Early Childhood
Early Education Games and Resources
Effective early childhood education involves engaging students with information and activity for brief periods of time. Learning tools for early childhood include books and other media as well as manipulatives, games, and toys. From memorizing ABC’s and 123’s to learning how to tie shoelaces and master motor skills, young children can benefit from instruction and practice with learning tools and activities.
Books and Other Media
Shop a wide selection of lesson planning books geared towards instructors, and don’t miss the selection of reading and activity books and workbooks designed to engage early learners. Many of the books designed for students capture children’s attention through storytelling, illustrations, or interactive features. With elements that engage, it is no wonder that books such as the Very Hungry Caterpillar, Sheep in a Jeep, and Curious George series are remembered by children well into adulthood.
Some media uses sound to appeal to children. Books that use rhyme help early readers remember sounds and letters or letter combinations. Addition & Subtraction Rap and Division Rap DVDs by Rock n Learn also take advantage of rhyme but use it to teach math. DVDs, and books with cassettes or CDs, use audio to encourage participation as they share information. Students make rapid progress in language learning during early childhood, and foreign language DVDs can introduce them to new languages at early ages. The Spanish DVD: Grades K & Up or Aprendamos Ingles (Learn English) DVD by Rock n Learn are two such DVDs.
Manipulatives, Games, and Toys
Manipulatives, games, and educational toys get children interested, active, and learning. Children can practice recognizing patterns and develop their understanding of size and shape by using manipulatives. Multi Match Sensory Discs by Guidecraft encourage children to use their use their senses, fine motor skills, and color matching abilities. Foam Color Cubes by Teacher Created can be used to help children learn to visually discriminate between colors and develop fine motor skills. Like many manipulatives, Foam Color Cubes can also be used for creating patterns and understanding basic math concepts. Age-appropriate games and toys encourage children to participate in developmental activities in similar ways.
Learning at any age can be fun, and that is a great lesson for children to learn early. The learning tools and activities available here can help them do so.
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On Sale
Primary Lacing Beads, 2 Sets
Melissa & Doug
Now: $33.10Was: $35.98The bright and bold Melissa & Doug Primary Lacing Beads set is a must-have for budding imaginations! Each set includes thirty hand-painted, durable wooden beads in six vibrant colors, and two extra-long laces for plenty of hands-on play. Each set of...Now: $33.10Was: $35.98 -
On Sale
Primary Lacing Beads
Melissa & Doug
Now: $16.55Was: $17.99Thirty wooden beads in six vibrant colors and five distinct shapes combine with two extra-long laces for many activities. Stringing the easily grasped beads promotes hand-eye coordination, fine motor, cognitive and visual perception skills.• 30...Now: $16.55Was: $17.99 -
On Sale
Beginner Pattern Blocks
Melissa & Doug
Now: $25.75Was: $27.99A perfect first manipulative! Five two-sided wooden pattern boards with ten designs feature recessed spaces for secure shape placement. Brightly colored geometric shapes complete the pictures and can also be used for color and shape matching activities...Now: $25.75Was: $27.99 -
On Sale
Catch & Count Fishing Game
Melissa & Doug
Now: $30.35Was: $32.99Catch some laughs and learning with this wooden magnetic play set--complete with working wind-up reel! The 10 magnetic fish are numbered and patterned to enrich matching, sorting, and counting activities, and two wooden rods make collecting them a blast!...Now: $30.35Was: $32.99 -
On Sale
Ocean Tummy Time Triangle
Melissa & Doug
Now: $13.79Was: $14.99Make baby's tummy time extra special with this engaging, double-sided folding cloth triangle toy! Three fold-out panels with adorable ocean-themed graphics and friendly characters lie flat or fold and connect into an upright pyramid. One side features...Now: $13.79Was: $14.99 -
On Sale
Stack & Sort Board
Melissa & Doug
Now: $14.71Was: $15.99The 15 wooden pieces in this novel shape sorter offer a variety of colors, shapes, and opportunities for learning. Stack them on the pegged stand in order, mix up the shapes and colors, or create your own games with these engaging first manipulatives! A...Now: $14.71Was: $15.99 -
On Sale
Latches Wooden Learning Board
Melissa & Doug
Now: $30.35Was: $32.99Undo a latch, swing open the numbered door, and count on fun when the picture beneath is revealed on this wooden play board! Build fine motor skills while learning colors, numbers, animals and more!Key Features:Undo a latch, swing open the numbered...Now: $30.35Was: $32.99 -
On Sale
Basic Skills Wooden Learning Board
Melissa & Doug
Now: $22.99Was: $24.99This wooden bear is always smiling, but he's happiest when fully dressed! Getting dressed won't be such a puzzle once zipping, buckling, snapping, lacing and tying, and other dressing skills are mastered. Each skill is contained on a separate, wooden...Now: $22.99Was: $24.99 -
On Sale
Lace & Trace Pets, Pack of 2
Melissa & Doug
Now: $23.90Was: $25.98With adorable pets pictured on both sides, it's fun to practice lacing and tracing skills. This wooden set contains five sturdy, double-sided lacing panels, plus five color-coordinated laces! Develop hand-eye coordination and attention skills with this...Now: $23.90Was: $25.98 -
On Sale
Lace & Trace Pets
Melissa & Doug
Now: $11.95Was: $12.99With adorable pets pictured on both sides, it's fun to practice lacing and tracing skills. This wooden set contains five sturdy, double-sided lacing panels, plus five color-coordinated laces! Develop hand-eye coordination and attention skills with this...Now: $11.95Was: $12.99 -
On Sale
Lace & Trace Farm
Melissa & Doug
Now: $11.95Was: $12.99With charming farm animal art on both sides, it's fun to practice lacing and tracing skills. This wooden set contains five sturdy, double-sided lacing panels, plus five color-coordinated laces! Develop hand-eye coordination and attention skills with this...Now: $11.95Was: $12.99 -
On Sale
Take-Along Show-Horse Stable Play Set
Melissa & Doug
Now: $34.95Was: $37.99A play set to please equestrians of every age! This handsome wooden stable houses eight flocked horses, each in its own stall. Swing open the stable doors to take them out for playtime, then put each one back in its stall until the next big horse show!...Now: $34.95Was: $37.99 -
On Sale
Pound and Roll Tower
Melissa & Doug
Now: $22.99Was: $24.99We've taken the classic pounding toy to new heights! Pound the four brightly colored balls through the holes, then watch and listen as they roll, down the ramps. Sturdy wooden hammer included.Key Features:Brightly colored, smooth-sanded pieces help...Now: $22.99Was: $24.99 -
On Sale
Ice Cream Take-Along Pull Toy
Melissa & Doug
Now: $18.39Was: $19.99This super-sweet clip-on vibrating pull-toy is a delicious way to entertain babies while stimulating their senses—without the sugar rush! It looks like a soft, smiling ice cream cone, but pull it down and it expands to four stacked scoops in...Now: $18.39Was: $19.99 -
On Sale
Soft Taco Fill & Spill
Melissa & Doug
Now: $22.99Was: $24.99Spice up playtime with touchable, tactile taco play food pieces! Fill a happy-faced, fabric-covered soft taco shell with crinkling, squishy, multi-textured pieces to delight the senses. Pull out the pieces and refill the taco again and again! The Soft...Now: $22.99Was: $24.99 -
On Sale
Bubble Tea Take-Along Toy
Melissa & Doug
Now: $11.03Was: $11.99Break out this bubble tea clip-on toy to entertain babies while stimulating their senses—without the caffeine! The ombre fabric-covered soft cup is easy for small hands to grasp and jingles when shaken. Open the attached squishy "whipped cream" top...Now: $11.03Was: $11.99 -
On Sale
Pineapple Soft Stacker
Melissa & Doug
Now: $21.15Was: $22.99How sweet it is for babies to discover textures and sounds with the Melissa & Doug Pineapple Soft Stacker! Grasp, squeeze, shake, and stack two soft, fabric-covered rings (one of which crinkles), a durable plastic textured ring, and a soft textured...Now: $21.15Was: $22.99 -
On Sale
PB&J Take-Along Toy
Melissa & Doug
Now: $11.03Was: $11.99This adorable clip-on toy is a delicious way to entertain babies while stimulating their senses! Two plush bread slices feature corduroy peanut butter on one and satiny jelly on the other to delight baby's sense of touch. The soft, rattling, double-sided...Now: $11.03Was: $11.99 -
On Sale
GO TOTs Barnyard Tumble
Melissa & Doug
Now: $32.19Was: $34.99Let's go play on the farm with friends that are fun to roll, stack, and grasp! Four double-sided chunky wooden GO Tots disks (8 collectible characters—six animals and two farmers) tumble and twirl down the silo, out the barn door, over the...Now: $32.19Was: $34.99 -
On Sale
GO TOTs Schoolyard Tumble
Melissa & Doug
Now: $32.19Was: $34.99Let's go play with friends that are fun to roll, stack, and grasp! Four double-sided chunky wooden GO Tots disks (8 collectible characters) tumble and twirl in the double-sided wooden schoolyard with a playground on one side, classroom on the other, and...Now: $32.19Was: $34.99