Zhu Zhu Pets! - Review and Giveaway- Closed

on October 01, 2009

This was a very fun review to do- I really like these toys! Zhu Zhu Pets are a new line of virtual pets hitting the shelves this fall, and would make great gifts for children this holiday season. They are little hamsters, and basically have all the benefits of a pet, without the drawbacks.

Why I ♥love♥ Zhu Zhu Pets:

* They are so darned cute!
* They run around like real hamsters, they make noises like real hamsters, they play like real hamsters, but they don't smell like real hamsters!
* No feeding or cleaning required.
* They are easy to play with...they have on/off buttons to activate explore mode (they run around randomly, squeaking and spinning), or nurture mode (they chatter and squeak without running off on you), and when they bump into something, a little button on their cute nose activates a sound response, like "Uh-oh" or "Achoo!"
* They have special modes (artificial intelligence) for different playsets (depending on what accessories you buy) that are activated upon entering, to navigate around.
* Children love them.

Zhu Zhu Pets currently come in four different colors, and batteries are included, so your child is ready for fun right out of the box. Buy the hamster village (sold separately in parts, you can buy it all or just the parts you like best) and you have a virtual pet that will entertain your child endlessly as it runs around its hamster home or drives its hamster car.

I was sent eleven Zhu Zhu Pets and seven accessory add-ons by MomSelect to organize a Zhu Zhu Pets party and make our own hamster city. Every child loved them and had a great time playing with their own Zhu Zhu Pet, watching it run around and navigate its hamster city, or running around the house. The adults were impressed too. It is surprising how far toys have come, and we are just so impressed with how interactive, entertaining, and high quality the Zhu Zhu Pets are. Some of the favorite add-ons of the children were the hamster wheel, skateboard, and spiral slide. For me, one of the best aspects of the add-ons were how all the children played together, building it (with adult help) in a layout they liked, working together, and then playing together as they watched their pets go...they loved watching them run around, randomly entering and playing in different parts of the Hamster Village. One of our little party guests just kept wanting to hold and cuddle hers:

and they were all very happy to have such a great toy to take home with them.

From their web-site:
Zhu Zhu Pets are the world’s first innovative, realistic, interactive, plush, and artificially intelligent hamsters that talk and move around in their own playsets. Zhu Zhu Pets include two play modes: nurturing mode where the hamsters coo and purr, and adventure mode where the hamsters explore their habitat with intelligent audio and mechanical responses to various habitat stimuli. Over a dozen add-ons can be purchased to build an ever-evolving hamsterworld for your hamsters to play in and explore. Zhu Zhu Pets are the newest craze among kids and expected to be the most popular toy of the year!

Buy it! Zhu Zhu Pets can be found at Walmart, Toys R Us, and Amazon.com.

Win it! A follower of Penelope's Oasis will have a chance to win their choice of Zhu Zhu Pet...simply tell me which you would choose. Don't forget to leave an email address. Contest open to followers only.

Extra entries (only count if you are a blog follower):

1. Follow us on twitter and tweet about this giveaway, or email this giveaway to others (cc: PenelopesOasis@yahoo.com) for one extra entry per person.

2. Blog about this giveaway for two extra entries and leave a link to the blog post.

3. For three extra entries each, subscribe via email and/or grab my cute button, and leave a link to your blog.

Contest ends November 2nd, 2009 at 8 AM EST. Open to the continental US only. Winner has 24 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. Good luck!

*** Special thanks to Amy at BSM Media for contacting me to participate in such a fun review! I really enjoyed participating and being able to have a Zhu Zhu Pets party. ***

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/2