Nurture Basics, Inc. Launches Next-Generation Early Child Development Program, "Play Along With Me!", An Interactive Toy-Based Learning System That Emphasizes Bonding

"Play Along With Me!" To Be Introduced At American International TOY FAIR Feb. 15-18

(PRWEB) February 11, 2004 --More than four million babies are born in the U.S. each year; and, recent media and medical community reports show that child development psychologists, day-care providers, educators, infant-learning experts, and pediatricians agree that theres a critical window of opportunity for brain growth which occurs in a childs first three years of life. During this time, experts say, parents/caregivers play a crucial role in a childs development, and babies need good, positive human interaction and touch, as well as ample opportunities to play and explore.

Responding to the need for an early child development toy-based program that engages infants and toddlers with their parents/caregivers, U.S.-based Nurture Basics, Inc. (www.NurtureBasics.com) introduces Play Along With Me!, the next generation in a growing genre of educational products intended to stimulate a childs brain development. "Play Along with Me!" is an interactive, entertaining, toy-based program for children ages birth to three years that provides rich educational content, encourages shared experiences between child and parent/caregiver, and incorporates the direct, dynamic involvement of the parent/caregiver to help the child explore and learn.

According to Lynn Wadelton, Ph.D., of First Coast Therapy Group, Inc. in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida: 'Play Along With Me!' is a superior child development program that is interesting for babies, teaches appropriate developmental and social tasks, includes actual child and adult models for children to imitate, shows parents how to interact in positive, fun, and educational ways with their children, includes actual toys used in the videos and music CDs, and is active rather than passive." She added, This program is perfect for the needs of infants and toddlers."

"Play Along With Me!" is a complete, multi-media kit that combines parent/caregiver interaction with audio, visual, and tactile stimulation in order to strengthen emotional bonding and enhance cognitive, social, motor, and English language skills along infants and toddlers natural stages of development. Packaged with a tote bag for easy storing and traveling, Play Along With Me! includes more than 40 toys -- all of which are shown in the kits three videos (also available as DVDs) -- along with three music CDs featuring more than 30 original songs, and an easy-to-follow guidebook for parents/caregivers with song lyrics, safety tips, and suggestions on how to use the program. It is the only product on the early child development market that includes all the toys featured in its songs and videos. Additionally, each toy has been safety-tested according to both ASTM and Canadian standards, and approved for children of all ages to use.

Created with guidance from language and early child development experts, "Play Along With Me!" has been successfully used for more than five years throughout Asia to teach English as well as for early child development. Now, for the first time, this program is available in North America.

At Nurture Basics, our goal is to promote an atmosphere of integrated child and parent/caregiver bonding through playful education and positive one-on-one interaction in the early stages of a child's development," said Tamara Ujiie, Founder and CEO of Nurture Basics. We saw the need for a program like 'Play Along With Me!' based on our own experiences as parents," she continued, also, after working for the products distributor in Japan and seeing its successes across Asia, we determined that the benefits transcended simple language acquisition; furthermore, we felt that babies and parents/caregivers in the U.S. and Canada deserved the opportunity to experience this wonderful product."

Nurture Basics will initially offer "Play Along With Me!", its flagship product, to consumers, retailers, and specialty toy stores throughout North America via its Website, www.NurtureBasics.com, and mail-order catalogues, in addition to partnering with national e-commerce distributors. Also, the company will be a new exhibitor at the upcoming American International TOY FAIR -- open only to toy and retail trade, and press -- taking place at New York Citys Jacob K. Javits Convention Center Sunday, Feb. 15 through Wednesday, Feb. 18 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, except on the final day when exhibits will close at 4 p.m. Following the American International TOY FAIR, Nurture Basics will exhibit at a series of trade shows taking place throughout California.

The American International TOY FAIR is the perfect venue for introducing 'Play Along With Me!' to toy and retail trade audiences," said Andrew Ujiie, President of Nurture Basics. He continued, Were confident that 'Play Along With Me!' will quickly become recognized across North America as one of the best new toy-based programs for early child development, not only because of its superior quality, but also because its a complete kit thats easy and fun to use...all parents or caregivers have to do is play along!"

Based in Irvine, Calif., Nurture Basics, Inc. was created to provide parents and caregivers with enriching, educational content and tools that enable them to easily engender interactive, nurturing experiences for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Nurture Basics is wholly owned and operated by husband-and-wife entrepreneurs Andrew and Tamara Ujiie, who serve as the companys President and Founder/CEO, respectively. For more information on Nurture Basics and "Play Along With Me!", interested persons are welcome to visit www.NurtureBasics.com, or call or email the listed contacts. For more information on the American International TOY FAIR, interested persons may visit www.Toy-Tia.org.
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