Who We Are
It all started when our twins were born.
Hi, we’re Michael and Emily — a husband-and-wife team: a Robotics and Manufacturing Engineer and a Communications and Graphic Artist. From the beginning, we wanted to be intentional about the toys we brought into our home. We knew early on that we didn’t want to rely on screen-based entertainment. That meant finding toys that would truly engage their constantly growing minds in a way that was productive, hands-on, and still fun.
What we discovered was that many products marketed as educational or “smart” were really just lights, music, and buttons designed to hold attention — not build lasting skills.
So we started digging deeper. We researched what truly supports children at each developmental stage. The more we learned, the more passionate we became about thoughtful, skill-building toys and books. Eventually, we began asking a simple question: What if there were a store focused entirely on developmental systems — where parents and kids could come in, explore, and experience these tools before committing their money? Out of that idea, the Discovery Learning Store was born.
Curated. Experiential. Researched.
We’ve done the research. Discovery Learning Store is not an average toy store filled with whatever happens to be the flashiest or loudest product on the market. DLS is a trusted resource for learning and STEM toys for children from birth through high school. Everything in our store is intentionally curated. The pieces and brands we carry have been carefully analyzed and tested for quality, effectiveness, and thoughtful design. We refuse to stock anything that doesn’t meet our standards for both meaningful learning and genuine fun.
Our goal is to make STEM education accessible, engaging, and personal for every child and family we serve.
But we don’t expect you to just take our word for it.
That’s why our store is experiential. We’ve created hands-on stations and displays where families can explore and try products before they buy. Our team is there to guide, explain, and help you understand how each toy and system supports development. We are building more than a store — we are creating a family-friendly environment that inspires curiosity, supports hands-on learning, and makes STEM accessible to everyone. Through exploration, workshops, and events, we hope to cultivate a lifelong love of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics.
Why It Matters
We love research, so we would be remiss to not share a couple STEM toy stats with you!
“LEGO Education’s global learning impact study (2023) reports that children retain 80% more information when learning through tactile, experiment-based activities.”
“According to the National Science Board’s Science & Engineering Indicators (2024), early exposure to hands-on STEM materials increases long-term interest and academic performance in technical fields.”