FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 12, 2008
Contact: Gordon Breedyk 
(613) 612-0306 (day or evening)
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JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!
NEW TOY HELPS YOUNG CHILDREN DEVELOP LIFELONG SKILLS

OTTAWA, Nov. 12, 2008 --- A new toy launched in Ottawa today is the perfect way to give a child the gift of security and confidence, and a lifetime love of reading and learning.

The K.T. Cat Activity Set, filled with accessories and activities for children, parents and other adults who care for children, is backed by decades of research on early child development.

Top Canadian scientist and early child development expert, Dr. Fraser Mustard today introduced K.T. Cat, a new animal character with accessories and activities that provides parents and anyone who nurtures children with a “hands-on” way to “grow” a young child’s brain.

The K.T. Cat Activity Set is the first product of Us Time, a company with a mission to create a safety-assured line of products that help enhance parent-child bonds and communication, and foster the love of reading and discovery.

“This toy is based on research which shows that nurturing by parents in the early years has a decisive and long-lasting impact on human development, including people’s capacity to learn, their ability to regulate their emotions and their risks for disease in later life” says Dr. Mustard. “In fact, as humans, our brains are primed to develop through relationships with others. With store shelving full of new electronic toys, videos and games, 21st Century science is reminding us not to forget the basics, such as love, nurturing, communication, play, and reading aloud.”

Kathleen Guy, the founder of Us Time, and an Ottawa resident and colleague of Dr. Mustard, says “I wanted to create a line of products that are not only based on the best science, but that would capture the imagination and hearts of children and adults alike. The response so far has been truly gratifying -- I love watching young children and parents having fun playing with K.T. Cat.”

“In our complex and over-scheduled world, parents are looking for practical tools that don’t add to their load, but make the best use of their daily routines and time together. That is the inspiration for Us Time products,” says Ms. Guy.

The K.T. Activity Set comes with links to a web-site that provides all kinds of activities and valuable information on early child development and parenting. It retails for $34.

Five years in the making, the company emerged out of Ms. Guy’s 23 years of experience on children’s issues as an author, speaker, consultant and not-for-profit executive. “Us Time didn’t come about in a straight line. But the long journey enabled me to expand and adapt my ideas over time, as I developed a growing network of experts, parents and early childhood specialists.”

The toy is based on Guy’s cat, Kevin. “Kevin loves to learn about eating, primarily… K.T. Cat has much broader horizons!”

The Hon. Margaret Norrie McCain, the former Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick and co-author of Ontario’s Early Years Study said “As an advocate for putting science into action on early child development, I was delighted to see Us Time’s wonderful new product, The K.T. Cat Activity Set, being made available to parents and early childhood educators. And as a grandmother, I was delighted to see how my granddaughter loves and relates to K.T. Cat.”

A limited edition of The K.T. Cat Activity Set is now on sale exclusively at Playvalue Toys, 1501 Carling Avenue in West Ottawa. With each purchase, Us Time will contribute a donation to Mothercraft Ottawa, a local organization that provides exceptional programs for parents and children. For more information and to download free resources, visit Us Time’s website at www.ustimefun.com.

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