7/16/2026
by Victoria Ritter
Fun, learning and fellowship are ever-present at Learning Gizmos in Warren, MI. For 30 years, the parent/teacher store has faithfully served families and schools with toys, games and educational supplies as well as opportunities to connect over a shared love of learning.
Nancy Korte founded Learning Gizmos in 1996 and brought along her sisters, Linda, Mary Beth and Carol; today, Nancy and Carol remain co-owners. Two years earlier, Nancy owned and operated a childcare center in downtown Detroit. She noticed how teachers and other day care providers couldn’t easily get to local teacher stores due to scheduling. Nancy saw this hurdle as an opportunity and began a small catalog business in the garage of the childcare center. She put together a binder with catalogs from Crayola, Learning Resources, Julie Instructo and Bemiss-Jason and traveled to child care centers and Head Start programs across metro Detroit. Demand grew, prompting Nancy to establish her own teacher supply store.
Three decades later, Learning Gizmos is still going strong, navigating the ever-shifting educational supply industry and establishing strong, long-lasting relationships with families, local educators and school districts.
Games and gizmos galore
Learning Gizmos has a 6,000-square-foot sale floor with an 1,800-square-foot warehouse. It carries more than 9,000 SKUs including games, teacher resources, learning materials and toys for ages infant through elementary school.
Upon entering the store, customers are met with puppets, toys and items that are sure to catch parents’ attention. Bulletin board sets, science fair supplies and educational materials are located further back. “Many people think of us first as a teacher store, then a toy store,” Nancy explained. “We’re really trying to change that.”
Nancy and her team move school supplies to the front of the store during the back-to-school season. “We’ve even been known to display a Christmas tree during the back-to-school season,” Nancy said with a laugh. “It’s our way of sending a subtle reminder to come back for holiday shopping.” In October, new products are showcased front and center — just in time for the holidays.
The store is staffed by four full-time and seven part-time employees. “Without the entire Learning Gizmos team, we would not be celebrating 30 years,” Nancy said. “It’s been a team effort.”
While Nancy oversees operations, Carol conducts buying, marketing, and helps with the store layout. When looking for new merchandise, Carol considers whether a product is educational, engaging and fun, as well as if it’s something teachers and parents would feel good about purchasing. They primarily get ideas for new inventory by attending Astra Marketplace & Academy, ECRM and Toy Fest. “There’s definitely a lot that goes into the selection process, and we’re always looking for products that people will genuinely enjoy and connect with.”
Learning Gizmos recently launched a new platform in July to facilitate online sales. The staff have spent the last few months adding products to the site. Customers can access the new virtual store through Learning Gizmos’ main website. While this is a thrilling venture, Nancy emphasized that personal service will remain at the core of the business. “It’s an exciting next step for us, and we’re really looking forward to where it can go.”
Game nights and engagement
The bestsellers at Learning Gizmos are games, thanks to the store’s ever-popular Family Game Nights. “Games are an educational tool,” Nancy said. “Children don’t realize that when they’re playing a game, they’re actually learning something, and that’s the beauty of it.”
Schools schedule game nights months in advance; Nancy already is booked for this October, November and next March. A month before, Nancy will provide the school with a marketing package including a flier template, floor plan and marketing tip sheet.
The night of the game night, a team from Learning Gizmos will meet with at least 15 volunteers — typically teachers — for a 45-minute training session. Each game night is about an hour long and welcomes between 75 to 275 people.
“The reason it works best with teachers is because it’s a non-threatening environment,” Nancy said. “Grades and behavior are not being discussed. Children are thrilled to play a game with their teacher. It’s just so dang cute.”
Game nights come with many incentives. Volunteers are given $10 gift cards to the store and a 15 percent discount on purchases made at the event. “Eighty percent of our game nights are sponsored by Title 1, as these events support parent and family engagement initiatives,” Nancy said. “This funding enables schools to purchase games that families can enjoy together.” Oftentimes, the first 50 families to arrive can receive a free game to take home.
These game nights have not only strengthened bonds but also turned out to be a great marketing tool for Learning Gizmos. Parents and teachers have later visited the store looking for games and discovered how much more it provides.
Learning Gizmos fosters relationships with local schools in several other ways. Past endeavors have included providing discounted science fair kits, weekly in-store teacher workshops and professional development programs.
A current offering is customized take-home kits for kids to use over the summer. Depending on the school’s budget and needs, these kits can contain anything from crayons and games to workbooks and fidget toys. To make distribution easier, each kit is labeled with the grade level and school logo. “We do whatever we can to make life easier for all of our customers,” Nancy said.
Customers can also take advantage of in-store promotions. On the first Friday of August, everything in the store is 25 percent off. Schools can schedule private shopping events where teachers can have the store to themselves, receive 10 percent off their purchases and the school benefits from simplified purchasing and billing.
“The schools love the process because the teachers don’t have to shop at multiple stores and turn in individual receipts,” Nancy explained. “We provide one invoice, along with detailed documentation that itemizes every purchase. It makes things much easier for the schools, and we give them 30 days to pay.”
Thirty years going strong
Nancy and Carol have steered Learning Gizmos through fair and challenging times. They have seen more than a dozen local teacher stores shut their doors as teachers turn more towards online shopping. Together they navigated the pandemic by creating take-home learning kits, live Facebook sales and drive-by pick-ups. Now they look forward to their new online store and continuing to cultivate relationships with teachers and parents.
To celebrate the store’s 30th anniversary, Nancy, Carol and the staff plan to host a series of promotions, giveaways and special events, all inspired by the number 30. The celebration reflects the store’s gratitude for the schools and families whose support has helped Learning Gizmos thrive.
“We’re excited to celebrate with the community that has supported us throughout the years,” Nancy said. “Every day brings something new — whether it’s a fresh challenge or an unexpected opportunity — and we really enjoy working together to take it all on as a team.”
