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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Take-Along Farm Play Mat
Melissa & Doug
$32.99Take the fun along with you with this versatile, colorful play mat and farm friends set! The mat, with a non-skid backing, features an illustrated farm scene in bright, eye-catching colors. The nine soft fabric animals and farmer figures crinkle, rattle...$32.99 -
Take-Along Town Play Mat
Melissa & Doug
$32.99Take the fun along with you with this versatile, colorful play mat and vehicle set! The mat, with a non-skid backing, features an illustrated town and road scene in bright, eye-catching colors. The nine soft fabric vehicles crinkle, rattle or squeak and...$32.99 -
Flip Fish
Melissa & Doug
$24.99Nurtures early childhood development in three key skill areas: physical, cognitive, and social. Promotes constructive play and effortless learning, keeping interest high and new skills flourishing throughout the baby and toddler years!Key...$24.99 -
Take-Along Shape Sorter Baby and Toddler Toy
Melissa & Doug
$27.99More than a shape sorter--this is an on-the-go activity center! Using nine plastic shapes and the padded carrying case, children can lift crinkly flaps, identify the pictures, match the shapes, and drop the textured blocks through the sorter . . . then...$27.99 -
Musical Farmyard Cube Learning Toy
Melissa & Doug
$27.99This "farmyard" is full of noisy animals and compact enough to take anywhere! Four animals sound off with their animal songs and play a lively melody when their noses are pressed. Or babies can grasp the padded handle and bump the block against the floor...$27.99 -
Pull-Back Vehicles
Melissa & Doug
$32.99Wheel them back to get new skills speeding ahead! The "rev up" mechanism inside each of these four cars and trucks makes it easy for babies and toddlers to get big acceleration with just a little input: Pull back one of the soft vehicles--then release to...$32.99 -
Bowling Friends Preschool Playset
Melissa & Doug
$32.99This preschool-friendly bowling set has soft plastic components that are easy to lift, easy to maneuver, and so much fun to knock down! Six unique character pins feature bright colors, raised textures, and sweet facial expressions to encourage little...$32.99 -
K's Kids® The Hungry Pelican
Melissa & Doug
$37.99This cuddly plush pelican has an empty belly . . . and a big appetite for fun! Young children can open the pelican's big bill (which squeaks when squeezed!) to drop four mini plush animals into his open mouth. Then the crinkly shrimp, squeaking octopus,...$37.99 -
Match & Roll Shape Sorter
Melissa & Doug
$24.99This brightly colored wooden shape sorter is an exciting update on a classic toy! Toddlers can drop the dozen-plus vibrant wooden shapes--including a triangle, octagon, star, rectangle, square, trapezoid, hexagon--through the color-matched holes, then...$24.99 -
Shape Sorting Cube Classic Toy
Melissa & Doug
$18.99This ultimate shape sorter features 12 chunky, vibrantly colored shapes that make a satisfying "clunk" as they drop into the natural-finish hardwood cube. Then open the lid, take them out and start all over again! A classic educational toy for toddlers...$18.99 -
Geometric Stacker Toddler Toy, 25 Pieces
Melissa & Doug
$22.99Match and sort these 25 colorful wooden pieces, and skill-building is just part of the fun. Rings, octagons, and rectangles can be slotted onto the three rods, stacked on top of each other, or lined up to compare shapes, sizes, and colors. This...$22.99 -
Primary Lacing Beads, 2 Sets
Melissa & Doug
$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...$35.98 -
Primary Lacing Beads
Melissa & Doug
$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...$17.99 -
Beginner Pattern Blocks
Melissa & Doug
$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...$27.99 -
Deluxe Road Rug Play Set
Melissa & Doug
$104.99Create a world of adventures, from a bustling town to a busy barnyard! This deluxe play set includes a soft and durable machine-washable activity rug, and 49 wooden play pieces to bring it to life. Pieces include construction vehicles, cars and trucks,...$104.99 -
Catch & Count Fishing Game
Melissa & Doug
$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!...$32.99 -
Ocean Tummy Time Triangle
Melissa & Doug
$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...$14.99 -
Stack & Sort Board
Melissa & Doug
$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...$15.99 -
Latches Wooden Learning Board
Melissa & Doug
$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...$32.99 -
Basic Skills Wooden Learning Board
Melissa & Doug
$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...$24.99