Disclaimer: I was sent a selection of educational toys and games from Learning Resources to help create this post. The review words and opinions are my own. All photos are copyright property of Me Becoming Mum.

We’re living through the strangest of times. Even with a road map out of lockdown iminent, home learning feels like it has gone on - and will go on - forever. With a little help from Learning Resources I'm going to show you how you can make the most of both their educational toys and free activity sheets to help make home learning fun and exciting until the school reopen later this year.

Playing together with educational toys from Learning Resources

What I love about Learning Resources?

They have educational toys for all ages

From toys for under 2s to lab kits for over 8s there are so many different options to choose from for children of all ages. Toys like Munchkin's Pedro The Fine Motor Peacock help with skills such as colour and number recognition whilst the Kanoodle® Extreme Game pushes Squidgy in her critical thinking to create and design both 2D and 3D shapes.

They offer fun products for most any budget

Getting educational toys for your child doesn't have to break the bank. A great example are the Coding Critters which my children love. Even Pickle who is four is able to give coding a go. These interactive pets can be coded to reach a goal… and they are available to suit different budgets. From the Pet Poppers at just £7.50 to the Go Pets for £17 and even the bundles for £40 children are able to try out coding whatever your budget.

Their product help to develop children's skills

Learning through play at every stage is great for your child's development from their imagination to their dexterity. Whether they are learning how to build a plane from gears following instructions like the Gears! Gears! Gears! FlightGears or racing against the clock to count out the sticks into the pockets of the Counting & Place Value Pocket Chart.

There is a huge variety of products available

The range of games and toys available is super diverse. You have the opportunity for your children to learn about everything from geography to maths, and science to fine motor skills. Use them indoors and outdoors and simply enjoy the smile on your child's face!

They can look like one thing and be another

Munchkin adores his Smart Snacks® Shape Sorting Cupcakes… but they are more than meets the eye. There Re three parts to the set. The tray, the bases and the rainbow icing. Would you believe it's a shape sorting toy? Each icing fits into a specific cupcake base, and each whole cupcake can be matched to the same shape in the tray!

They can be used with other products you already own

Whether they are educational or not, there are toys you can purchase which will work extremely well with things your children already have. For example, why not check out the New Sprouts® range such as the Dinner Basket, Stir Fry Set or Bushel of Fruit which go great with cooking and kitchen roll play toys.

They have free educational activity sheets for children

Learning Resources free activity sheets for kids are online and ready to go for teachers and parents alike. Whether you have a child in preschool, KS1 or KS2 they have something for you. There is also a variety of categories including:

Maths

Literacy
STEM
Outdoor

Plus they even have activities for other ages, such as adult colouring. So, if you need to get your mind working, they have you covered too.

What else do you need to know?

Learning Resources is a great place to shop whether you are a parent or teacher and there are a few bonus points I think you should know about:

You can get free delivery. UK online orders over £50 get free delivery (and if you have a class of children to purchase for, or simply a large family like mine it won't take long to tally that up!)
Many of their products have actually won awards. From the Good Toy Guide to Teach Primary Awards and more there are award winning toys and games which you can purchase for your child.
They've been around for over 30 years. Since 1984 in the US and 1994 in the UK, Learning Resources have become a leading brand in educational toys. Rest assured they know what they’re doing!
They're not just for school, but do have classroom essentials. From fraction measuring cups to good behaviour buckets they have a variety of products and bundles suitable for teachers.
They've got products which help while we're in the middle of a pandemic. From face sheilds to handwashing decals you can find a variety of children friendly items to help during the Covid-19 crisis.

Munchkin with his shape sorting cupcakes

The great thing about Learning Resources is that their products are not limited to home learning during a pandemic. Whether you choose to continue homeschooling, or simply want extra activities for the weekends and holidays they have everything you need.

For more reviews of products and services we use in our lives as parents raising our two girls visit my reviews page. If you have any questions about Learning Resources products, feel free to ask in the comments section below.