Carole Bernstein went out shopping for a few toys, but came back with an entire store instead.

“I was looking for a place to purchase educational toys for my own child and I couldn’t find very much,” said Bernstein. “I decided to open my own store because I have a PhD in elementary education and I knew what I wanted.”

That was back in 1979. The first store was one block away from the current West Kendall location at 8700 SW 137 Ct. and was only 2,000 square feet, only one-seventh the size of the current store in that area. Another Get Smart is located in Miami-Dade at 11751 S. Dixie Hwy. in Pinecrest. The operation has two other locations, one in Pembroke Pines and another in Palm Beach Gardens.

“We supply teachers with the materials that they need for the classroom from chalkboards to chairs, to the bulletin boards to decorations and all of the reading materials to help them with their lesson plans,” said Bernstein. “We have practically all of the supplementary educational materials that a teacher could need.”

According to Bernstein, most teachers spend on average $250 a year out of their own pocket on school supplies. Students can find books to help with math skills and reading comprehension, along with FCAT test prep materials. A wide range of school supplies is available for any type of school project.

A 500-page catalog is mailed to all area schools with their needs in mind, but it is just not teachers that buy at Get Smart. Bernstein lists cruise ship playrooms, hotels and jail libraries among her customers. She adds that employee award certificates and stickers are popular with local businesses. The store has a special Christian section that caters to churches and vacation Bible schools.

Bernstein wants people to know that there are a lot of fun things in stock, something they might not expect from a store specializing in educational items.

“Now, since Sept. 11, people are staying home more with their kids and bonding with them,” she said. “As far as activities that are great for the whole family to do, besides puzzles, we have games for adults like Tantrix, priced at only $5.95. It’s a set of tiles and you have to keep making a line, and as you add more tiles it keeps changing and making closed curves.”

The age range for the games available at Get Smart begins at the infant/toddler stage. For example, a game called Mr. Mighty Mind prepares three-year-olds for an IQ test. The learning of foreign languages is promoted through a selection of CDs, videos and talking dolls.

Although Bernstein is proud of the store’s toys and games, she is quick to make the distinction between her store and a toy store.

“A toy store will have everything,” she said. “We, on the other hand, select things based on how they will enhance a child’s development. There has to be a very good reason for something to go on our shelves.”

Customer service is important to Bernstein, from her trained staff, many of who are tutors, education majors or retired teachers, to ensuring satisfaction with items before they are purchased.

“We will open any package for you so that you can see what you are getting,” said Bernstein. “We will play any video or if you want to try out a computer program you can put it in and look at it before you buy it.”

If a customer can’t find the item they are looking for at Get Smart, either in-store or online, Bernstein and her staff will search for it.

We really try to get anything the person needs if it’s educationally related,” she said. “We will call all around the country to find your specific item. There is no request that we don’t try to fulfill.”

Get Smart can export products to Central and South America and distributors sell the store’s merchandise in Panama, Nicaragua, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. Camp care packages can be put together as well as get-well baskets. And although there are thousands of items at Get Smart, there are some things you won’t  find.

“I’m pretty good at picking educationally sound products,” said Bernstein. “You won’t find violence here, we promote peace. We screen everything before we stock it; we try it and check it out. We are very careful as far as safety is concerned.”

Bernstein and her buyer reach out to students by making career day presentations on how a store works. A free lamination service is offered to reinforce positive effort in local schools.

“If there’s something in the newspaper about your child that is good news, you can bring it in and we will laminate your article for free,” said Bernstein. “We are committed to congratulating children on their success.”

For more information, please call 305-378-0834 or log on to www.getsmart.biz