Brands include Melissa & Doug(R), Creativity for Kids(R), LEGO Systems, Inc, Scientific Explorer(TM), Chicco(R), Battat(R), Blue Orange Games(R), ALEX(R) and others ANN ARBOR, Mich., Aug. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Parents looking for high quality educational toys and games for infants, tots and kids should look no further than the Children's Department at their local Borders store. Borders has greatly expanded its toy and game offerings in its more than 500 superstores nationwide to include products from leading brands such as Melissa & Doug , Creativity for Kids , LEGO Systems, Inc, Playmobil, Scientific Explorer(TM), Chicco , Battat , Blue Orange Games , ALEX and many others. The expert buyers at Borders selected many of the toys and games because they play a role in promoting discovery, fostering creativity and helping build cognitive skills in youngsters, all of which are critical to developing good learning and reading habits-and a lifelong love of reading. Importantly, Borders knows that not all customers know what they want to purchase when faced with a variety of toy and game options, so the company is staffing the Children's Department with a dedicated kids' specialist, who can answer questions and make toy, game and book recommendations. (The specialists' hours will vary by store.) To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/borders/39446/ (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090804/NY56240 ) (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060208/BORDERSLOGO ) Borders continues to offer a wide selection of children's books, and to highlight its rich picture book offerings, the retailer has created a picture book feature wall to make shopping easier for parents. Moreover, Borders has moved books for Independent Readers -- kids ages 8 through 12 -- and placed them in their own section adjacent to the Children's Department. The move provides even more space for kids to discover books, toys and games as well as enjoy the many kids-focused events Borders stores host each year. In addition, the company is in the process of rolling out Borders Ink Teen Shops -- special boutique-like sections within most Borders superstores that feature Young Adult as well as Graphic Novel and Manga titles along with a number of other trendy products that complement the book offerings. Items include Twilight bookmarks, lunch boxes, bag clips, trading cards as well trendy products from tokidoki, NARUTO by VIZ Media and Domo among other lifestyle brands. Borders is also dialoging with teens about books and other topics via its Borders Ink Facebook page, which complements the Borders Ink Teen Shops. "We want to guide our customers through our stores from the early stages of their lives up through adulthood, enriching their experiences every step of the way through books and other products," said Kathryn Popoff, Vice President of Books and Merchandising for Borders. "It all begins in our Children's Department with a great assortment of educational toys and games that help kids develop the skills they need to become great readers. As kids grow and their interests expand, we progress them into our Independent Reader section and then into our Borders Ink Teen Shops. When they become adults, we provide them with great genre fiction titles, biographies and books from other categories. As a retailer it's very gratifying to be able to offer our customers products that inform, educate and entertain throughout their lives." The following is an overview of some of the educational toys and games at Borders: For kids ages 3 and under Parents will find bright and colorful infant plush toys from ALEX Jr. that feature visually stimulating and tactile components that help babies explore their worlds. For older infants, there's a variety of Chicco products including the Butterfly Spinner, which introduces the concept of cause and effect and helps build eye-hand coordination and visual skills, and the Animal Cottage, a shape sorting game. The section also features a selection of educational learning toys from Learning Resources that teach toddlers to identify, count and match items through hands-on play as well as wooden and floor puzzles from Melissa & Doug . For kids ages 3 through 7 Borders offers a wide selection of toys and games for kids ages 3 through 7 that promote and foster a number of school readiness skills including cognitive, social and motor skills. Such toys include Band in a Box and the Slice and Bake Cookie Set from Melissa & Doug . Also featured are imaginative toys from Playmobil including building sets and toys that challenge kids to create adventures around different themes. Borders also offers an extensive selection of craft kits such as Make Your Own Sock Puppets and Make Your Own Alphabet Book from Creativity for Kids as well as ALEX Little Hands craft kits including Crafty Fashion Show and My Crafty Cars. Children in this age group will also delight in playing with construction-themed toys and games from Battat , which challenge kids to disassemble and put back together such things as toy airplanes and 4x4 trucks. In addition, there are beautiful wooden games from Blue Orange Games such as the stacking and counting elephant game called Zimbbos. For kids ages 7 through 12 Kids ages 7 and up will love toys and games from LEGO Systems, Inc and Scientific Explorer(TM). Parents will have a great time building LEGO creations with their kids and reminiscing about their childhood experiences with the bricks beloved by generations worldwide. Scientists-in-training will revel in science kits from Scientific Explorer(TM) including the Spa Science Kit, the Magic Science Wizard Kit and even the Disgusting Science Kit. Each kit is hands-on and stimulates intellectual curiosity and makes science interesting -- and fun. For more information on Borders' educational toys and games including buyer recommendations, visit http://www.borders.com/toysandgames. About Borders Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., Borders Group, Inc. (NYSE:BGP) is a leading retailer of books, music and movies with approximately 25,000 employees. Through its subsidiaries, the company operates more than 1,000 stores primarily under the Borders and Waldenbooks brand names. For online shopping, visit Borders.com. For more information about the company, visit http://www.borders.com/aboutus. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090804/NY56240 http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060208/BORDERSLOGO http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/borders/39446DATASOURCE: Borders Group CONTACT: Mary Davis, +1-734-477-1374, Web Site: http://www.borders.com/toysandgames

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