SmarterKids' Top 10 Educational Toys for Holidays 2001.

Business/Technology Editors & Education/Retail Writers

MONTEREY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 3, 2001

SmarterKids, a division of Excelligence Learning Corporation, a dba of LearningStar Corp. (NASDAQSC: LRNS), the leading online educational toy store and resource for parents, has selected the top 10 educational toys for this holiday season. Although the rush for trendy toys every holiday season leaves many parents waiting in long lines and searching endlessly for expensive toys, many of those toys end up buried in closets or stuffed under beds when the next fad hits the shelf. SmarterKids offers an alternative with quality educational toys that will stand the test of time and also deliver the fun that goes with any holiday gift.

Toys available on SmarterKids have been teacher-approved for quality and educational value. This list of top educational toys for the holiday season represents a selection of items for varying ages and interests.

SmarterKids' top 10 educational toys for the 2001 holiday season and beyond are:

Blossom Farm Activity Arch and Quilt -- Dangling from the soft criss-cross arch hang five miniature Blossom Farm friends that are soft and colorful. Each one makes a rattle or "crinkle" sound and will stimulate your baby, engaging him for hours of exploration and sensory fun. (Early Learning Centre, Ages: Birth-6 months, $46.95)

Cluefinders 5th Grade Adventure-- Explore and learn the secrets of the island's castaways to solve the mystery. Math, reading comprehension, vocabulary, science, social studies, and problem solving are only some of the skill areas covered in this program. (The Learning Company, Ages: 11-12 years, $26.99)

Colorations(TM) Puffy Paints -- Exclusive to SmarterKids, create colorful, three-dimensional art with Colorations(TM) Puffy Paint. This water-based, non-toxic, and latex free acrylic paint can be used on any surface and washes off with soap and water. This paint gives new dimension to creativity and was named to Dr. Toy's 10th annual "100 Best Children's Products for 2001" report. (Colorations(TM), Ages: 3 years-Adult, $12.99)

Doggie Doctor Vet Set -- The vet set includes a stethoscope, mock syringe, super safe tweezers, thermometer, pair of glasses, vet name tag, plush puppy, and more. It helps children to feel more comfortable when their pets visit the vet as it reinforces care-giving concepts. (Early Learning Centre, Ages: 3-7 years, $20.95)

Funky Footsteps -- The colorful footprints produce amusing noises that encourage walking with each step. Funky Footsteps is a fun, physical way to begin learning colors, counting, and following directions while entertaining little feet. (Early Learning Centre, Ages: 1-4 years, $19.95)

Imagination Desk(TM) -- This interactive learning center comes to life as you create and color pictures. Friendly characters teach letter names, letter sounds, fun facts, silly rhymes, and more, while games and music add to the fun. (LeapFrog, Ages: 3-6 years, $59.99)

LEGO(R) Studios: LEGO(R) & Steven Spielberg Movie Maker Set -- The set helps build logical thinking, inventive self-expression, and creativity while learning authentic moviemaking skills with the PC movie camera. Using the kid-friendly editing software with professional functionality, edit footage and add music and sound effects. (LEGO(R), Ages: 8-16 years, $179.99)

Super Scribbler -- Exclusive to SmarterKids, this fantastic scribble and wipe drawing board will stimulate your child's creativity as well as exercise his fine motor skills. Practice handwriting and drawing without the mess of crayons and paint. (Early Learning Centre, Ages: 3-9 years, $17.99)

The Language Littles -- These soft-bodied sixteen-inch dolls are the perfect way to introduce a foreign language to your child. Each doll clearly states and translates more than 25 different phrases in your choice of Italian, Spanish, French, or Chinese. (Language Littles, Ages: 4-9 years, $34.99)

Wheels on the Bus Game -- This exciting game combines memory recognition and luck. The musical bus plays a favorite childhood song. Token pieces are face down in the center of the board and each player gets two tries to make a match. Collect each of the four bus part tokens and win! The Wheels on the Bus Game helps build language and listening skills while helping little ones develop turn taking skills in the context of a fun game. 2-4 players. (Hasbro, Ages: 3-6 years, $29.99)

SmarterKids, the award-winning personalized online shopping site, provides a variety of browsing and shopping options that make it easy for gift-givers to find the perfect toy for any child. Unlike other online gift centers, SmarterKids treats every child as an individual who has specific learning needs, goals, and styles. Customers can choose a product that matches their child's Learning Style, a feature of the SmarterKids site. By completing a simple three- to- five- minute survey, customers can learn which of seven learning styles applies to their child. Then, product selections are suggested to correspond with the learning style. The survey can be accessed at http://smarterkids.com/mysmarterkids/stylesurvey.asp.

About Excelligence Learning Corporation, a dba of LearningStar Corp.

Excelligence Learning Corporation, a dba of LearningStar Corp., is a leading developer, manufacturer, and retailer of educational products to child care programs, preschools, schools, and consumers. The Company serves early childhood professionals, educators, and parents by providing quality educational products and programs for children from infancy to 12 years of age. With scale, growth potential, proprietary product offerings, a multi-channel distribution strategy, and extensive management expertise, Excelligence Learning Corporation, a dba of LearningStar Corp., helps to further children's education and to reinforce the connection between schools and homes. The Company is composed of four business areas: Discount School Supply (DSS), a developer and multi-channel distributor of educational products and supplies for preschools and child care programs; Earlychildhood NEWS, an award-winning magazine offering information, curriculum and educational programs to teachers and parents; Educational Products, Inc. (EPI), an innovative distributor of school supplies and educational products to the elementary school market through school fundraising programs; and SmarterKids, a leading online education store and resource for parents. Excelligence Learning Corporation, a dba of LearningStar Corp., is headquartered in Monterey, California.