On Thursday we were all a little gutted. Easter holidays are here, the sun was shining outside and Jemima had managed to catch Chicken Pox, meaning we were soon to be housebound. I was going to be reviewing TrackStars and had to cancel and I was starting to wonder what activities we could do from home.
Until, I had a knock on the door and The Learning Club had a special delivery for me. The very first subscription box, for Matilda and Jemima to trial. If I wasn’t so sleep deprived, I may have hugged and squeezed them in total appreciation for the perfect timing of giving me something to do with the girls in the house.
Jemima was asleep and Matilda had gone out for the morning with her Dad, so I awaited them both to be awake and home and we ran upstairs with the box to have a look what goodies and activities we had. They loved the fact that the box had both of their names on the front.
It wasn’t long until they had both opened the box and ripped open the paper to reveal what goodies were inside…
The box came filled with four fun and engaging activities with everything included that you might need for the activities. We had paint brushes, paint, a spare pot to mix paint, glue, a glue spreader stick (do they have a proper name?) sand, a bowl for the sand, a book, some flashcards and some wooden spoons and bits for the creation of Lucas the Lion. There’s even an information booklet which talks you through every activity, how it fits into the Early Years Framework and the skills that your child will learn through the activities.
It was nice to be able to sit down on the floor with the box and not have to get up to get other items. Everything we needed was right there in the box. Other than some baby wipes for messy hands, but I practically carry those everywhere I go. As do most parents. If you don’t have a packet of baby wipes within a foot of where you are, are you even a parent? Ha!
Matilda and Jemima particularly enjoyed the mark making activity out of this subscription pack. Matilda (aged 5) enjoyed making the correct marks from the flashcard pack, whilst Jemima just enjoyed making any marks and moving the sand around with her finger (we all start somewhere and she is only 2). Which resulted in Matilda laughing hysterically and Jemima looking a bit confused as to why her sister was laughing at her.
They really enjoyed this activity and it was great to be able to see them both trying to imitate simple shapes, especially lines and circles.
Their second favourite activity, which is the one we did last, was the making of Lucas the Lion (I’ll explain about him in a bit). They enjoyed mixing the paint to make orange (the pack came with a red and yellow paint) and gluing the wool pieces, pom poms and googly eyes on to make his face.
The girls loved being able to do the activities by themselves as it was easy to follow the instructions (pictures) and they liked making a character that we had spent the session doing.
As a side note, you could separate the activities out. Not doing them one after the other, like we did. They were so much fun though and the girls wanted to try them all out. Other than the creating Lucas activity, we will be able to go back and do the other activities over and over again, which is fantastic. And Lucas will be played with in imaginary play time, building a story around him.
I love the girls concentration faces when they paint. They had a great time and I’m a bit gutted I forgot to take a photograph of the finished Lucas. You’ll just have to get a pack yourself and upload pictures of the lions your little ones make.
So, what is the Learning Club?
The Learning Club is a subscription box like no other that I have seen on the market. Other subscription boxes we have used, have ‘just’ been art and craft boxes, but this box incorporates the full 7 different Early Years Developmental Milestones into fun activities through the use of 7 unique and fun characters, to give children (aged between 3 and 6) the best start to their learning journey and to help better prepare them for school. Equipping them with both knowledge and skill.
What can I expect in my box?
Each box will have a minimum of four different activities to complete. Each box will be focused on one of the EYFS milestones and characters. All of the equipment needed will be within the box. All you need to bring to do the activities, is yourself and your child.
Who are these characters that you mention?
I don’t want to give too much away as in each box you will discover all about the character. And that’s fun in itself. But I’ll tell you the names and what part of the Early Years Foundation Stage that they represent;
Lucas Lion – Literacy
Carrie Cat – Communication and Language
Max Mouse – Mathematics
Waffy Whale – Understanding the World
Priya Penguin – Physical Development
Penny Panda – Personal, Social and Emotional Development
Elana Elephant – Expressive Arts and Design
What are the subscription options?
Looking online you have three different options.
Option 1: Annual Subscription. You pay annually, each month works out at £12. And you can cancel at any point. If you cancel within the year, you are refunded for the months not used.
Option 2: Monthly Subscription. You pay monthly which works out at £15 a month. Again, you can cancel at any time and no further payments will come out of your account.
Option 3: Learning Club Gift. From £12 a month. 4-12 month pre paid subscription for a gift. Subscription automatically ends at the end of the period you paid for.
Can I try it for a discounted price, to see what it is like?
Yes. Type in code LC50 for 50% off your first learning club box.
If you have any further questions, please do pop onto the Learning Clubs website (link at the start of my post) and check out the great videos and posts regarding the product and send them a message about any queries. Or send me one, I’m happy to help too.
Thank you Learning Club for letting us trial this fantastic product.
Disclaimer: I was given the first subscription box for free in return for an honest review. All thoughts are of my own and of my families.
Hey, if you liked this review or maybe were inspired to try this out because of my post, you can always buy me or the kids a drink or a slice of cake on our next big trip! Just hit the button below, if you want to. 🙂
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