I've not used the paid version but I do use their freebies quite a bit. I like them for the younger group...I probably won't pay for them but not because they aren't good. Maybe someone else has used the paid version.
I've also used the free printables at Enchanted Learning. They are okay, but nothing special. You may want to check out ABCTeach (www.abcteach.com). They have great free materials, and the membership items are well worth the money.
I paid for it when my kids were preschool age. I used it a lot, and I didn't think the fee was unreasonable back then. (It may have gone up.)
I paid for it a year or two at the start. It is good for pre-school and kindergarten perhaps 1rst grade. After that we were using curriculum and did not need so many worksheets and coloring pages. I have since found other sites by reading here and don't have as much need for what they have to offer. It is nice at first to have such a broad selection all gathered in one place for you. It was worth it for that reason when I was starting to homeschool and had a newborn at the same time. Overall I find the site to be organized in an strange way that does not line up with the way I think. It is probably me, but it was not as easy to find stuff as I think it should have been.
It depends on what you want. I've used it in the past on specific topics...states, space, etc. I really like their material. I would probably use it with Phillip, but not with Rachael.
Great question! Here are a bunch of threads on it with tons of opinions to dig through... http://homeschoolspot.com/search.php?searchid=181967 My personal opinion is that it is worth $20 for one year. I spend more than that on milk in a week. They add new things ever day and have things for nearly all levels and can be adapted. I also save nearly everything I choose to print, so I don't have to worry about downloading again. That way, if my subscription runs out, I still have access to my favorite stuff. My best peice of advice is, if you find yourself going back again and again for the free stuff, it is worth the investment in $20 to try out the paid site.
I've considered signing up. I know I see their site come up often when I google a subject such as "African Animals, " etc....
We use a lot of their stuff for our LapPages (Related to Lapboks, but just one half of a folder at a time, 3-holed punched, and put into a 3 ring binder). If you go to print the pages, see if your printer offers a MULTI-PAGE option. If so, you can reduce the pages by half, effectively putting TWO of their pages on ONE of yours... miniturizing the pages and making them perfect for lap pages and other presentations for kdis to show off when showing off what they have learned.