A success story with a simple beginning. Like many great enterprises, Lakeshore started with one person taking a chance. In this case, it was Ethelyn Kaplan, an Omaha homemaker who decided to pack up her family and move to California to open a toy store back in 1954. The move was a bit unconventional for a woman in 1950s America, but then again, entrepreneurs don’t typically follow the status quo. Initially, Mrs. Kaplan focused on selling toys to parents, but before long, local schools started calling her for art materials and other classroom supplies. Mrs. Kaplan listened to her customers. Sensing an untapped market, she sold the store and started Lakeshore Learning Materials.
See how we’ve grown! Eventually, Mrs. Kaplan’s sons, Charles and Michael, joined the business—expanding operations and turning Lakeshore into a million-dollar company within just a few years. When Mrs. Kaplan retired in 1971, Michael assumed the duties of CEO, while Charles became the Vice President in charge of merchandise and buying. Today, Michael’s sons, Bo and Josh, are an integral part of the business as well—having worked their way up from summer jobs in the warehouse to President and Director of Merchandising, respectively.
Two generations later, Lakeshore continues to offer the best products and service around—and we’re still expanding! In addition to our growing network of over 40 retail stores, we offer two mail-order catalogs to meet the needs of parents, teachers, and children worldwide. Plus, our full-service website offers instantaneous access to our catalogs as well as free activity ideas, an interactive classroom designer, and much more.
At Lakeshore, we’re dedicated to our customers… To this day, Lakeshore maintains the same strict standards that first made us great! Every product we make is distinguished by its quality, safety, educational merit, and play value. And naturally, every Lakeshore product is backed by our ironclad guarantee: If you are unhappy with any item for any reason, you may return it for a full refund or exchange…no questions asked! If you have any questions or need help with an order, just contact our Customer Service department. We’ll make sure you get in touch with a real, live person who can address your needs. (We don’t like talking to machines, either.)
…dedicated to our employees… Lakeshore employees are made to feel valued and appreciated for their hard work. Sure, we’re a multimillion-dollar company, and sure, we make some of the best educational products around—for teachers and parents all over the globe. But the best part about Lakeshore is that even as we’ve grown, we’ve held fast to the same small-company feeling that Mrs. Kaplan developed years ago. We’re a family here. And no matter how successful we are, we still have that entrepreneurial spirit present in everything we do.
…and dedicated to children near and far! In addition to providing the best educational products for children around the world, Lakeshore nurtures children right here at home with our own on-site preschool, Kids & Company. Accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, Kids & Company provides a safe, stimulating environment for children of Lakeshore employees—and is just another example of Lakeshore’s commitment to early learning.
Kids can put on a show-stopping performance…with their own one-of-a-kind paper plate puppets! This activity is appropriate for: kindergarten-3rd grade / 5-8 years
You will need: • Lakeshore Fully Washable Liquid Tempera - Pints • Fiskars Classroom Scissors • Super-Safe Craft Tape Center • Best-Buy School Glue • Colored Feathers • Collage Beads • Art Tissue Paper • Collage Buttons • Paper plates
Directions: 1. Take 2 plates and fold them in half so each has a visible crease. Set them aside.
2. Cut a third plate in half. (You will only need to use one of the halves.) Trim 1" off the entire length of its straight edge.
3. Take the 2 creased plates and place them together face to face. Tape the outer edges together from one end of their creases to the other. Next, fold back the open ends of the plates.
4. Tape the half-plate to the inside edge of one of the folded plates, creating a small pocket. Kids should now be able to place their fingers inside the back of the puppet.
5. Encourage children to design a fun face on their puppet using beads, buttons, feathers, and paint. Set it aside to dry.
6. Now kids are ready to put on their own puppet show!
For my FREE CRAFT ideas visit us online at the following link: http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/general_content/free_resources/resourceCrafts.jsp
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All workshops are approved by Washington STARS! Receive a certificate of attendance at our 1-hour workshops. Free door prizes and refreshments with each workshop. Please call (425) 462-8076. Register early…limited seating.
1/28 & 1/29 - All About Animals! 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. Join us as we discover tons of hands-on learning experiences all about animals! Our adventures will take us deep in the jungle right on down to the farm!
2/25 & 2/26 - Creative Class Books 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. Children will discover their “Inner Author” with these innovative books they create themselves!
3/10 & 3/11 - Textured Art! It’s the Process! 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. Children will create masterpieces with these exciting art experiences that explore textures, colors, and shapes!
Location is as follows:
LAKESHORE LEARNING STORE 11027 N.E. 4th St. Bellevue, WA 98004
A success story with a simple beginning.
