Smarterkids is my all time favorite place to shop for kids. It’s also a great place to get information about parenting and education. The site is divided into several areas.
Shopping: You can shop by age, type of toy (arts and crafts, outdoor, construction, pretend play, books, software etc), characters (Arthur, Thomas the Tank Engine, Sesame St. etc), brand name (all the major brands are here) and type of learning (science, reading etc.) You can combine age with at least one other criterion. So you can shop for Pretend Play toys for a 2 year old and science kits for 12’s. There is a very useful search engine to find specific toys. There are also specialty areas for grandparents, children with special needs and gifted children.
My Kid’s Store: You can set up this area for multiple children. You give a first name and age for each child. Then you complete a 5 minute survey to help identify the child’s learning style. You can identify a goal area and set the challenge level at, below or above grade level (up to 3 years either way). You then add the kinds of toys your child likes. Each time you visit the page you will see currently available toys for your child. You can change any part of the profile anytime.
The Family Resource Center: This is the area that makes smarterkids different from other sites. There are many articles about parenting, education and other relevant topics. You can find resources for testing, help for homework etc. There is an activity center that suggests activities by age, the time you have available and interest. The activities do not require any special toys. There is NO connection with any purchases from the site.
With all this emphasis on learning-Are the toys at Smarterkids fun? You bet! Check out the great selection of puppets!
If you visit the site-be sure to sign up for their online newsletter. Smarterkids has great, frequent sales. They are also very generous with freebies. I have a tote bag, mom and kid sized tee shirts and a calendar with coupons and more tips and information-and I only order every few months.