The "regular" Zhu Zhu Pet habitrail had been a little tricky to put together. I remember scrambling as the party guests arrived, hoping it would all work. While it did, the kids' enthusiasm broke it apart a few times. One previously very cool toy - a ball - became temperamental after a few uses, so would un-do itself when the hamster would really "get going." (It was then rather tricky to snap together.) Even so, my kids and their friends loved the pets. But admittedly, most of their time with their beloved hamsters ended up being spent just on the floor rather than in the habitrail.

One of the moms of a guest at last fall's party tells me that her daughter still sleeps with her Zhu Zhu hamster. A few nights ago, I found one in my son's bed, too. In terms of being a "pet" - having "just" a hamster is enough. But even I've got to admit that the Kung Zhu accessories take the fun to a whole new level. Just the concept of battling hamsters makes me laugh, but add in the cute noises and the various "obstacles" and you've got quite a show!

I'm very pleased to report that the Kung Zhu accessories are easier to put together and more durable than the originals. The "battle armor" simply snaps on each hamster, and the "tanks" work very well as the hamster inside directs it around the floor. The "Battle Arena" was simple to put together - or at least I assume so, since my 9 year old did it easily. Similarly, the various add-ons such as the dojo base, mission control, combat bridge, and training ground all snapped together easily. (Again, this was all done by my 5 year old and 9 year old. I only touched the pieces after they were put together in order to test out their quality.) The hamsters navigate these areas well, successfully tripping features such as the "Dragon Hammer." A favorite hamster feature is the "Wheel of Fire." That one made the boys giggle endlessly, and approximates what made the original "hamster ball" fun, but without the need to pause to put it back together again.

Here is a video of the "Ninja Training Ground" piece. The pop-up fire was quite the hit:

And here is a hamster showing off the hammer and missile portions of the "Battle Arena:"

The boys were certainly pleased with Kung Zhu and have included some of their original Zhu Zhu pets in their various battles!

If you'd like to see the hamsters and their accessories firsthand, check out the Zhu-niverse Tour. Or, just test your luck! I have a hamster, battle armor, and a tank to give away to one of YOU.

I'm going to make it simple - visit the Kung Zhu website and discover the name of one of the hamsters. Just leave a comment below with the hamster's name and whether that hamster is a Ninja Warrior or on the Special Forces. You can leave one comment per day until the contest close at 6pm Pacific Friday July 9th. (Yes you may repeat names that you've already discovered.)

I will select the lucky winner via random.org, and will contact him or her via email - so please make sure you include a valid email address in your comment! The winner will then have 48 hours after I notify him or her to get back to me with your shipping address. I will fulfill the prize myself, but cannot be held accountable for misdirected, damaged, or lost packages.

Good luck!

Comments are now closed. Thank you for participating!

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Disclaimer: Cepia LLC via Mom Select provided me hamsters and various battle accessories to share with my boys and their friends; they also suggested that I could hold back one hamster for giveaway, which I've chosen to do in order to "spread the wealth!" The toys were provided with the anticipation that I would be blogging about them, but also that I would spread the word locally amongst my social circles. I have not, nor will I, receive any monetary compensation for this post or for any purchases of Zhu Zhu Hamster or Kung Zhu products made as a result of my post/party. The food for the party, the cost of shipping for prize fulfillment, and so forth is out of my pocket. Thank you to Cepia LLC and Mom Select for the fabulous hamsters and accessories!