Get Your Kids Ready to Head Back to Class with Educational Games from Lakeshore Learning + #Giveaway

Thank you to Lakeshore Learning for providing me with product in exchange for my honest review. All opinions shared are my own.

This summer has gone by in such a flash! We've been on the road, and have also had down time at home for a few weeks here and there. My little guy actually just started school this week, and we've spent a good deal of time getting ready to be focused on learning in the classroom by learning through play at home this summer. Since B was a baby/toddler, I have spent a lot of time and energy working with him on reading, math, and overall early childhood development. I started a homeschool preschool program with him when he was just shy of three years old, and haven't looked back since, supplementing what he's working on in school at home. I aim to do the same thing with Baby S, who is now 16 months old.

When it comes to educational play and learning experiences in our home, I look for learning resources and tools that I know my children will enjoy and respond to. Lakeshore Learning is dedicated to creating innovative educational materials that spark young imaginations, instill a sense of wonder and foster a lifelong love of learning. With materials for infants and toddlers through the 6th grade, we help children reach developmental milestones and achieve educational goals—while still having fun!

We enjoy spending time together, playing and learning as we go along. Every so often, I look for fun games to help me teach fundamentals in reading, math, and science to my wonderful children. Lakeshore Learning games are helping us get ready for a fun and educational new school year, and providing us with lots of excitement at home.

Survive the Quake, a fun Engineering Kit for kids ages 4+.

B absolutely loves to build structures, so he immediately responded positively to Survive the Quake from Lakeshore Learning. This fun kit allows young engineers to design their own buildings with the provided blocks, and test them against an earthquake with a quake simulator! The simulator has five different levels of intensity, giving kids the opportunity to turn up the intensity and see how their building stack up against the power of 'earthquakes'.

B checks out the instruction booklet that comes with Survive the Quake.

The provided instructions show kids the different ways that they can use the blocks to build various buildings. The kids use their noggins to build the towers in a way that they will hold together in the event of an earthquake. Through trial and error, little engineers are able to see which building designs hold up against the different levels of intensities in each quake.

B tests out the quake simulator, turning the dial to 5, to feel the intensity of a 'quake'.

The quake simulator is so cool! The plate on top moves and shakes at different levels, depending on which dial you turn it to. The blocks fit into the grooves and stack together, allowing your child to create tall towers, as big as their imagination allows- or until they run out of blocks.

The Survive the Quake Kit comes with everything you see here- a guide, the quake simulator, and plenty of blocks in different shapes and sizes.

B uses the guide book to build his first tower.

Super proud of his tower, just before turning the dial to see if it stands up against the intensity of a quake!

The first tower falls after B turns the intensity dial to 5 on the quake simulator.

B built several different towers and used the quake simulator to test them all. He really enjoyed building them from the guide in the booklet and then trying his hand at building his own designs. Eventually, he caught on to the way the blocks needed to be balanced to keep the towers from falling. This fun kit is something that B really enjoys playing with and keeps going back to. It's perfect for his 'no screen' activity time at home, or for play time! Baby S loves to watch her brother stack the blocks way up high, and watch them come tumbling down!

Survive the Quake Engineering Kit:

Put your building skills to the ultimate test…the earthquake test! Our earthquake simulator creates quakes in 5 levels of intensity…and comes with 30 plastic building bricks in a variety of shapes & sizes—so you can test tons of different structures to see if they topple or stand strong! Kit includes an activity book that gives kids a look into the world of earthquakes and engineering. 10" earthquake simulator requires 4 “AA” batteries (not included).

For little learners, the Ladybug Number Match is the perfect way to introduce numbers!

Baby S is beginning to learn letters and numbers. She enjoys reading books that have us counting, and we love to count on fingers and toes. The Ladybug Number Match introduces numbers 1 through 10 with adorable ladybug counters and matching leaves as numbered bases. The goal is to match the ladybugs to the appropriately numbered leaf. Little ones will have so much fun as they learn to count the spots on each ladybug and match them to the leaf with the same number. Each ladybug sits on a base, on each leaf.

Baby S, excited to see what's inside of the colorful ladybug box!

The Ladybug Number Match set comes with 20 pieces total- 10 ladybugs and 10 leaves. Each piece is just the right size for little fingers to grasp.

Baby S tries to fit some of the ladybugs onto their leaf bases.

Hmm... do these match?

Baby S is just starting to learn numbers, so we start by lining up the leaves in numerical order. I say each number aloud and point to the appropriate leaf as I do so. S is a parrot these days, so I wait for her to repeat the number. Next, we line up the ladybugs in numerical order, and go through the same process, counting the dots as we go. We match the ladybugs to their leaves and then clap once they're all lined up.

For now, S loves pointing to the ladybugs on their bases, and then takes them all off. She is still working on figuring out how to put the ladybugs on the leaves but never seems to be frustrated when she tries to do so. The leaves each have their own base shape, which only fits the corresponding ladybug, so it's fun and easy for kids to practice matching the ladybugs and leaves on their own. I am enjoying having this matching game and being able to teach her how to count in such a fun and engaging way.

Ladybug Number Match:

Our ladybugs help children practice counting, match numbers to quantities & more! Kids just count up the dots on a ladybug—then find the leaf with the matching numeral from 1 to 10. Each leaf has a self-correcting peg that only fits the matching ladybug, so our set is perfect for independent practice. Set of 10 plastic ladybug counters and leaves, plus a guide. Leaves are 3 3/4" long.

Enjoying learning, and all smiles!

These amazing educational games and toys from Lakeshore Learning have brought us many hours of fun, laughter, and lots of smiles already. I am looking forward to enjoying them with my children even more as the year goes on. With both kids starting school, Learning Resources gives us plenty of wonderful options to supplement their lessons in school at home. I am a firm believer in continuing those lessons at home and devoting time to each child to further their education and love for learning.

Want them? Get them!

Look for these learning toys and games & more at Lakeshore Learning.

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Want it? Win it!

One lucky MBP reader will win a Back to School Prize Pack from Lakeshore Learning, including Ladybug Number Match & Survive the Quake. Giveaway is open to US residents, 18+. No PO Boxes. Use the RC entry form below to enter for your chance to win. MBP is not responsible for prize fulfillment. Please see our policies page for details.

Special thanks to Lakeshore Learning for allowing me to share about their fun educational games and for sponsoring this fun Back to School giveaway! Look for them in our 2017 Back to School Guide.

Good luck!