Kids can name the five figurines and take charge of the day, from writing on the "blackboard" to extra-long recess. This set is compatible with other Gears! Gears! Gears! sets. Kids can follow the color-coded building instructions or use their imaginations. The 60-piece set includes 20 colorful gears, five figurines, playground equipment, a write-and-wipe schoolhouse, a flag, a sticker sheet and a base. All pieces except the cardboard school house are plastic. "Gears! Gears! Gears! School Set is a hands-on educational product that builds fine motor skills while creating positive feelings about school," Nancy Davies, group account director at the Salmon Borre Group, PR agency for Learning Resources, told TDmonthly. Launch date: February 2009.

With this 63-piece kit, kids can build all five Simple Machines at the same time. Students can construct, examine, and explain simple machines to develop a deeper understanding of how they make work easier. The set contains enough pieces to build a lever, pulley, inclined plane, wheel and axle, and wedge. Children can modify the machines with four included weights (two 5g and two 10g) and eight included rubber bands to explore effort, force, load, motion and distance. The labeled pieces assemble easily and separate to store. An Activity Guide is included. Launch date: January 31, 2008.

This 18-piece set helps kids learn essential skills such as how to button, snap, buckle and tie. Inside the backpack are even more learning tools including a pencil holder, stencil shape ruler, assignment notebook, mix-and-match milk carton, three jumbo crayons, calculator, ID card, lunch bag, stickers and a 5-piece counting apple.

The plastic play fruits separate into pieces to help children learn number sense, number recognition, counting (one to five) and part-to-whole relationships — a key early fractions concept. The five-piece set also encourages fine motor skills, healthy snacking and imaginative play. Embedded magnets (orange, apple and plum) and friction fitting (banana) make numbered pieces easy to assemble. All five fruits store in 7-3/4" bowl. Launch date: January 2008.

The set invites kids to discover and observe bugs and plants, using a magnifying observation box, a viewer with tweezers, a butterfly net and more. The set also includes a write-and-wipe matching activity and fact page. All pieces in the set are durable, and come packaged in a convenient 14"L x 12"W x 3-1/2"H storage and carrying case. Launch date: January 2008.

Follow the best, or march to your own! Push the monkey’s tongue, then try to remember and repeat the series of beats using the 2 drumsticks or your hands. Bongos detach for a creative jam session for 2 kids. Also include cymbal and triangle.

Count your chickens—and your pigs and cows, too! Adorable interactive mat with animal sounds features 4 games, plus a music mode that plays 10 different children’s songs. Play explores numbers, counting, greater and lesser amounts, and animal sound patterns. Engaging characters encourage children to follow spoken directions. 

Kids can’t help cracking up as they hurry to unscramble their eggs first. No reading required—just fast hands and eyes as players recognize and match colors in simple patterns. Includes game base, eggs, egg cartons, double-sided cards and game guide.

Dial up a world of play with our cordless pretend phone that doubles as a cell phone. It’s easy to program and record up to 3 personalized messages, or listen to 10 pre-recorded messages from friends around town. Features 3 modes of play: dial correctly to hear messages, remember 3-, 4- or 5-digit sequences; or learn 911 safety as an interactive lesson. Speakerphone included. Two volume levels. For 1-4 players.

Know your coins? Cash in and win! Dual keypads and screens let kids race to beat the clock or best each other as they add coin values and learn equivalencies. High-quality sound with adjustable volume offers engaging play and immediate feedback. Includes five different games and guide. Higher levels feature even more problem-solving challenges with limitations on number of moves and more. For 1-2 players.

Kids can create a one-of-a-kind canine, or follow the color-coded instructions to build three different dogs. The set challenges problem-solving and fine motor skills with snap-together pieces that are compatible with all other Gears! Gears! Gears! sets. Remote control brings everything to life with motion and doggy sounds. Includes plastic gears, mouth, nose, tail, stickers and more.
— “We do very well with Gears, Gears, Gears from Learning Resources,” Bob Breneman, owner of G Wilikers in Portsmouth, N.H., told TDmonthly in April 2008.
— Brandy Cardenas, manager of Timbuk Toys in Denver, Colo., told TDmonthly in April 2008 that her store currently carries this item.
— The Gears! Gears! Gears! line includes various sets targeted to a broad age group of children.

All aboard! Unique melody-building train set invites children to play composer and conductor at the same time. Lay down the note tiles and let the electronic engine read them, creating a traveling song. No reading required just match the colors in the songbook to play 7 children’s songs and learn Melody Express the C scale. Or, improvise your own tunes! Set of 60 pieces includes tiles (low C through high C), track segments, engine, coal car and engineer figure for pretend play.

Test your number knowledge with over 15 different kinds of math problems! Engaging play features 4 games with 3 levels each. Helps children learn number values, place value, rounding, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Sounds and lights reward success and allow self-checking. For 1-2 players.

Playing school is fun and prepares kids for learning. This set has everything a kid needs to let his or her imagination run wild in the ultimate pretend classroom: grade book, clock, bell, calendar, map, pointer and much more.
— In a Fall 2012 survey, two out of 12 retailers said that the Pretend & Play School Set was their best selling educational toy.

Challenge construction creativity while encouraging gross motor coordination through movement. Motorized set plays music, dances and comes with 110 pieces, including a flashing fan light, disco ball, floppy hair, oversized glasses, action mouth, pointing hands, stickers and more. Color-coding makes it easy for students to follow building instructions for 3 different models, or build their own. Compatible with all other Gears! Gears! Gears!!® sets. Measures approximately 16"L x 10 1/2"W x 12"H when assembled. Requires 3 AA and 3 AAA batteries, not included.

With 6 different word games and arcade-style, trackball action, Alphaball™ Electronic Word Game makes spelling and word-building practice irresistible–in English and Spanish! Players choose a language setting, spin the trackball to scramble the letters of a word, then race to solve word puzzles. An electronic display screen, countdown lights, sound effects and music engage students in English, Spanish, ELL and bilingual classrooms alike. Measures 14”L x 6”W x 9”H. For 1 or more players. Requires 3 AA batteries, not included.

It's never been easier…or more fun to keep kids on track with this unique lighted electronic timer. Lighted sections alert kids to time left to complete a task. You can easily program green, yellow and red sections and six sound effects to indicate that time is running out. It teaches time management! Features 180° viewing, large, easy-to-read LCD display, volume control and pause feature. Hundreds of uses!

Children can play their way to a healthy lifestyle with these three baskets that are full of healthy meal choices. They are packed with realistic-looking, nutritious foods and include Activity Cards for each meal. All pieces are actual size and washable.
— This play set made Jamie Burdette’s top-10 best sellers at LB Toys in Media, Pa. “These very realistic play fruits and vegetables come with a shopping basket,” he said in April 2008.

This set of 15 inflatable skeleton parts fits together to form a 4’-tall skeleton that can be easily displayed. The backside of each part consists of an area where the name of the bone can be written. Snap fasteners, string, a hang tab and an activity guide are also included in the set.
―  “I like working with … Learning Resources … as I can order only what I can use for the time period,” Owner Patti Tepper-Rasmussen of Learning Tree Toys in Oklahoma City, Okla., told TDmonthly in spring 2007.

Kids can build the amusement park of their dreams with the Dizzy Fun Land Motorized Gears Set. This colorful and motorized 120-piece set includes a hand-held motor, carousel, Ferris wheel, bumper cars, roller coaster, play figures and enough colorful, spinning gears to make everything come to life. The Gears Set encourages creativity and mechanical reasoning while building motor skills. The motor requires two AA batteries that are not included.
— The "Learning Resources Gear Set" was one of the more popular construction toys in the store of Patty Tepper-Rasmussen of Learning Tree in Oklahoma City, Okla.

A world of adventure — including a camera, binoculars, a passport, maps, postcards and a write-and-wipe crayon pen to write home — comes packed inside this sturdy suitcase. The set is a great way to inspire curiosity about diverse cultures, natural wonders, geography, architecture, language and more.

Tender loving pet care goes anywhere with this portable animal hospital, and role-play encourages participation in caring for family pets. The hospital comes complete with a puppy and 34 pieces to ensure a thorough check-up. Write-and-wipe components let children play repeatedly, and a tri-fold board with pockets stores components neatly. Launch date: January 2007.
— "Learning Resources: school and doctor sets," said Danny Givens, owner of Little Dickens in Lynchburg, Va., when asked about popular playsets in his store. One other retailer that TDmonthly spoke with agreed that Learning Resources playsets sell well.
— Twenty units per month was a figure one retailer provided to TDmonthly when asked about sales.
— “Dramatic play toys are always a staple item in specialty toy stores, but what makes the Pretend & Play Animal Hospital special is its topic. Since 60 percent of families have at least one household pet, the idea of children taking care of pets — even through imaginative role play — will resonate with parents,” Kim McLynn of Learning Resources told TDmonthly.

This interactive chalkboard hangs on a bedroom wall or door, or lays flat on a table. It features more than 30 touch sensors for learning the alphabet and letter sounds, numbers, colors, shapes and simple spelling. With six fun games and an engaging music mode, ABC Chalk Talk! motivates learning through hands-on play. A removable double-sided chalkboard slips into a holder on the front of the mat. It also includes a whimsical hand pointer, an eraser and colored chalk, and requires 4 AA batteries, not included.

This fun floating toy is great for water tables, and pools. Reinforce color and matching skills by matching color penguin’s bow ties and hat stripes to the color of the inner tubes. Also includes a mesh bag for storage. Launch date: February 2007.

Get set to sweat. This realistic gym bag invites kids to discover the fun of an active, healthy lifestyle. The bag comes with everything they’ll need to pump iron in style. Sturdy nylon bag zips, buckles, buttons, snaps and ties teach everyday dressing skills. Launch date: February 2007.