Halloween is over, which means tomorrow is Christmas.
Or, at least that is what it seems like.
Not so long ago (and yes, before all the Halloween candy) Toys 'R US released its "Holiday Hot List." You remember Cabbage Patch Kid Mania in the 80's, Tickle-Me-Elmo craziness a decade and a half later, and then the Tickle Me TMX a few years later? There is always an "IT" toy that causes grown men and women to push and shove like a preschooler... to get a toy for a preschooler.
It is best to avoid the juvenile theatrics and just get the toy now, before the holiday shuffle. (Or, figure out another cool toy.)
Well, surprise, surprise, my kids already own some of the items on that list - like Bakugan and Wii Sports Resort (oh, how the adults love Wii Sports Resort, too!) And my kids also have Zhu-Zhu Pets.
A couple months ago, Mom Select got me in touch with the folks creating Zhu-Zhu Pets. After all, I already have a cat and a fish (and occasionally butterflies and ants) - I can't add a real hamster to the list. My kids saw the little promo and were hooked. I agreed to host a Hamster Party. Yes indeed, I cleaned my house to open it up to hamsters. Well, and the kids for whom the hamsters would come to life.
Before I agreed to do the party, I hadn't heard of the Zhu Zhu Pets except through Mom Select. But as the party date neared and my package from the Zhu Zhu Pets people arrived on my doorstep, I saw commercials for the little hamsters. Meanwhile, my boys' friends knew exactly what I was talking about when I invited them over to give the hamsters a spin. They had already been begging their parents to get one, so eagerly accepted my invitation to play with them and take one home!
Pictures represent a thousand words - and the fact that the kids couldn't pause to smile for the camera certainly speaks volumes:
As you can see, the end-user consumer - the kids - are very pleased with the pets, indeed. The moms were excited, too, since there is no waste to clean up if the hamster isn't real. One mom had actually purchased a real hamster for her oldest child recently, and found it quite frustrating to have to put it away when the younger two children were around. Conversely, all three kids played happily with the Zhu Zhu hamsters.
I admit it was tricky to put together the "habitrail" initially, but my eight-year-old son figured it out. Still, he was frustrated when the five and six year olds would break the connections in their enthusiasm. Luckily he fixed it again and again so the younger kids could have fun. Warning: many pieces of the "habitrail" are add-ons, so require the larger pieces to work properly. The pieces we had included a garage, surfboard, exercise ball, twirly slide, and "living area." Unless the hamsters are completely contained within the "habitrail" they will zoom unexpectedly, and usually end up under furniture. The unpredictable nature of their scurrying sure is fun, but as a piece of advice: watch your hamster closely to find it later!
My boys and their friends had a blast with the Zhu Zhu pets, and I know that several of the guests went out to purchase accessories and probably more hamsters. According to Toys R' Us, we're ahead of the curve, here!
One brainstorm about the name, though: When I first heard "Zhu Zhu" I thought not of "zooming around" but of an Asian-inspired name. Given the concern over toys made in China, I'm not sure this association is a good one. But, the kids certainly don't seem to mind, nor does Toys R' Us. It is certainly a "catchy" name, and the product itself is definitely fun.
Thank you to Mom Select for providing this opportunity for me. I admit I didn't enjoy the clean-the-house-before-the-party part, but my boys and their friends had a wonderful time with their new pet hamsters. And it is definitely great to be able to say that I hosted a party introducing one of the "hot" toys for the holidays!
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Disclaimer: The Zhu-Zhu Pets people gave me a complete "habit-trail" to set up (retail value over $100), plus eleven Zhu Zhu pets (each retails for around $10) - for my boys and for the guests. In exchange for the product, I agreed to host a party to "spread the Zhu Zhu love" and then take a survey at the party's completion. I will receive no other compensation for this effort. There was no specific requirement in terms of post content, nor has this post been edited or pre-approved by the Zhu Zhu Pets people or anyone else (Mom Select, BSM media, or any other entity.) The opinions expressed above are my own.
