Exclusive Partnership and 15% off Discount to Education Professionals
Underscores Retailers' Focus on Learning Category
PITTSFIELD, Mass., Aug. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Learning and exploration
toys were one of the strongest growth categories in 2005 according to the
NPD Group, a leading provider of consumer and retail information. KB Toys
has always been a major supporter of this category and stocks their shelves
with both traditional educational toys as well as toys that foster
educational play. KB Toys is the only toy retailer to partner with Kennedy
Space Center Visitor Complex (KSCVC) to provide KB Toys customers with
educational activities as well an opportunity to visit the Center.
Kennedy Space Center is at the forefront of America's ongoing adventure
in space and is a source of fascination for children of all ages. KB Toys
has become a destination for children to explore and discover the newest
and greatest toys with interactive play areas right in the store. The
partnership includes a free (with purchase) co-branded activity book for KB
Toys customers, which includes fun learning activities as well as a KB Toys
coupon. The learning activities include space-related trivia questions and
were created by NASA to help educate children on space and space travel. In
addition, customers can enter to win a 2 night trip for four to Kennedy
Space Center in Florida which includes a private meet and greet with an
astronaut. The promotion which runs now through August 28th has already
been met with great enthusiasm and the winner will be chosen on September
29th.
"We are excited to be partnering with KB Toys on these activity books
and promotion," said Debbie Blizzard, Manager of Alliance Marketing,
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex (KSCVC). "Children share a level of
enthusiasm about space and learning that is unparalleled. The opportunity
to reach them with these educational activities at such a young age helps
further KSCVC's mission in telling the NASA story and providing inspiration
to this new generation of space explorers."
Helping Education Professionals Stock their Classrooms
Further underscoring KB Toys' support of the educational category is
its new promotion that offers 15% off to educational professionals now
through August 31st. KB Toys recognizes that teachers are financially
responsible for many of the supplies used in their classrooms, which does
not leave extra funds for some of the more non-essential, but arguably just
as important, items. In the first week of the promotion, over 500
educational professionals have utilized the discount to purchase items to
help add excitement to their classrooms. Toys of all kinds can be found at
KB that help to foster educational play both inside and outside the
classroom. Toys as simple as the new Speed Stacks -- a fast-action game of
coordination and speed -- help to keep children engaged and aid in their
hand-eye coordination, ambidexterity, levels of concentration and overall
athletic abilities.
"Teachers in my school spend hundreds of dollars preparing and
maintaining their classrooms for each new year. The KB Toys promotion not
only helps to offset some of these costs but is a clear indicator of
corporate support for local teachers," said Linda Avalle of Williams
Elementary School in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. "My teachers have found
that items as simple as flash cards and colored markers help them engage
and interact with their students. We are so appreciative that KB Toys has
demonstrated a way to help teachers promote cognitive, social/emotional and
physical growth while keeping learning fun."
About KB Toys
KB Toys, Inc. is the nation's largest mall-based specialty toy
retailer, operating more than 600 stores in 44 states, the American
Territory of Guam and the commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Headquartered in
Pittsfield, Mass., the privately-held company has been delighting children
and parents alike with the fun of toys for more than 80 years.
About Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex opens daily at 9 a.m. Closing
times vary according to season. The Visitor Complex is open every day
except December 25 and certain launch days. Maximum Access Admission
includes all exhibits, Astronaut Encounter, IMAX(R) space films, KSC Tour,
and the Astronaut Hall of Fame, featuring historic spacecrafts, simulator
rides and the world's largest collection of personal astronaut mementos.
Maximum Access Admission is $38 + tax for adults and $28 + tax for children
ages 3-11. For more information, call 321-449-4444 or visit
http://www.KennedySpaceCenter.com. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is
operated by DNC Parks & Resorts at KSC, Inc., a division of Delaware North
Companies, one of the world's leading hospitality and food service
providers.
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