Learning Resources Review—Is It Better Than Its Alternatives?

Founded in 1984 in Vernon Hills, IL, Learning Resources is a popular platform that offers games and materials for children in pre-K to elementary school (ages 8 and up).

With their motto being, “Learning is where we play,” you can use their resources and award-winning materials to keep students motivated and engaged by having fun.

We’ve gone through every aspect of the platform to review its advantages for teachers, and we’ll show you the alternatives you can turn to if Learning Resources doesn’t satisfy your needs.

Learning Resources Top Features

Learning Resources is for kindergarten and elementary school teachers only—you won’t find anything for kids above the age of 9 or 10 there. The company focuses on games and materials that can bring fun to the classroom and make learning a more enjoyable experience for children.

Features that make Learning Resources stand out are:

1. Award-winning materials
2. STEM toys
3. Special resources

Award-Winning Materials

What’s better proof of a high-quality toy than the fact that it has received multiple awards from various parent and teacher associations? At the time of writing, Learning Resources boasts 52 products that have earned over 35 industry awards.

The awards Learning Resources has received include:

• National Parenting Product Awards (NAPPA)
• Mom’s Choice Awards
• Family Choice Awards
• Learning Magazine’s Teacher Choice Awards
• Academics Choice Award Brain Toy
• Creative Child Magazine 2018 Preferred Choice Award Kids Educational STEM Toys Category 
• Oppenheim Toy Awards—Platinum

You can’t go wrong with a toy that has multiple awards to its name, and it may well be worth the price.

STEM Toys

In the past, our curriculums failed to prepare children for successful careers by largely neglecting STEM activities, thinking it’s more suitable for older students. STEM activities, however, foster innovative and critical thinking, decision-making, leadership, and entrepreneurship—all important skills for a successful professional.

Learning Resources recognizes the importance of STEM for younger students. The platform offers over 200 STEM toys, 29 of which have earned awards.

Special Resources

Learning Resources’ catalog doesn’t end with regular toys for everyday use. They also offer products that will make the classroom a safer environment and toys that are more inclusive with children who need special attention.

You can use the platform to find personal protective equipment, as well as products for children in need of special education or speech therapy.

Learning Resources Pricing

Nothing in life comes without its cons, and this is a major one for Learning Resources. While it’s free to create an account, most products come with a steep price, and the platform charges you per purchase. Prices range from $1.99 to $400, and you’ll need to add a shipping fee and sales tax (if applicable) to the purchase value. The majority of products fall in the $20–$30 range. 

As a teacher seeking to enrich your lessons, you can easily get carried away and spend hundreds of dollars in one sitting.

The problem with this model, aside from having to spend a lot of money, is the fact that you don’t get a test drive. You’ll only know whether a product actually suits you only once you’ve paid for it.

Why Teach Simple Is a Great Alternative to Learning Resources

Unlike Learning Resources, which focuses on games and toys, Teach Simple offers a wide variety of teaching materials that will cover your every need. You can use Teach Simple to download:

• Projects
• Games
• Worksheets
• Curriculums
• Lesson plans
• Flash cards
• Graphics
• Audiobooks and ebooks

Another advantage of Teach Simple is that it doesn’t charge per product but offers a monthly subscription model. When you sign up, you’ll be able to make unlimited downloads without having to grab your wallet every single time and spend $100+ each month.

How Teach Simple Works

Teach Simple is a subscription-based source of teaching materials that offers over 10 different material types for students from early learning to high school (up to grade 12). When you visit our marketplace, you can use advanced filters to fine-tune your search results and find everything you need. Once you sign up, all of our products become available for download so that you can check them out and see if they work for your setting.

You can sign up for Teach Simple for free with our 30-day trial, during which you can make unlimited downloads without spending a dime.

Learning Resources Vs. Teach Simple

Check out the differences and similarities between Learning Resources and Teach Simple:

Overall Impression

Learning Resources offers premium toys for toddlers and students up to age 10. They have award-winning materials that focus on STEM, English, and various topics, such as early childhood, role-playing, and engineering. The only issue with their products is that the platform charges you per material, and you can easily end up spending $1,000+ on their items.

Aside from not offering materials for middle school and high school students, Learning Resources also lacks teaching materials that will help you organize your classes fully, such as lesson plans, worksheets, graphics, and other printables.

If you’re looking for a source that will cover all your teaching needs and won’t overcharge you for each product, you can turn your attention to Teach Simple. 

Other Learning Resources Alternatives

Not sure Learning Resources is the right choice for you? We’ve reviewed many other similar platforms that teachers can use to find inspiration for their classes—here are our favorites:

1. Really Good Stuff
2. Math Worksheets 4 Kids
3. Teachers Pay Teachers
4. DadsWorksheets.com
5. We Are Teachers
6. Twinkl
7. Learning Resources
8. Super Teacher Worksheets
9. Amazon Ignite
10. EasyTeacherWorksheets.com
11. Kindergarten Worksheets and Games
12. All Kids Network
13. Etsy
14. Tes
15. K5 Learning
16. Scholastic Teachables
17. Education.com
18. 123 Homeschool 4 Me