If you're looking for one of those big rainbow teaching carpets, you must go to the Lakeshore Outlet sale in the summer. I was contemplating spending over $400 on a 9' x 12' rug for my classroom and found one with a barely visible imperfection for less than $300. The rest of the outlet store is a bit of mess and yielded only a couple of usable items. read more

Better to go here with a list of what you need if you don't want to end up buying all the nice stuff you'll see

Lots of things to look at. Clearance section is great value, great quality furniture pieces. Considerate customer service.

I dont know where my lakeshore one went but basically... -Storefront does not look like the picture. Looks more like a broken down school. -Inside however is HUGE. Like a candy store if i was a teacher -Didn't explore much but not really ideal for artists who want those top brands, but for not having to drive into SF to flax or pearl, you can find SOME things. I definietly want to go back and explore. read more

If you're a teacher, I don't think you need me to explain why I give lakeshore 5 stars. If you're not a teacher, bring your kids here on a Saturday between 11a-3p for free crafts and the rest of the magic will unfold. read more

This place is a candy store for teachers! I've been to both this one and the one in San Jose, but this location has a huge clearance warehouse in the back, with amazing finds if you've got the time (I could spend 2-3 hours here. Every time.) Definitely go to the clearance first - I got a pack of glue sticks labeled "missing parts" for $6 instead of $10 because it was missing ONE glue stick :) :) :) I've also bought several educational games labeled "damaged" for a huge discount only because the box was dented or something but the content inside was perfectly intact! It's crazy....mind boggling! It does take some digging, because there are items with legitimately missing parts that you can't really do without, but it's definitely worth the digging for me! They also have a laminator you can use for super cheap which I go here often for. Staff here is great, they help you immediately with any questions or help finding something. Going here for the first time is a nice adventure itself - it's a warehouse with kid drawings painted all over it, surrounded by other warehouse buildings. Very cute and not like other Lakeshore stores at all. Another plus, it's behind a shopping outlet! There's your whole day right there :) So to recap: Great place for teachers, parents, shopping for other peoples' kids, etc.! Clearance warehouse is a must! Don't bring little ones only because you will end up spending hours here! No joke! read more

I went in for the first time today and picked up alphabet bingo. There are so many great things in this store including educational items and toys fun for learning. I will definitely be returning soon. I brought my little guy with me today. Otherwise, I know I would have purchased much more. I'm looking forward to coming back and bring my son for the "craft weekend" events. read more

Always helpful you call on the phone asked if they have certain items there hold it there for you all the workers are very helpful and pleasant! My favorite place to go for educational everything from school-age infant toddler preschool all ages and stages read more

When I was a kid, my dad would "encourage" my academic success by buying thrilling board games that looked suspiciously like multiplication tables. With Lakeshore Learning, you too can have a jenius like me. read more

I've probably driven by this store a bunch of times but never really popped in but I saw some signs for a 20% sale and I thought "Well, I'll go see." Can't resist a sale, no matter where. Y'all this store is magical. There's some major magic going on in here. When you first pull up it looks like it'll probably be a small nice little shop but once you go in it just keeps going and going AND GOING. The front of the store has all the regularly priced merchandise things like toys, books, workbooks, craft supplies, classroom decor. All kinds of useful stuff for parents and teachers alike. But once you go further into the store there's this HUGE and I mean huge clearance warehouse. It has TONS of things. Books, stuffed animals, science kits, dress up kits, CDs, DVDs, puppets, furniture, craft supplies, workbooks. I honestly couldn't believe it. I was shocked at how much stuff they had in there. And everything that is either damaged or discontinued is clearly marked. I saw labels like "Torn", "Stained", "Missing Pieces". They had some items marked as stained or damaged and they really didn't look damaged or stained to me but whatever I'll go ahead and accept the deals! I ended up getting stuff just from the clearance section: a puppy puzzle ($2.99) for my baby cousin, a stuffed dog ($3.45) and a 1lb bag of sea shells ($2.99) This place is pretty awesome. And whoever uploaded that random picture of a Lakeshore store is a lame-o. The store in San Leandro looks nothing like that, it's in an industrial area and looks like a tiny shop connected to a warehouse that has a mural. read more

I'm a 3rd grade public school teacher and use this store often for classroom materials, bins, curriculum books, plan books,bulletin board stuff, etc. Really good stuff that is incredibly helpful. The clearance section in the back is great if you don't need a perfect item with perfect packaging. Staff is always fairly friendly. That being said, especially if you're a teacher, DO NOT go on a weekend in late Aug/early Sept. Store was incredibly understaffed the last two years I've been there during that time. Literally a 45 minute wait to pay with 30+ people in line stretched all the way to the back clearance section. Also, especially if you're a teacher, expect to drop at least $100. Every time I walk in there, Lakeshore takes a huge chunk of my paycheck. Combination of high prices there and meager pay for me. So, 3 stars. read more

Thought I got a deal buying from the outlet. Box said "torn" but, nothing about pieces missing. Later, I opened container...disappointment...pieces WERE missing. Went back to try and work out a deal. Unable to find a replacement the manager offered store credit. I was not content with that as I specifically asked the cashier at check out about the labeling and was assured that the label was accurate. Sherri (manager) and I came to an agreement that I thought was MORE than fair to me. I want to recognize her for above and beyond customer satisfaction. THANK YOU so much. Lesson is that it is okay to open products in the outlet to check for possible issues before buying. However, please do it with an employee so that a mess is not left behind. read more

I like the San Jose location more. I might have just gotten my hopes up because this one has an outlet section, but the stuff there wasn't that great. I still like coming here when I'm in the area if there's a good sale and/or a coupon. read more

Great place for teachers and parents alike. Must check out the HUGE clearance section at the back of the store. Well staffed and clean. Restrooms are clean and really come in handy when shopping with the little ones. read more

I like shopping for supplementary educational tools, I mean toys, at this warehouse for knowledge, of sorts. In a former life, the school district I worked for gave us a whopping $50 to spend to our heart's desire. As aspiring young teachers, little did we know that the items we thought were supplements would become the material that we taught with. Though I am no longer a teacher by trade, I still frequent this store to buy neat stuff for my own children. Makes me feel less guilty for buying them toys, since they do have a supposed educational value. On Saturdays, the store sponsors learning events, so for the price of materials, usually less than $5.00, the child can learn how to make a keychain, or whatever craft they are teaching. If your children are already school age, buy a gift certificate for your favorite teacher here. It's the least you could do for the person who spends upwards of 6 hours with your pride and joy. I promise the Gods will reward you when you least expect it, like when you want to go to a party held by your friend who lives in the neighborhood where you could never find a parking space. Yeah, the gods will shine a parking space for you alone. Really!! I kid you not. Now get thee a Gift Certificate for your children's teacher, pronto! read more

I'm not a teacher, but I remember mom buying me a collage set from here when I was a little girl back ages ago. Loved it!

It's the Costco for kids. Great place to pickup educational and learning books, toys, etc... Most of the things they sell are open and available for kids to try out. Staff is very nice and helpful. read more

This is a teacher's mecca. They have an outlet section in the back with discounted merchandise. They are more organized now, but I liked when they had a plethora of art materials. They offer classes for kids on the weekends so parents can shop while their kids are entertained. read more

This is my kids favorite place. We've been coming here for years. They have everything you need. Sometimes the costs are kind of pricey but you have to look out for sales. I always find more than I need when we visit - but the kids love it and MOM is happy :) read more

For parents or teachers this place is AMAZING. The clearance center is not to be missed! The staff is great, though I always miss the ones who are gone...Sign of a great staff is when you miss them right? On Saturdays they have a FREE craft lesson for kids too. read more

Excited to be shopping for my first grade class! Customer service was excellent! Sales associate didn't hesitate to go into backstock to find some supplies for me. Phil, my cashier was great by making sure I received all my discounts! Can't wait to come back to shop! read more

it's a pretty awesome store. I went in here and they've pretty much got every game book and teaching accessory that you'd need to teach little kids anything worth while. The employees are very nice and helpful as well. Helpful, despite that i wasn't really gonna buy anything. read more

Product Break after small period. No quality and my kid got sick while use the game.. horrible products!!! will never give a chance again

A pretty good size store for educational supplies for teachers and parents. You can find plenty of stuff that is used in the classroom. Even if your not a teacher, its a good place to find some educational games, equipment, and books for your own children. They have some bargain prices on some of their items. The workers there are friendly and helpful, too. read more

One word ....amazing! Went there for the first time cause it's my littles B-day. I have been looking for an art easel for her, and could not find a good one. They had everything I was looking for at great prices. read more

Lakeshore has a great selection and their sales are always amazing. Friendly staff and a great place to get quality teaching material.

I absolutely love coming here! Staff is always helpful. We come here once a month to get our baby a new educational toy! High quality items and they have coupons they text to my phone. They also have reading events/crafts on certain days which I'm looking forward to attending when baby is bigger. read more

If you are a classroom teacher, this is the place. Great selection of the essentials (nameplates, pocket charts, etc.) and a dreamy back room. The back room is filled with items that have been discounted. This often includes Heinemann non-fiction books for kids. To die for! Set aside a few hours, bring a list of things you wish you had in your room, and have fun! read more

Lakeshore is a great store for elementary school teachers who want to purchase common items for their classroom, and parents who are looking for a bargain on certain school supplies. Also, day care owners who are looking for discounted play equipment like pretend kitchens and art tables would do well to look in their outlet section. I went here looking for secular homeschooling materials, and I've been doing a lot of research on the highest quality books, science resources, geography and history maps and activities, and art projects. I was disappointed to find very few of them here. The books they sell are a combination of their own store brand and a couple of the cheapest brands. I found a better variety and more specialized books at my local store (educational exchange in SF's Richmond district), even though it has about 10% of the square footage. Parents who are looking for quality homeschooling or supplemental books and lessons, particularly for smarter kids, would do better to drive out to Golden Apple in Pleasanton, where I found some really interesting books and projects. read more

i went to this store for the very first time and i just got a bad experiences no one was around to help so i was just looking around i saw that every thing they had i could find for less money at othere places so i went to the clearance secton of the store and it was a big mess every thing was missing or broken pieces so i finally i found someone to help me and i got nothing but attitude from a tall women with dreads so i decided to just leave i guess im just gonna stick to what i know but for this place not worth it read more

I first started shopping 28 years ago when my daughter Estella was born. And thanks to Estella and my 3 grandsons Jeremy10,Jayden6,& David1 1/2. and many nieces and nephews I haven't stopped. LAKESHORE LEARNING STORE IS A 10 IN my BOOK!! Anything & Everything from A to Z in learning you can find it HERE! I even find things I haven't learned yet. I Love to learn at least 1 new thing a day! After 28 years This is the only Learning Store I go to. Thanks for being there for me and all the children. AND FREE CRAFT MAKING ON SATURDAYS. read more

I love this place. I spent about 2.5 hours here this time. I came on a Saturday and it was so busy with the kids art workshop, so there were alot of moms there, too. You need to have alot of patience to sort through the sale books. I wish there were a more systematic way of filtering through the boxes. :) read more