We asked kindergarten teacher, Hannah Brown Tronske, @kinderqueen123, to share her product picks to help support your child's learning this summer. Here's what she had to say:
Summer is the perfect time to keep kids curious, engaged, and learning through play, whether they are at home, on the go or heading out on family adventures. These Melissa & Doug picks help children build early skills in creative, hands-on ways, from fine motor practice and problem-solving to imaginative storytelling, responsibility and screen-free fun.
Magnetic Pattern Block Set
Pattern Blocks and Boards
Pattern blocks help children see that shapes are all around them while introducing early geometry, spatial reasoning and problem-solving. These sets also give children a focused task where they can practice following directions, matching shapes and creating designs independently.
Self-Correcting Letter Puzzles
Self-Correcting Number Puzzles
Self-correcting puzzles are great for building early literacy and math skills while encouraging independent problem-solving. The alphabet puzzles help children match letters with sounds and recognize uppercase and lowercase letters, while the number puzzles support counting, number recognition and quantity matching.
Deluxe Wooden Stamp Set
This set works on early literacy and math skills in a unique way as students get to use stamps (they love getting to use different materials other than paper/pencil). Students of all levels can benefit from this (early leveled students can work on identifying letters and numbers and more advanced students can work on spelling words and creating addition/subtraction problems).
Take-Along Activity Easel
This is something students can work on as they are on the go (in the car on the way to school, embarking on summer travel tips or at a family member’s house, etc.). I love that there is a wide variety of skills students can work on: penmanship, drawing, matching, and counting.
See & Spell Learning Toy
Once students master their letters and sounds, this is a great game that takes them to the next level of reading. Students can work on using their letter sounds to sound out and spell words. The matching visual next to the word is a huge plus!
Poke-A-Dot Jumbo Alphabet Learning Cards
Poke-A-Dot Alphabet Learning Cards support multisensory learning through sight, touch and sound. Younger children can level up and enjoy the sensory feedback of popping the dots, while older children can use the cards to build letter recognition, letter sounds and early literacy skills. They are also easy to bring along for travel or on-the-go learning.
Magnetic Responsibility Chart
Back to school consists of many responsibilities and this can help students be aware of their daily tasks while staying organized and following directions. This is a teacher favorite because it promotes positive behavior, responsibility, and independence.
Scoop & Serve Ice Cream Counter
The Scoop & Serve Ice Cream Counter helps children learn through pretend play in a way that feels fun and natural. As kids create orders, serve customers and act out real-world scenarios, they build language skills, social-emotional development, imagination, counting practice and fine motor skills.
Sticker WOW!
Sticker WOW! is a great screen-free option for summer travel, restaurants, road trips or quiet time at home. It keeps little hands busy while helping children practice fine motor skills, creativity and independent play in an easy, mess-free way.
Doctor Costume
The Doctor Role Play Costume Set encourages children to learn through imaginative play, helping build empathy, communication and problem-solving skills as they care for patients and act out real-world scenarios. It’s a great summer learning pick because it keeps kids engaged in open-ended, screen-free play while supporting language development, confidence and social-emotional growth.
Blockables
Blockables are the perfect first building sets because they are incredibly easy for little hands to master, using connectors that hold creations together to extend pretend play. While kids feel like they are just having pure fun building and storytelling, they are actually developing crucial fine motor control, confidence, and problem-solving skills needed for kindergarten. It is a wonderful, frustration-free way to keep young minds active and learning all summer long.
