Learning Resources Reviews

This is a great toy! My son loves the Math Mat so much that when I challenge him to a game he shouts out the answers to the problems and occasionally tries to step on the buttons even when it's my turn to play! This is a great toy for letting the kids run off some of their energy as they review their basic math skills. My 5-year-old son runs around the mat as the computer voice says the equation and then he quickly runs to step on the answer. The mat has three games (number identification and sequence, addition, and subtraction) and two levels of play. Regarding addition and subtraction, the first level requires you to find the sum or the difference and the second level gives you the answer to the problem and the first number in the equation and you provide the missing number. We use level 1 as a warm up since it provides a good review and then we play level 2 for a challenge.

I'd give this toy more than 5 stars in the fun and educational categories if I could. Since most children are quite active and learn math at different rates and since repetition is good at this stage, most children would get a lot of good quality use out of this game. I think the durability is pretty good also but it's really too soon to know.

We just got this two days ago. It is a great toy. My 5 yr old was up at 7:00 this morning playing it! My 2 1/2 yr old even plays it because they have a number recognition mode. It's great for my 5 yr old and I to play together and see who can get to the answer first. He loves doing kartwheels while landing his hand on the right answer. Good Job Learning Resources! Two notes: this math goes up to the end of second grade (18 + what = 22 and 20 - what = 12) and as mentioned in a previous review, it is difficult to hear when there is anyone talking in the room, but the is a repeat button. Therefore I would say it is for 2 1/2 - 7 yr olds.

I am the mother of a very hyper 5 year old boy soon to be entering kindergarden. It has been very difficult and expensive to try and find ways to teach him without boring or frustrating him. I have bought many electronical educational toys and I'd have to say this is about the best one so far to date. I have many leappad products and while they are great in theory, they are not for my hyper child that just wants to "play" and not sit down with some reading pad or talking phonic treehouse. The only time he will sit for a period of time to learn is with his computer games.

I think this is so good for my son because he is hyper and it allows for and even encourages movement. Yet, this toy also requires listening and focused attention. Due to the latter fact, I will admit that at first it seemed like another waste of money. He was getting frustrated because he wasn't getting the right answers and didn't want to play. My son does not know all his #'s and that was my main purpose for buying this item. I did figure out the best way for him was to deivide up the #'s between us. He got the 0-5 and I took 6-10. It's been less than a week and he has almost mastered his side. All in only 10-15 mins of play each day. The fact that he will still play it is a major thrill for me. It's fun factor also comes from it being sort of a timed game so that after each correct answer its ticking will speed up and once time is up it will tell you how many you got correct. We have the highest score possible on the #'s and he is almost as proud as I am.
There are 2 levels and 3 activities: Numbers, addition and subtraction. We are just on numbers but once he learns all of them (my side and his)I know this will be a great way to help him with adding and subtracting as well. There are also some really great suggestions as for other ways to play using the mat included.
So as long as it holds up I'd have to say it's a wonderful toy and not just in theory.

This game is great! The tiny dinos spark my 5 year-old son's imagination and enables him to have so much fun that he does not realize he is learning. Furthermore, he does not want to stop!!! He learned place value up to the thousands during our first game. After each roll of the dice the player uses all four dice to make a number and then s/he reads the number aloud (i.e. if you roll 6666 you say six thousand six hundred and sixty six). As we move our dinos around the board T.R. looks forward to our pieces landing on the same track so that we can have a "Showdown". In a "Showdown" you simply have to roll a dice and the person who gets the larger number wins. However, we move our dinos to the middle of the board and have a miniature battle. The player who rolled the larger number wins the battle. The loser is sent back home and the winner gets to move ahead. After playing the game a couple of times without using the cards - which is the simplest level of play with this game - my son asked to use the cards. So on Day 2 we began using the cards. Again he uses his imagination and does a great deal of role play as he carries out the instructions. It fills my heart with delight to see his excitement and to see that he has truly learned how to read numbers up to the thousands. (T.R. learned to read when he was 4 so he independently reads the dice and reads the cards.)

As a parent I highly recommend Dino Math Tracks because kids quickly learn a lot while having loads of fun. This game can be played at three levels, so it grows with your child.

My child loves this game! Each person has a single type of dinosaur in four different colors. Each color represents one of the placement values; Ones, Tens, Hundreds, Thousands. The dinosaurs, as determined by roll of four dice, have to walk their color-coordinated path from start to finish. But look out! If an opponent lands on the same space, a die-rolling duel ensues, with the high-roller prevailing. This basic game is a lot of fun for young children. Then there are two decks of cards, one more advanced than the other, which enable the parameters of the game to expand with the child's developing math skills. My child and I can play on even ground - a rare trait in today's games. This comes highly recommended!

I was not too excited when my kids got an educational board game as a gift, but my kids took right to it and still ask to play it on a regular basis a year later. They have learned a lot, and I am buying this game as a gift for our school friends this year. My only gripe is that the numbers wore off the dice, since the kids played the game so much!

My son has autism, so I am constantly on the lookout for toys that will help him in everyday task. The phone is FANTASTIC! In only two day, he got the hang of the phone and learned his home phone number! The kicker was for praise, he heard mommy's voice saying, he got it right! No mechanical, strange voices! Good Job! Great Product!

This toy can be used by babies and toddlers and up. Younger kids can use it simply as a pretend phone. When certain buttons are pressed there is a dial tone sound, a ringing sound, and a "busy signal" sound. My youngest was one year old when he began playing with this, randomly pressing buttons, listening, and really pretending to talk.

Older kids (5 or maybe 4) can use this as a teaching tool, with the parent. As described by the manufacturer (above) this has the capability to program in numbers, record your voice, and practice calling 911 or practice calling other important phone numbers.

So far we've only used the toy to play with during imaginative play. My kids have played with it so much that it is worth the cost. Kids who visit for playdates also gravitate to this toy and love to play with it. I highly recommend this as a great toy for pretend play.

Also great from this manufacturer is the pretend cash register.

We received this toy for a gift for my 3-1/2 year old, and he loves it! He loves puzzles, and immediately figured out how to manipulate the pieces to fit the diagrams He never tires of it, although he'll occasionally get frustrated if the pieces slide out of place on the diagram. The pieces are very well made with no sharp edges. My only complaint is that it only comes with 4 patterns, and the cardboard "form" isn't very durable. Excellent choice overall, though!

After watching our son play with the little tools that came with the Play-Doh set he received for his birthday, we decided to get him toys for a pretend kitchen. There are lots of "kitchen"-based toys on the market, but most of them are pink or focus on tea cups. We wanted one that wasn't boy or girl specific, and that would give our son tons of individual kitchen items to play with.

Imaginarium's 70-piece kitchen set is what we decided to get, and we couldn't be happier with our choice. For one thing, the sheer variety of kitchen utensils included is incredible. Besides the basic plates, forks, knives, spoons, etc, this set also includes a measuring cup, some tongs, and even a spatula! Almost every item my son used to take out of our kitchen cabinet is here.

To make room for all this, we cleared out a cabinet in our kitchen and put everything in it. Now our son can behave just like we do. This was important to us, because he's really starting to enjoy imitating us and we wanted to make this as close a replication as possible. He loves the idea of having his own kitchen utensils to fix his own meals for us.

Another nice thing about this set is that, for the most part, it's safe. There are some pointed items included (like the forks), but they aren't that sharp. And as long as your child doesn't run around with them, I don't think you'll have any trouble.

I should also mention this: We've REALLY enjoyed the amount of time these kitchen items occupy his time. In the morning, my wife and I are able to sit and eat our breakfast in relative peace while our son organizes his cabinet, feeds his stuffed animals, etc.

All in all, we feel we've definitely gotten our money's worth. If your child loves playing in the kitchen, you should definitely consider this set!

This product has provided hours of entertainment to my Kindergarteners and my first graders in the last two years. I can't believe how rough they can be with the toy and nothing breaks.

I bought this set for my son when he turned 4. He didn't attempt to play with it by himself until one day I got it out, sat on the floor with him and started building really neat stuff. When he saw what I had done and watched all the colors of gears turning round and round that was it, he loved it. This set has so many options; you can build 1,000 different things. We will have this set for a long time.

We received several gears, gears, gears sets at the same time, and found that the plain set ie Super set although initially fun looses excitement without some add ons. If I were to buy just one set I would start with the Under the Sea adventure set first, then add with the fantasy play park. The Undersea set has parts that move the gears in interesting ways from the standard set. It also comes with regular gears for building, although in limited number so the super set still helps extend the play.The motorized monstors sounded more intteresting than it was, but the parts when added to the Undersea adventure set was great fun! The gears are an interesting way of learning how things work. If your child is mechanically minded any of these sets will provide a wonderful new constructin opportunity. If your child hasn't been inclined towards let's say lego's etc.. This toy may provide some interest initially in being able to create a design that moves. However, construction with this set is more complicated than legos and for the less mechanically inclined child will still need paren'ts help beyond the age minimum's recommended.

When I got this toy i played with it for such along time and still do. You only spend $29.99 on it and it is money well spent. You make the right choice if you get this toy. The age group i would say is probably 5-whenever. Let me tell you parents what when my mom and dad got this for me i lovedit and it made me happy for so long.Three words for this toy.
MONEY WELL SPENT!!!!!!!!! FUN
so you should get this toy. KNOW dont think twice get it...NOW
dont forget get the scanner and bar codes* that go with it.
*SOLD SEPARTLEY

I'm buying this toy for my son's 3rd birthday because he makes a beeline to it everytime we go to our parent-child preschool class. He usually sets up a toy phone nearby, too. I get to be the customer and bring a basket of toy food to him which he "scans" on the notepad area. It's nice when toys leave something to the imagination. He loves the play bills and coins and pretending to make change. I believe that this toy will grow with my child and still be fun for him in a few years.

I figure that if this toy has survived daily use by multiple 2-4 year olds, it will survive around our house. If it doesn't, then I will update this posting!!!

This item was used in my Sunday School classroom ages (4-7) earlier this year. Okay, so you are probably wondering in what application did I use this for in a Sunday School room? A: Matthew and Zacchaeus, the tax collectors.

Due to its popularity, I decided it was in my best interest to purchase a duplicate so that ten children would not be crowding around one register. The register was never not in use during the entire class time (1 hour and 15 minutes) except when I pulled them away for story time. Suffice it to say that it was a major hit.

It has been my experience that the special traits that make it a favorite with the children are: 1. Calculator features (the children who are familiar with numbers were thrilled that they could use it for real life addition and subtraction transactions). 2. Credit card that swipes through a slit in the register and note pad (these two items made the setting more "real life" as they are familiar with these adult items). 3. Size (this particular register is the largest available-unless you are willing to spring for a real one). END

Gears was bought for my 4 year old nephew and he just loves it.
I would recommend this toy for education, imagination, and just plain fun!!!

I bought the Motorized Monsters set here (I don't see it listed now) based on fabulous reviews. I was very disappointed in the set and so was my 6 year old son. It is noisy, clunky and not at all the fun toy that we were expecting.

My 5 year old son has advanced rapidly in just two days of playing with this. He is describing and building complicated gear layouts that incorporate gears of different sizes and gears at different angles to one another. Very nice!

My main complaint is that the set should include more pieces. I cannot see more than two kids playing with the contents of this set, and even then I think there would be some fighting for scarce pieces.

PROS
* Durable pieces
* Well-designed pieces connect well and allow for excellent spinning action of the gears
* The type of toy that kids will play with for hours on end and go back to again and again

CONS
* Not enough pieces for the price; you can get hundreds of lego bricks for the same price
* What do the gears *move*? There is only one propeller included and no wheels or other items that gears might control. Instead, we just tend to move more gears, which is fine for a 5 year old but not for an 8 year old

PURCHASING RECOMMENDATION
This is fun and very educational. I will buy the additional sets and give this one as a gift to other kids. I do wish they put more pieces in it, but it still is worth buying.

This item is a bit pricey for what you get, but it is really a helpful tool in teaching children to read time. I ordered it two months ago, and by the time Christmas rolled around, my daughter wasn't having trouble with time so much. Still, it is very interactive with her daily life, including magnets for kids to practice time in conjunction with their daily activities. I highly recommend this item, especially if your children are just starting to learn to tell time.

We received this item as a gift for our 4 yr old son's birthday. The concept is great in that the child can relate activities in their day to certain times on the toy. Our son can now understand half hours, 45 minutes, etc!
The only complaint is that the magnetic hold on the magnets is pretty weak...so they don't stick real well and fall off easily if you brush up against the board. The pen also doesn't stick well to the surface and the magnet has already fallen off of it.

Love this toy - I'm teaching my 4 yr old to read/spell and it has been invaluable - it has lots of little picture "rods", plenty of letter rods (consonants in blue, vowels in red - great idea- reinforces the importance of vowels) a few blank rods, activity cards(e.g.pick pictures of dog, pig, fox and ask which end the same) and a little dry erase board and pen for writing/drawing practice. They have to create words left to right which reinforces that too. Fun factor? Well,its way more fun than worksheets or dry early readers. All in a self contained package so the pieces can be put away easily.