Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign for Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Playskool. I received product samples to facilitate my party and review, and a promotional item to thank me for participating.
Have you started your holiday shopping yet? If not, just a friendly reminder that there are only 73 more days until Christmas -- no pressure! :-) I have only started my shopping recently, as the girls are still deciding what they want to ask Santa for. But, after a recent in-house party where my girls and their friends were able to play with Playskool toys, I know what Santa will be bringing some of the partygoers, and what the moms who attended the party will be talking up with friends and family who ask for toy suggestions.
My in-house party couldn't have come at a better time, as many of the kids who attended are having fall birthdays, including my youngest, whose birthday is in November. You would have thought Santa came early when the kids walked into the dining room where I had all the toys set up. Their eyes lit up, and they all had big smiles on their faces. I even caught a few of the kids pointing and counting to make sure there were enough toys for each of them to get one to play with. :-)
My Playskool Let’s Imagine Elmo Party Kit contained the following toys for my girls and their friends to play with and share their thoughts on...
- One Let’s Imagine Elmo Doll
- Six ‘Stack N’ Spin Monkey Gears’,
- Six ‘Transformers Mixable, Mashable Heroes Optimus Prime and Grimlock toys
- Let’s Imagine Elmo hats for the guests and “When I grow up I imagine I’ll be…..” Elmo stickers and Sharpies.
Prior to the party, my girls helped me with party preparations. From naming people they wanted to invite, which included their cousin, friends from Savannah's preschool, the neighborhood kids and some of their friends from our mommy and me meetup groups, to helping me go shopping for snacks and party supplies, my girls found themselves getting excited for the party they were helping me plan, and couldn't wait to see what those who were coming thought of everything. :-) It was funny how one of the party supplies that I was sent as an Elmo sticker that the moms filled out after asking their child(ren) what they wanted to be when they grow. I asked Bella this question, and she was quick to say party planner. :-) Savannah, on the other hand, wants to be a toy testing. Two pretty cool jobs, don't you think?! :-) The other children wanted to be police officers, veterinarians, doctors, ballerinas, cooks, truck driver and even a magician. But, for right now, they are happy being kids and getting to try out some cool toys!
The firs toy, which was the main focus of our in-house Playskool party was the Let’s Imagine Elmo Doll. Have you seen this new Elmo toy in stores? If not and have little ones who love Elmo, this is one toy to scoop up early, before the holiday toy shopping rush starts, as I see this toy selling out fast.
Recommended for ages 2 and up
"Let's Imagine Elmo is trying on different fun hats, and he's inviting your little one to play, count, and sing along with him! Whether he's a counting cowboy, playful prince, singing sea captain, or just being himself, Elmo has 4 playful interactive modes with games, songs, and actions. When your little one puts the crown on Elmo, he pretends to be Prince Elmo and plays a game of "Prince Elmo Says." Put on the cowboy hat, and Cowboy Elmo counts up to 20 with your child and then sings a reward song when they reach 20. The sea captain's hat lets Elmo imagine he's an ocean-going captain, and he'll start up a sounds-of-the-sea identification game. When Elmo isn't wearing a hat, he still loves to interact with your child by getting bounced, tickled, and having his nose squeezed! This toy requires four AA batteries, demo batteries included. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com."
As you know Elmo loves to pretend, and this toy will let your child be part of Elmo's imaginative world, by switching up the four hats that come with the doll. The hats easily snap on and off, making this a fun toy for little ones,who don't like to struggle with toy parts. Whenever a new hat is put on Elmo, he detects that specific hat and this where the fun begins.
All kids love Elmo so the Let's Imagine Elmo toy was an instant hit with everyone. The kids were amazed that Elmo could tell the difference between the four hats and was able to recognize each. There was a lot of giggling going on, especially when Elmo had the kids squeezing his nose as they counted all the way to 20. And, just like when my girls see Elmo sing on Sesame Street, a little dance party broke out in my living, as the kids danced around, swinging the Elmo doll, and singing along to the catchy songs.
The Let's Imagine Elmo doll has so many interactive features, and with the four different pretend modes, this is one toy that will keep your child's attention, and having them pick up the toy time and again. As part of the party kit, my girls were able to keep the Let's Imagine Elmo doll. I ended up going to the store to buy another, as they always seemed to want to play with the doll as the same time, and didn''t want to share. Yes, we are still working on sharing - some days are better than others. But, when the girls saw the cute Let's Imagine Elmo doll, they had to have their own, to play with during the day, and snuggle with at night time. To this day, my girls can't go a day without playing with Elmo and pretending with him. They love to dress up a cowgirl, princess and pirate sailing the wide open sea -- depending on what hat Elmo is wearing at that moment. :-)
As for the party guests, I have spoken with each of the moms, and either they have picked up the Let's Imagine Elmo to put away for Christmas, or their child has already added it to their growing wish list for Santa. Out of all the toys that were sent for review, the Let's Imagine Elmo was by far the favorite of everyone in attendance. I couldn't blame them, as I still love Elmo, too!
In addition to playing with the Let's Imagine Elmo from Playskool, the kids also got to play with Mr. Potato Head ‘Transformers Mixable, Mashable Heroes Optimus Prime and Grimlock toys.
(Ages 2 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $14.99/Available: Now)
"Optimus Prime spud partners up with Grimlock spud to battle the Decepticons! Squeeze the Grimlock figure's eyes and watch as his jaw chomps and launches a projectile! Includes one two-inch potato body and three pieces to construct Optimus Prime spud and one four-inch potato body with parts and pieces to construct Grimlock spud. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com."
While you would expect Transformers toys to be more popular with the boys, I was surprised to see my girls and their girl friends also enjoying playing with these Mr. Potato Head toys. The kids love making and destroying the spuds, as well as pretending to act out fight scenes between the different Transformers characters.
The only downside to this toy that the moms and I found, was that the pieces didn't stay in that well. We found ourselves struggling at times to put the pieces together and have them stay in place long enough for the kids to battle. But, even though we struggled, the kids didn't mind, and were even talking about getting more to add to their new collection. :-)
Also in attendance at my in-house Playskool were four little ones under the age of 2. I was excited to see that Playskool had included a toy especially for them to play with in the mix -- ‘Stack N’ Spin Monkey Gears’, to keep them engaged and busy, as the older kids got to play with their Transformers spuds.
Ages 9 months & up/Approx. Retail Price: $19.99/Available: Fall 14)
"Gear up for some silly fun! With the STACK ‘N SPIN MONKEY GEARS toy, little ones can build up the fun by placing colorful gears all around their monkey friend’s belly, hands, and feet. Once all the gears are set, press the central gear to make them turn, hear silly monkey music, and watch little lights twinkle! Kids’ sorting and stacking skills will be rewarded with this delightful visual experience! Requires three AA batteries. Demo batteries included. Available at most major toy retailers nationwide and on HasbroToyShop.com."
There was more giggling to be heard when I took the STACK ‘N SPIN MONKEY GEARS toys out to be played with. The little ones loved putting the gears on the monkey's belly and then watching them move and light up, as the music played.
The older kids came running from across the room to check out this toy, and thought it was neat, with the moving gears and being able to stack and sort the colors. I don't know about you, but my little ones love toys that light up and play music. Even if these toys are geared towards children younger than them, they still want to play. This is what I found with the kids at our party. They loved helping the little ones one, sorting the colors and pressing the buttons to watch the gears move. This is another toy I can see will be a hit this upcoming holiday season, for little ones.
Overall, I had a blast hosting the Playskool Let’s Imagine Elmo Party, and introducing the kids and their moms to these fun new toys from Playskool. My girls loved helping me play hostess, and surprising the party goers by telling them that they could take the Transformers spuds and STACK ‘N SPIN MONKEY GEARS toys home to keep. I see more party planing in their future!
So, whether your little one is spinning, tumbling, or giggling, the PLAYSKOOL core collection, which includes the toys I highlighted above, has something to make every little one smile! Each of their toys are perfect for little hands and specifically designed to enhance developmental skills through play. To learn more about these fun toys from Playskool, that will be popping up your kids' holiday wish lists, including the oh so cute Let’s Imagine Elmo, visit the Playskool website -- http://bit.ly/1qoqw5q.
Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign for Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Playskool. I received product samples to facilitate my party and review, and a promotional item to thank me for participating.
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