Store owner looks to make learning fun

WASILLA -- Wooden train tracks run a course in the middle of the floor, science and alphabet posters adorn the walls, and the shelves are lined with games, puzzles and brightly colored models. In the center stands Nancy Broach, the mother of this brainchild.

For the past three years, Broach has owned and operated Learning Essential, an educational toy store in Wasilla. And for the past three years she has been a student herself, learning about the rewards and challenges of running her own business.

"It's actually a lot of work," Broach said. "It's fun, but it can be overwhelming." A stack of catalogs and toy samples sat on the counter, recently dropped off by a sales person, and Broach explained that ordering items for the store is both exciting and difficult.

Broach said that years ago she had been to a number of stores that sold educational toys and games. At first she spent her own money, purchasing items for her children, but then she became inspired to open her own shop. Her husband was encouraging, pushing her to turn the dream into a reality. And her two children were eager to help, unboxing new items and helping her put them on the shelves.

Times have changed during past three years, and now Broach has two part-time employees -- which is especially helpful since her children, now both teen-agers, aren't as eager to unpack boxes.

The assistance of a paid staff has lightened the load on the owner to some extent, but Broach says running a business, even if it is a toy store, isn't all fun and games. She says she often works long hours and, when she goes home, finds herself thinking about things she needs to do.

At the same time, she has discovered some unexpected rewards.

"I like meeting all the people … I've met some really neat people and their kids," she said. Many of her customers are homeschoolers, and others are teachers and parents -- people who care about their children and are looking for ways to help them learn. And some, she says, aren't always thinking of their children.

"Adults come in and I've had them say, 'I'm buying this for myself,' and I'll say, 'That's OK,'" Broach said.

This particular afternoon, a young woman comes in with a special request.

"Do you have a skeleton or a skull or something like that?" the woman asks.

Broach leads her to another corner of the store while asking, "Is this for college?"

But there are more than just anatomy class props here for adults. There are fun kits to teach you how to do ceramics, beadwork, crocheting, embroidery, even make your own lip balm. There are a wide variety of games designed for both children and adults.

Surrounded by all of these brain-stimulating toys, Broach admits she had different tastes when she was a child.

"I was a Barbie fan," she said a little sheepishly. But she adds that she also loved playing outdoor games like kick ball and hide-and-seek.

As an adult and mother, she has a new appreciation for games and toys that teach children while they play. Her personal favorite? A game called "Rat-a-tat Cat" that provides a twist on a familiar card game while involving memory and number skills.

"It's my favorite little game in the whole store," she said. "I'll sell it to anyone who will buy it."

Her customers favor a different item, though -- Mega Magz. These magnetic rods can be used to build a wide variety of three-dimensional shapes, and a sample set up on a shelf entices people of all ages to give it a try.

"The kids will stand here and just build and build," Broach said.

And in many ways this is what Broach has in mind for her own project -- to keep ordering new items, getting input from customers and building the business she started three years ago.