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New preschool learning toys from LEGO EXPLORE. (Clockwise from top: Theater Stories, ages 4 plus, $29.99; Music Builder Composer, ages 3 plus, $49.99; and On the Move Police Station, ages 2 plus, $19.99.)

New LEGO Preschool Toys Help Engage Youngsters In Hands-On Learning

(NAPSI)-A growing number of parents are seeking out toys that offer more than just entertainment value for their children. This line of thinking goes along with what child-development experts have recommended for years: toys that stimulate the senses and foster "playful learning."

Such toys also tend to be well-designed, so that children can continue to learn from them-and play well-as they grow.

Interestingly, "play well" is the English translation of the name of the LEGO Company, the well-known Danish toy maker. In fact, children around the world spend an estimated five billion hours per year playing with LEGO toys-now that's playing well.

"Child-development research has demonstrated the importance of children's explorations and investigations of the physical world around them," says Mitchel Resnick, professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "It is important that the play materials that children interact with provide them with open-ended opportunities."

Now, the LEGO Company has expanded on its tradition of building with a line of preschool toys designed to engage young children in playful learning. Developed in close association with prominent child-development experts, "LEGO® EXPLORE: The Complete Discovery System" embodies a holistic approach to learning and development.

Based on the natural stages of child development, LEGO EXPLORE comprises four distinct "worlds," including:

• explore being me;

• explore imagination;

• explore together; and

• explore logic.

In each of these worlds, LEGO play materials have been created to enrich the development of youngsters based on the principal theme of that world.

For example, toys in the world of explore being me allow children to explore solo play and individual learning, while explore together encourages social group play. The world of explore imagination sparks a child's natural sense of creativity and fantasy and the world of explore logic stimulates a child's inclination toward discovery and problem solving.

The LEGO EXPLORE products include a wide variety of play experiences for preschoolers. Some sets are intended to promote creativity through music and storytelling, while most of the sets include traditional, stud-based building.

To learn more, or to locate specialty toy stores that carry these products, visit www.LEGOEXPLORE.com.

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