Zhu Zhu Pets Review

ABOUT ZHU ZHU PETS:
Zhu Zhu Pets (previously named GoGo Pets) are the newest toy craze and there are so many reasons why. They are cute furry hamsters without the mess, smell, and reoccurring costs (just batteries every now and then).

They currently have 4 hamsters although the pictures on some of the boxes shows a total of 9. Each Zhu Zhu hamster has its own unique personality and whimsical sounds! Chunk is the white one with a sun design on his back. He loves to surf (one of the items our habitrail came with was a surf board). Pipsqueak is the yellow one with the star on her back. She is a little dare devil that is afraid of nothing even though she is sweet and small. Squiggles is the tan one with a squiggle on his back. He is fussy, finicky and loves to explore. He has been there, done that and is still here to tell about it. NumNums is gray with a heart on her back. She loves to eat and has a great sense of smell for those munchies she goes after.

All the hamsters have three modes: Pet them (press the button on their heads) to get the hamsters in Loving/Talk Mode then you will hear them squeak, coo, chirp, and chatter. Press the back button for the Explore Mode and watch them scoot, scamper, bump & boogie across the floor or through their hamster habitat. The hamsters will automatically go to Sleep Mode after a certain amount of time depending upon what it is doing. You can also do this manually by pressing on the back button again after it has been engaged.


MY THOUGHTS:
We received the Zhu Zhu Pets Party Pak which included: 11 Zhu Zhu hamsters (most to give away to the guests), a complete hamster "habitrail" (including: giant hamster fun house, surfboard & sleep dome, sk8board and u-turn, hamster wheel & tunnels, hamstermobile & garage, spiral slide & ramp, and adventure ball), themed games and activities, and easy-to-make recipes. My boys were so excited! We set a date for our Zhu Zhu Pets in-home party and since my son Delbin had a birthday in September we combined the two and had the party on the 26th. Delbin invited all of his friends and we had a great turnout.

We also made all the recipes they suggested we make for the party. All were a hit especially the fruit kabobs which were gone in a matter of minutes. Here they all are in case you want to try them out too:

Chunk's Chunky Chicken Salad
Even Chunk, the hamster with attitude, won't pass up this tasty and healthy treat! Serve with wheat bread or crackers for a super-healthy snack.

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed (or 2 cans chicken)
2 tbsp. Mayonnaise
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped celery
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, mix chicken with mayonnaise, lemon juice, and celery. Variations: Add 1 apple or 1 cup halved grapes to spruce up this salad.

NumNum's Yummy Fruit Kabobs
Like NumNum, the hamster who loves to eat, your little ones will love putting together this sweet and healthy treat.

1 cup cubed apples
1 cup grapes
1 cup cubed pineapple
1 cup strawberries
1 cup mini-marshmallows
wooden skewers

Place each ingredient in a small dish and let your child create their own delicious and nutritious kabob. Makes approx. 4 kabobs.

Pipsqueak's Sweet Trail Mix
Pipsqueak, the sweetest of them all, loves dried fruits and nuts, and your kids will love the chocolate treat. Even sweeter when the kids get to help!

3 cups pretzel sticks
1/2 cup peanuts (lightly salted)
1 1/2 cups corn cereal
1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
12 oz. white chocolate

In a large bowl, combine pretzels, peanuts, cereal, and dried fruit. In a smaller bowl, melt the white chocolate in the microwave or melt it on the stove top (times vary, see package directions). Slowly pour the melted chocolate over the dry mix and gently stir to coat dry mix. Transfer mix to waxed paper to cool; about 20 minutes. Break mix into bite-sized pieces and enjoy! Makes approx. 10 cups.

We played a sort of a race the hamster game. While the hamsters raced some had to be rescued from getting stuck and also turned over on their side. Some of them had a difficult time getting up the tube to the slide needing an little nudge to get them the rest of the way and one turned its exploring mode off every time it reached a certain point up it. Besides the cute hamster noises they also make mooing and crowing noises of which I did not know why. Then we played a game I used to play at my parties as a child called "Fruit Basket Turnover". The party was a big hit! After it was over we handed out the extra Zhu Zhu hamsters and some stayed to play with the habitrail for a while longer. A word of caution: one girl at our party was playing with her hamster and accidentally got one wheel stuck in her long hair. The hamster wouldn't let go and we ended up having to cut it out. Thank goodness it wasn't a large amount of hair...just a small strand, but I would just be extra careful around anything that could get stuck in the wheels. My youngest, Teela, is 1 and a half and she thought they were funny and was giggling at them go around the maze, but she got a bit scared of their wheels when she decided to try and pick one up while it was still in motion. Despite the little quirks in the toys the kids were having a blast and after everyone went home my boys couldn't get enough of the hamsters and their hamster city. I highly recommend this toy for ages 4 and up (this age limit is also what is stated on the boxes)! Pick them up at your local Walmart, ToysRUs, or online at Amazon.com!



Thanks to MomSelect and BSM Media for this wonderful opportunity!