5/26/2026
What started as an offshoot has blossomed into a diversified manufacturer of educational products. Learning Advantage began as the wholesale division of Educators Outlet which provided classroom learning materials. In 2001, Learning Advantage leadership decided to make the leap and make the department into its own company.
“The product line was there, and they were already selling to schools,” said Learning Advantage CEO Grant Thomas, who has been with the company since 2017. “So why not open up a wholesale arm to sell to the rest of the market?”
Familiar concepts, new methods
Learning Advantage originally specialized in manipulatives – primarily used to teach math concepts – and curriculum-based products. Over the past couple decades, it has stayed true to its roots while expanding to provide early education, sensory, social and emotional learning (SEL) and early childhood products. Its offerings are geared towards kids ages infant to 10 years.
The company has 800 active SKUs across seven brands, four of which are owned by Learning Advantage. Those brands include Learning Advantage, which focuses on curriculum; Ready 2 Learn which specializes in arts and crafts; Spark & Wow, offering sensory and mindfulness products; and, new this year, Craftplay, which produces natural products. Learning Advantage also distributes math/early childhood brand Edx Education and early childhood brands The Freckled Frog and U.K.-based tickit.
Thomas has seen several trends come and go during his tenure, from STEM/STEAM to SEL. “We’re trying to develop for the market based on what we listen to,” Thomas said. “As a small business, we’re quite nimble. We can move quickly with product development and we can bring products to market that have fit a purpose in a way that some of the bigger guys can’t.”
When it comes to developing products, the Learning Advantage team is always ready to learn. One of its defining attributes is its ability to take commodity concepts and put a unique spin on them. An example is Ready 2 Learn’s Easy Grip Chalk, where traditional sidewalk chalk is placed into a plastic injection-molded handle. This application makes the chalk easier to handle for toddlers and those developing their fine motor skills. “We’re not trying to sell chalk,” Thomas explained. “We’re trying to sell the concept of chalk to an audience that actually needs that assistance.”
Learning Advantage prides itself in providing products that fulfill a certain purpose or need. As SEL has continued to be a prevalent trend in the educational toys market, the company has adjusted to accommodate. As a result, SEL-based products have been among the company’s bestsellers in the past year and a half.
“It’s an exciting space to be in,” Thomas said.
A popular item is Calm Down Threading Boards, a take on lacing that allows users to create patterns and simultaneously practice mindfulness. “You can use it as an arts and crafts project and have freedom of expression; but ultimately, we see it more as a mindfulness activity,” Thomas said. “It’s good in a classroom because if you’re a teacher with a rowdy classroom or a student who needs some calm down time, it’s a great manipulative.”
Other SEL and mindfulness products that are new to the market are a Calm Down Cube coming out later this year and Spark & Wow’s Mindful Motions Discovery Cards. The latter features cards decorated with abstract patterns that become a clear image when placed through a motion slider. “The product development team has gone overboard on that,” Thomas added. “We’re releasing another set of cards over the next couple of months.”
Learning Advantage exhibits regularly at Spielwarenmesse and ECRM. The company typically releases between 50 to 100 products throughout the year. Learning Advantage has the freedom to develop products that fulfill a niche and are slightly different from competitors’ inventories, all the while enjoying the learning process along the way.
A commitment to quality
Learning Advantage looks at different factors when developing new products, including feedback the sales team receives on what’s selling and trending as well as customer comments. The Mindful Motions Discovery Cards were the result of listening to feedback and comparing data points; together, the information helped designers determine how to satisfy mindfulness needs in an educational setting.
“We live in an age that’s full of data points,” Thomas said. “We try to tap into as many data points as possible and match that up against the feedback from our customer base. That really flavors our product development cycle.”
Quality is a cornerstone of Learning Advantage. Its products can be trusted in the classroom as they are durable enough to withstand rigor for years, are able to be used multiple times and can be easily cleaned. To maintain quality standards, Learning Advantage has boots on the ground for its manufacturing practices.
Learning Advantage sources its materials from Asia – 50 percent out of China, 50 percent out of Taiwan. It has a Chinese sourcing office outfitted with 40 Learning Advantage employees as well as a Chinese factory, which helps with controlling product sourcing and packaging.
“I rest easily knowing that we’ve got those people on the ground, working for us to make sure the quality is up there,” Thomas explained. “Like anything, our reputation is built on quality.”
Evolving with the times
Headquartered in Fort Collins, CO, Learning Advantage distributes across the U.S., U.K. and Europe. It also has FOB customers in Australia and South Africa.
“Looking at our global footprint, seeing the products that we’ve developed over the years being sold in all these different countries, touching the lives of children in their formative years is something I’m immensely proud of,” Thomas said. “We continue to learn and grow. At the end of the day, we work in a fun industry, and it brings a smile to my face.”
Learning Advantage operates through online listings as well as traditional channels such as catalogs. A full-time content team is on hand to provide resources to dealers and retailers, ensuring they’re “as competitive as possible in their online channels,” Thomas said. For retailers, Learning Advantage provides back to school offers and other discounts, written content and digital images.
To further aid retailers, Learning Advantage has focused more on retail packaging in the last four years. This pursuit ensures that products are shelf-ready across all brands. “It doesn’t matter whether our products are in a catalog, on a physical shelf or on a digital shelf – our products fit a purpose,” Thomas stated.
Thomas credits Learning Advantage’s longevity to the company sticking with what its good at: delivering quality classroom manipulatives at accessible prices and taking opportunities to expand their range. “Ultimately, it’s about having the right products for the right customers at the right time,” he said. “I think we have a really strong offering, and that’s only getting stronger as the years go on.”
