After a decade of living in SJ I finally caved and visited the store in person. For many years I sent my husband or ordered online because I didn't trust myself going in to a teachers paradise. My kid had been asking for a magnifying glass and I needed some stickers so on a Saturday afternoon we found these things and more. The store is organized and very clean. Although it is mostly elementary school supplies, you will find a lot of educational toys, books and supplies at affordable price points and quality. If you are like me and refuse to shop at Amazon and big box stores, this place is great for gifts, crafts, and toys. The staff are really friendly and now they allow anyone to sign up for a free membership that gives you 15% off your purchase or items. It's walking distance to the hospital and San Jose City College with lots of parking in the back. read more

Lakeshore Learning Store - Infant and toddler toys and activities - Teacher Supplies Near Me - San Jose, California

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Such a friendly and helpful staff. Great selection of toys and arts and craft essentials

This store is literally 5 minutes from my house and I never thought to stop in, but I had seen on TikTok that contact paper is good to help protect paperback books so I stopped in to see if they had some. They sure did along with a ton of other things! It's mostly for teachers but has a lot of things for regular arts and crafts.they also provide lamination services. The staff is super friendly too which is always a plus! read more

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Really great store for teachers! Paring was full at the front but there was parking available at the back and a back entrance was available. Staff were all scattered however I wasn't greeted when I came but the others were. Although a guy who was working there saw I needed a bag to hold my items. They had a lot of things you can look for math, writing,reading, and a lot of decorations! The prices seemed a lot but could be worth it. They also had a good deal 20% off on decor items. The checkout line was a little confusing if they had a cord to show where the line starts with their line starts here sign that'll help. I was checking out and they asked for my name and email to sign me up for deals and had to correct them a few times. Great store I'd come back however I wish they helped me out a little more in what I'm looking for but figured to just look around and search myself. read more

Lakeshore Learning Store - Teacher Supplies Near Me - San Jose, California

Great gift ideas for kids! They have toys and educational things and educational toys! read more

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This is the only wrap-around teacher supply store in my area. However, they are trusted brand & their products are top notch. The beginning of the year sale is *the* best time to buy whatever you need! Most items are marked down 20-30% off. read more

While I usually gravitate towards toy stores that feel more on the indie and whimsical side, I can't help but love Lakeshore: it's become my go-to for birthday and Christmas present shopping. It feels quite "corporate" in here, but in the best ways possible. They cater to teachers (educational and developmental focus, plus classroom supplies and decorations) and you can just tell by taking a quick look that the vast majority of toys here are of super high quality... no more crappy toys used once only to then collect dust around the house (just pricey ones, lol). They do have frequent sales which helps lower costs. And if you're gonna pay a little more than what you would at Target, Walmart, or Amazon (which you should all really boycott anyway), at least you can rest easy knowing you're supporting a California-based company (Lakeshore is headquartered in Carson). read more

I love the staff so much!!!! They always great me when I walk in and ask great questions about what I'm working on and hoping to find in the store that day. I describe a project and they are on a mission to find the perfect solutions! They know every inch of the store and are super enthusiastic and helpful!! I love the wide variety of materials and everything is high quality. I invested in a bunch of gorgeous brightly colored bins for a pediatric clinic and I know they will last a decade. I appreciate the sales wall, some great deals. Love the sturdy children's seating options, too. read more

This is a great store for teachers/parents who would like to buy things for their classes/home. It has everything you would want for decor, toys, manipulatives, books, office supplies, etc. Prices are usually decent - there seems to be a sale going on every time I head over there, which makes using some of their coupons near impossible - but hey - I still get a discount! If you need some lamination done, there's also that service as well! Customer service is usually very friendly and helpful. I would definitely recommend checking this place out for any school/home needs for your child/ren and/or a friend's. read more

Ever since I heard about this teacher store, decades ago, I have always enjoyed walking around the isles here! They literally have everything for a teachers beck and call! It's very well organized, and the employees all seem to know their products! There's a great laminator machine, and if you have a coupon, it helps your budget!! great deals on construction paper as well as any borders for your classroom! When my son was younger, I got him a handful of the workbooks for the summer so he could keep up with his studies. I definitely would recommend this place for any parent as well as teacher to check out!! read more

Lakeshore Learning Store - Stocking stuffers for kids hee - Teacher Supplies Near Me - San Jose, California

I love Lakeshore Learning Store. It's another store that I wished we had in Hawaii. As soon as we walked in my daughter was already engaged. She thought she walked into a toy store. She immediately found one of the learning toys and was playing with it. Lakeshore has tons of learning products for all ages and all subjects. They have toys, workbooks, art supplies, everything you can imagine to teach your child. We stayed in there quite a while because there was so much to see and my daughter liked exploring. I ended up getting her a math workbook, a drill kit (she loved this), an art kit for the plane ride back, and some stickers. I signed up for text alerts and I got a free Lakeshore tote. It was a nice added bonus. I will definitely be coming back again the next time I'm in town. read more

Lakeshore Learning Store - Teacher Supplies Near Me - San Jose, California

Swung by a couple of days ago to pickup an online order in the store and was browsing for additional classroom activities to reinforce student learning. Luckily, I found 5 classroom activities for my students in the areas of mathematics and language arts. On top of that, I had a coupon that saved me almost 20% of my purchase. Periodically, Lakeshore Learning Store members receive text messages or emails with coupons. read more

We love Lakeshore! Sure it's a little on the pricier side but the quality is unmatched and it's always worth it when you can find something that is not only fun but also provides a beneficial educational purpose as well... definitely a win win! Customer service is always great here too. I stopped by last week looking for something very specific and Victor was not only super friendly but was also incredibly patient as he showed us several different options and helped us find exactly what we needed. This store never disappoints :) read more

Very helpful and nice staff and great selection of products make this a great place to visit. Whether you're looking for teacher supplies, fun gifts, or activities to do with the youngsters, can recommend a stop here. Prices are totally reasonable and they carry products across a wide variety of areas. read more

Great friendly service here. I can always find educational workbooks for my kids for the summer, toys for bday and Xmas. They also have other educational stem related toys that makes this place cool. Good for kids to learn and grow. There aren't that many in the Bay Area so glad it is close by to me. read more

Best place to pick up Christmas toys. The staff are super friendly, and the store is clean and organized.

I visited Lakeshore Learning store with my husband and toddler and found that this store had a large selection of toys that were great for learning! My son was so excited coming in and trying some of the toys here. One of the associates were extremely helpful! His name was Kiet. He was very nice and super informative on the products and even invited us back to come in June for one of the next events happening since we missed dinosaur event today. He gave us two golden egg and a green balloon before we departed the store. We also bought some moon sand and trucks for our toddler which we were originally looking for before coming in. It was great that they kept the store very clean and tidy! Overall, we would definitely come back. read more

A great little spot for the kids to buy toys and to have a bit of fun. It's technically a teacher supply store, but it really doesn't feel that way. Brought my daughter here and they were having an arts and crafts time and she seemed to enjoy. She built a tiny plane! There are also so many educational toys here. Imagine it as an educational Toy R Us. Overall, a fantastic spot for kids as well a great place for elementary teacher supplies. I'd come again. read more

Awesome store that I was excited to discover! I've browsed through their catalogs, but didn't realize there was a store here! The great thing is that kids are pretty well entertained while you look around. First they have a free art project from 11-3 every Saturday. You can check out their website to see what art project it is, and it's generally pretty neat. Second, they have lots of toys out for display that kids can try out to see if they like. It's a huge store that is very well organized into topics- ie if you're looking for toys/activities focused on language, math, STEM, science, dexterity, etc. There are also teacher supplies, art project supplies, workbooks, puzzles, etc. It's a really nice place to look for toys/games that are meant to teach something instead of standard toys that just have shiny buttons and make loud noises. I did find most of their packages to be a bit on the pricy side with many things i was interested in $30+. They do encourage you to sign up for text/email alerts for their coupons. The store members are friendly and offer assistance frequently. There's also a bathroom with a changing table inside. read more

A visit here cost me a little under $70. Kids are so expensive but no lie, Gavin's teacher recommended storytelling flash cards but I managed to find extra things I want to work on w/ him in the evening. I came for one thing and came out w/ much more than I anticipated but I knew that I cannot put a price tag on learning and development. I remembered my childhood. I loved school. I still love school, actually. Coming here made me appreciate the teachers more because they buy a lot of these on their own dime and they're not cheap. I have been here just once but I know that I need to visit often to make sure I do what I can for Gavin's development. read more

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love everything about this store! especially the impulse buy aisle by the register! All awesome little toys that fit in tiny hands and very fun and educational for kids! read more

Awesome spot with several learning tools/books/activities to every age/grade level. It was my first time and won't be the last!

Came here on a Saturday w/ my mom b/c needed to exchange some of the things that she had bought for her classroom. But because the items were purchased using a purchase order from her school, they didn't allow exchanges. So it was just a very difficult situation where they had to return all of the items and get a new approval from someone that Monique had to call in order to make the repurchase of the exchanged items. ~~Parking: There's about 6-7 spots in the front of the store, but there's more parking in the back. ~~Service: WONDERFUL. Monique was SUPER helpful and patient with us. If I needed to ever get learning supplies, I would definitely come here because all of the staff is just super patient and kind. read more

Yanna and Cristina have amazing customer service. They were friendly and patient as they assisted me in purchasing supplies to support my son's classroom. I would recommend going there in person if you run into any questions while ordering online. They also have soo much in the store. read more

I'm a teacher and a mom and love this Lakeshore location. Managers and staff are all very friendly and welcoming. As a mom of a toddler, I definitely appreciate that there are open toys for my child to sample while I shop. Also, the free themed Saturday events are super fun! read more

I've had such good experiences in the past but I went earlier to do some lamination and one of the workers stepped in to laminate for me which was unexpected and even more upsetting when she started distancing my items out super far. They were not lined up evenly to maximize the space and I ended up paying more than I think I should have. I didn't want to be rude and stop her but I was really unhappy. Will not let that happen again... read more

Lakeshore Learning Store - Teacher Supplies Near Me - San Jose, California

They have a great selection of toys and learning materials for kids. Staff was very helpful and friendly.

I have always really liked this store, and now with the need to do distance learning for the kids long term I have found myself shopping here even more. The products are excellent quality and last for many years. The store itself is very clean, bright, and organized. And the employees are friendly and helpful. I highly recommend Lakeshore Learning Center! read more

If you are an elementary school teacher, preschool or day care person this is your mecca.. upon entering the well organized chaos of 20% off discount EVERYWHERE and that new teacher plastic smell of the lamination machine the sky parts.. angels blow their horns and you are eternal peace... EVERYTHING you need to set up your classroom can be done in one swoop.. if you are a new teacher you should probably bring a veteran teacher and/ or a friend or else your mind will explode into a thousand pieces because everything looks useful. If you are a high school teacher all is not lost.. they do carry a bunch of materials that are useful and they have reasonably priced organizational materials, arts and crafts and things to make your classroom pretty (which is why I went there today). for under a hundred dollars I bought the following 3 fadeless paper reams 3 black bulletin board poster thingy reams 2 stars bulletin board poster thingy reams 2 stamp pads 4/5 things of large lettering 7 magnet/dry erase boards (for when we play jeopardy as a class) name tags (labels) a few other odds and ends my personal sanity contained.. priceless There are tons of organizers, ESL, math and reading books for k-6 level, small reading mats, anything you can imagine.. AND for those of you who are agoraphobic or SEVERELY dislike going to RAFT or any teacher store in the first three weeks of school... they have a website with everything they have in the store. There are teachers, parents..teachers who are parents with their little ones in the store and everything still continues to run smoothly. They are not understaffed and folks swing into help at the register if needed. I was asked twice by two individuals if I needed help finding anything and a third person was nice enough to jump up (since I am short) and grab the bulletin board stuff for me. They have a lamination machine... sweet. They offer arts and craft classes... excellent Between this place and Office Max I have all my materials to set up my classroom for under 200 bucks and I saved a ton (everything I bought today at Lakeshore was 20% off) WOOOOOOOOT. Parking is a plenty and you can go to Roundtable or Sam's BBQ afterwards.. no complaints there. read more

Great store amazing staff. My family has been going there for years. Our 16 year old son loves the store He is autistic and loves learning.

FAVORITE EDUCATIONAL AND LEARNING STORE!! I finally just realized a few months ago (the dork that I am) that I have been buying stuff from their mail order catalog for years and just noticed that they have a store locally. Anyway, I took my kids here last weekend and WE all had a blast in the store! Yes that's right WE ALL had fun. I think it was like all of us being in a toy store for the first time ever. Even better instead of a toy store an educational store? How could that possibly be? LOL When we walked in my daughters eye's were so BIG. My youngest daughter said, " Mommy these are all the things in that catalog that we order from." They both said OMG this place is amazing! I just started laughing and told them that this is the store that we get stuff from in the catalog. Of course my oldest daughter has to say. "You knew about this place before you just wanted to keep it a secret so you don't have to drive us here and buy us stuff." I was like OMG Really? LOL Just FYI my daughters are 5 and 7 years old. The store is packed with educational and fun learning toys, art supplies, books etc. etc. This is your go to place if you are looking for fun educational learning materials. The store isles are a little narrow so you might bump into people. Overall the place is clean and well organized. Every Saturdays they have a few tables in the store for the kids to do different crafts and learning projects. It's all FREE too. I do love free stuff! ;) There is a staff member to help you and your kids with the projects. The staff here is extremely friendly and helpful. If you like discounts like I do make sure you sign up on their mailing list and texting list. They have all sorts of discounts and promo's all the time. read more

Lakeshore Learning Store - This is a great thing to buy when you want to teach your kids about money. - Teacher Supplies Near Me - San Jose, California

Decent store- just about everything you could need to teach elementary school, with an inflated price tag. For the area, apparently some things here are priced better than Morrisons but overall it's a bit pricey which is a shame since the chain knows their customers are teachers buying class materials out of pocket, but I digress. I found this location to be a little unorganized, though things do get hectic here at the beginning of the school year. Was not greeted or offered help when I entered, had to seek it out- not too big of a deal, but employees seemed more interested in chatting with each other, loudly, than helping the customer(s) at their registers. Combine these minor issues with the chain making significant changes to their annual teacher planner, and I'm less than tickled with my visit and purchase. Overall. Not a bad store, but this location needs improvement. read more

I am very happy that this store continued to be open during the pandemic. I can find a lot of teaching materials and teach my toddler daughter to study at home. They provided the hand sanitizer and hand sanitizer wipes at the front door that is very convenient. read more

I really love this store to buy unique and educational toys for my kids. It's also great for buying art supplies. If you sign up for their email list, they frequently send coupons for 20% off of an item. Before COVID I would love to go into the store and browse around. They often had some toys out so the kids could try them. I like being able to see and touch the toy to determine the quality and to actually see how interested my kid was in playing with it. Due to COVID they are now offering curbside pick up. Go to the website, order and pick the store. They texted me within twenty minutes and my order was ready. I opened my truck and they put it in. Super easy!! The only downside is that they have SO many items on their website it's a bit overwhelming so you have to kind of know what you are looking for. Also their prices are a littler higher but like I said - The toys are unique and not the items you find in a typical toy store or target and the frequent coupons help. Great items for birth - early middle school age. read more

So, Lakeshore is a preschool teacher's paradise. An unlimited budget and set me loose here... I would have the most pimp classroom ever. Alas, since I have to pay for stuff by myself I can afford about one trip a year. Lakeshore stuff LASTS so that is why it is expensive. It is quality stuff and you will find a lot of great ideas here. I love their free kids workshops on Saturdays. The downsides: even clearance is kinda expensive. And it can get INSANE busy here. Parking cramped and crappy. But definitely worth every star:) read more

I'd give it more like 3.5 stars. The good: -Lots of variety of different kinds of products. -Right now through early September they have a 20% off sale. -The cashier was super nice. The bad: -Aisles are overly crowded and narrow because they are overstuffed with product. It makes it hard to navigate when you have a shopping cart, kids with you and it is busy in the store. -Not everything is grouped together. I found some expensive items in the labeled section but affordable options (like flash cards) on the end caps in a totally unrelated section. -I wish that they had more people on the floor to answer questions. It's great that this store exists... it's just not as user friendly as it could be. read more

Great place to buy educational gifts for children. We have purchased items from this store a few times. They have demos for a lot of the toys which is great because you get to see what they look like instead of just trying to guess off of the box. On certain days they have kids activities for free which is great because my wife shopped my daughter and I kept entertained. Staff is friendly and helpful. read more

Lakeshore Learning Store - Teacher Supplies Near Me - San Jose, California

I came here specifically for the laminator. They have 2 and they are already on. Reasonable pricing and easy to use, although not a lot of instructions if you haven't used one before. Lots of learning games and books but everything is pretty pricey. It's nice to have it all in one location though and I really like this store. read more

Needed to laminate a big tooth poster and they are the cheapest! Staples wanted $10 per poster for lamination and this place is $0.59 a foot! Only spent $4 for 2 posters. Wayyyyyyyy cheaper! It is also a self serve laminator machine. There's directions on the machine so it's super easy to use. This is a great place to get materials for the classrooms! read more

I visited the Lakeshore Learning store in San Jose recently looking for hands-on materials that I could use to supplement distant learning activities for my children during the pandemic. It was my first time at a Lakeshore Learning store although I have heard about their products through educator reviews on YouTube. I enjoyed spending time in the store and wish I had more time to look around. I wish the store was larger like some of the Lakeshore Learning stores I've seen online in other locations throughout the United States. Their website also offers a lot of selection and very high-quality teacher-educator materials, such as classroom supplies, workbooks, classroom decorations, manipulatives, and more for all grade levels. read more