this may be a large set-up, it’s super easy to roll up and store out of sight- unlike many other bulky toys my kids have had over the years.
In addition to working on fine motor skills, this carpet is going to help Zac learn math in a variety of ways. He can already count to {and past} 20 and identify the numbers as well, but it’ll help to really reinforce those. It’ll also help us with things like greater than and less than, shapes, and more. The set even comes with a game guide so there are lots of different ways to play!
You can find the Marble Mania Game Carpet for $29.99 right here. And don’t forget the extra marbles!
If you’re looking for great gifts for kids that will actually help them learn, too, be sure to check out the massive selection at Lakeshore Learning! They have everything from imaginative play to math games to reading kits and more!