A few of our Step2 toys have recently been reviewed and approved on the internet, and we'd like to share what these people had to say. Check out the Toy Tips Report that gave our Sand & Water Cart an "A", and also the Classy Mommy review that recommends our Fun Flow Play Sink.

Do you blog? Review the Step2 products you own on your blog and link them to our site! Then, let us know about it and you could be featured in a future "Step2 on the Web" update.

June 25, 2008 — Streetsboro, OH — The Step2 Company, LLC, the nation's largest preschool and toddler toy manufacturer and the Schubert Center for Child Studies at Case Western Reserve University are pleased to announce the birth of CreativePlayPlus.com, an innovative new blog. Designed by Optiem, a Cleveland-based interactive marketing agency, the site is an online resource for parents offering a variety of topics related to play and provides visitors with relevant news stories, expert research, articles and other blogs that center around the topic of play.

"CreativePlayPlus.com was developed to connect parents with child development experts at Case Western Reserve University who have a wealth of knowledge about children and imagination," says Jill Korbin, PhD, director of the Schubert Center for Child Studies. "It is also a wonderful opportunity for the Schubert Center for Child Studies to further our mission by making the research and expertise at our university accessible to the community and to parents and caregivers who interact with children everyday."

"At Step2 we design high quality children's play products with the understanding that imaginative and creative play is essential to the healthy development of a child," says Scott Levin, President and CEO of Step2. "Step2 is proud to sponsor CreativePlayPlus and give parents, grandparents and child care professionals the opportunity to connect with noted experts in the field of child development at the Schubert Center for Child Studies to learn why play is so important in children's lives."

CreativePlayPlus.com will allow consumers and child care professionals to:

• Read the latest research in summarized form by noted experts in the field of child development
• Respond to articles with personal comments and questions
• Learn how to make wise toy purchasing decisions for children
• Use provided links to other resources to get more information on play
• Easily navigate through the site using categories and tags
• Subscribe and be notified of the latest information published via RSS and email

CreativePlayPlus.com, an alliance between the Step2 Company, the renowned Schubert Center for Child Studies and interactive marketing agency, Optiem, has resulted in this ground breaking blog designed to help parents and child care professionals learn more about the importance of play.

"CreativePlayPlus.com was developed to connect savvy online parents with child development experts who have a wealth of ideas about children and imagination." says Clyde Miles, Chief Strategist of Optiem. "All this is done through a Web 2.0 communications platform, facilitating dialog and creating an online community."

About the Schubert Center
The Schubert Center for Child Studies is in the College of Arts and Sciences at Case Western Reserve University. The Center works to promote multidisciplinary research on children and childhood. Our goal is to build and enhance connections among research, policy, and educational initiatives at the University and with the community. The Schubert Center's focus is on children and childhood from infancy through adolescence in local, national, and international contexts.
www.case.edu/artsci/schubert

STREETSBORO, OHIO — June 26, 2008 — The Step2 Company®, the nation's largest preschool and toddler toy manufacturer and famous for its signature play kitchens, playhouses, ride on toys and outdoor toys, has earned yet another prestigious award for its line of products. The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio—the only independent consumer review of children's toys and media—has awarded the Step2 Canopy Wagon with their Gold Award.

The Canopy Wagon joins the ranks of such Step2 toys as the LifeStyle™ Dream Kitchen, Naturally Playful® Sand & Water Activity Center, the Neighborhood Fun Center™ and others, which have all previously been recognized by the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio as outstanding new products that enhance the lives of children.

"Our 2 and 3 year old testers loved going for a ride in this new wagon," says Stephanie Oppenheim, co-founder of the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio. "The kids enjoyed the removable plastic canopy cover, which offered them a smaller cozy space just for them, while parents liked that the canopy also protects children from the sun and rain."

Step2's new Canopy Wagon features a long handle that allows for easy pulling and conveniently folds under the wagon for easy storage. Two molded-in cup holders and compartment for small items offers convenient storage for parents and the durable poly construction makes the Canopy Wagon a smart purchase that can last for years. "The seatbelts are a nice added safety feature that our testers really liked as well," added Oppenheim.

Step2 makes durable, well-made, stylish children's toys that promote role-modeling, motor skills, creative play development, and most importantly, fun for children. Step2 puts all of their toys through rigorous safety testing and produces the highest quality products for families, with over 90% of manufacturing taking place in the United States and all toys being phthalates free.

"We value the feedback of our industry peers and truly appreciate when others acknowledge our efforts to create an exceptional product for families and their children," said Step2 CEO Scott Levin. "The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award represents many of the standards that we uphold at Step2, so receiving recognition from them confirms that we are doing our job well."

The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio judges on educational and play value, safety, age appropriateness, economic value and other factors including actual child and parent feedback from testing families around the nation. Award winners also meet the highest toy safety standards as all products must be free of phthalates and lead.

For more information, view the award posting at www.toyportfolio.com.