RC2's Learning Curve® Brands Debuts Powerhouse Line-Up of Infant and Toddler Innovations at ABC Kids Expo

OAK BROOK, Ill., Oct. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Learning Curve® Brands, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of RC2 Corporation (Nasdaq: RCRC), introduces several new lines designed to provide innovative solutions for today's families at the 2010 ABC Kids Expo in Las Vegas (Booth #3247). Learning Curve debuts a host of new items from The First Years®, leading the industry in offering parents and babies a wide range of award-winning infant and toddler feeding, care, play and gear solutions. In addition a new line of Lamaze® First Books joins the sought-after Lamaze Infant Development System, along with several fun, developmental toys and Play and Grow characters. Learning Curve continues to demonstrate its unyielding commitment to delivering the quality, safety, convenience and value today's parents demand and deserve.  

"Our ABC Kids Expo introductions underscore the importance we place on being a company committed to designing for today's parent," states Peter Henseler, President of Learning Curve Brands. "We listen to what our current and potential customers need and want most, looking for opportunities for innovation that will make mom's life more convenient while making babies happier and safer."

Learning Curve highlights the following introductions for the 2010 ABC Kids Expo:

The First Years (www.thefirstyears.com)

Building on the brand's extensive line of infant and toddler products, The First Years introduces solutions across key categories, including:

• GumDrop™ pacifiers, featuring the same nipple design trusted and used by hospitals and parents nationwide in an innovative new contoured shape that lets more of baby's face show. GumDrop pacifiers are made of a soft, curved single piece of silicone and are lightweight, which helps baby keep the pacifier in his/her mouth, plus GumDrop Pacifiers include a hole on the handle allowing the pacifier to be safely connected to an attacher. Available in newborn and infant sizes, GumDrop Pacifiers come in a variety of sweet, playful colors.
• An entire line of easy-to-use and affordable travel solutions including infant, convertible and booster car seats as well as travel systems. The First Years remains the only brand to achieve 5-Star ratings for overall Ease of Use across all car seat categories to date. In addition to The First Years' line of NHTSA 5-Star Rated car seats, travel gear highlights include a number of new entries in the line, including the Via35 Infant Car Set, True Fit™ Recline Convertible Car Seat, [International] Belted Belt Positioning Booster and Pathway Booster Car Seat, which was recently awarded a "Best Bet" rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Aside from car seats, The First Years offers several affordable and innovative strollers including the new Wisp Travel System.
• Several new sleep and nursery solutions that deliver quality, style and exceptional value. Debut products include a Skype-enabled digital video monitor perfect for home or on the go, and the Sounds for Silence™ Premium Sound Machine that features unique sounds and music to soothe a crying baby.
• New care items designed to address everyday needs of both mom and baby, including easy-to-use safety gates, complete health and wellness kits and innovative thermometers in the American Red Cross line, and a variety of quality, affordable infant care accessories.
• Feeding items focused on kid-favorite characters combined with key product enhancements deliver a line of sippy cups that feature double-wall insulation and exclusive Travel Lock technology, which eliminates the problematic issue of a leaky cup in the diaper bag or purse. Both innovations are sure to effectively address frustrations parents and kids have with existing options.  
• A total feeding system to help make breastfeeding easier, with key new introductions including leak-proof breast milk and formula liners that easily fit into any bottle as well as milk storage containers that keep breast milk safe for refrigeration and freezing.

Lamaze® (www.lamazetoys.com)

Learning Curve's Lamaze® brand is dedicated to creating products that help baby grow, discover and learn. Parents have known and trusted the Lamaze brand for more than 50 years. Building on that trusted brand, Learning Curve's Lamaze line remains dedicated to offering parents products that focus on infant development, while at the same time providing opportunities for them to bond and interact with baby. Experts agree that bonding can occur around key developmental milestones as well as during routines that are established early on, and Learning Curve's 2010 Lamaze introductions are designed to support the milestones and encourage early bonds. New for 2010 is a line of books for babies from birth and up. Featuring content written by prominent child development expert Dorothy Singer, Ed. D., the new Lamaze Book line includes soft books, board books, and book & plush gift sets. In addition to the Lamaze Book line, the award-winning Lamaze Infant Development System has added products specifically designed to grow with baby as their skill levels expand, thereby extending play value. Learning Curve has also added to the popular Lamaze Play and Grow line, Lamaze Tunes family and more.

About Learning Curve® Brands, Inc.

Learning Curve Brands, Inc. (www.learningcurve.com) is a wholly owned subsidiary of RC2 Corporation (NASDAQ: RCRC, www.rc2.com) and is a leading designer, producer and marketer of a broad range of innovative, high-quality products for mothers, infants, and toddlers, as well as toys and collectible products sold to preschoolers, youths and adults.  Learning Curve Brands, Inc. markets its infant, toddler and preschool products under its Learning Curve® family of brands which includes The First Years® and Lamaze® and JJ Cole® Collections brands, as well as popular and classic licensed properties such as Thomas & Friends, Bob the Builder, Special Agent Oso, Chuggington, Dinosaur Train, John Deere, Disney's Winnie the Pooh, Princesses, Cars, Fairies and Toy Story, and other well-known properties.  The Company's youth and adult products are marketed under the Johnny Lightning® (www.johnnylightning.com) and Ertl®, (www.ertl.com) brands. Learning Curve Brands, Inc. reaches its target consumers through multiple channels of distribution supporting more than 25,000 retail outlets throughout North America, Europe, Australia, Asia Pacific and South America.

SOURCE RC2 Corporation