This review is on the All-Around Balance Board by Lakeshore Learning Company. It is geared for children ages 4-7 years old. Balance is such a key component in early childhood development and must be learned before greater gross motor skills are developed. This balance board gives young children the opportunity to practice balancing in a safe and fun way.  It comes fully assembled and is ready to use straight out of the box.

The balance board has a cute ladybug design on it and has non-skid dots to keep users from slipping. It can be used indoors or outdoors and on hard or softer surfaces. The board is 15 ¾ inches in diameter and stands 2 inches off the ground. It is a hardwood circle that rocks all the way around and builds muscle coordination. It retails at Lakeshore Learning Company for $39.99.

My five school aged children ages 3 through 9 have all used, enjoyed, and benefitted from this balance board. They have played rough with it and it has continued to hold strong. I have tried it out myself and can attest that it is made strongly and really does work those leg muscles and core. As my children have grown in their abilities to balance, I have added the challenge of them doing it with their eyes closed, etc. to keep building those balancing skills. My children enjoy using this during short breaks between subjects during the day. It only takes a minute or two of each of their time, but works their muscles and improves their coordination. I have one child who tends to have more unrefined gross motor skills and I have seen a difference in his balancing abilities with using this balance board daily for even just a few minutes.

In my opinion, the price-point is on the high-side at full retail cost. There are other balance boards for half of the price easily found elsewhere that essentially do the same thing. But since Lakeshore often has sales on their products, this would be a fun little extra to have in your homeschool arsenal if your budget allows. Even after the “newness” has worn off, my children still naturally go to the board a few times a week for a couple of minutes each. Since it only takes a minute or two for them to use it, it doesn’t get a ton of usage daily, but it is a small board that doesn’t take up much space, so it is worth hanging onto for the benefits that do come with the use.

Overall, I would recommend this product for the recommended age range of seven and under for the benefits of gaining balance. Since there are other ways of developing balance without spending money, I would recommend looking for it on sale at Lakeshore. It is a handy and fun way of developing balance without much effort from the adult.

-Product review by Audrey Tolle, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, June, 2016