Have you heard about the Hatchimal? Right after Halloween, my sister, Carol, texted me telling me that we MUST get Hatchimals for all of the kids this year. I said, Hatchi-what? Then, I started seeing article after about this latest Christmas toy craze.
As Telegraph states, “In 1960 it was the Etch-a-Sketch, in 1991 the Gameboy, in 2010 the Jet Pack Buzz Lightyear, and in 2015 the Star Wars Kylo Ren Command Shuttle. And now, in 2016, the year’s top selling Christmas toy looks set to be – drum roll please – the Hatchimal.”
Of course, we can all remember these hot Christmas toys, too, like Tickle-Me-Elmo, Teddy Ruxpin, Cabbage Patch Kids and Furby.
So what is a Hatchimal? Coming in five different “species,” it’s a little animal that lives inside an egg. The more you play with the egg and take care of it, the sooner the egg cracks and the animal appears. (It’s ready to hatch usually after 30 minutes of continuous play.) What’s unprecedented about this is that there’s never been a toy that could hatch on its own. It also features touch technology so that when you tap on it, the Hatchimal taps back or when you stroke the top or bottom, it lights up and makes sounds. That’s not the end of it though. Once it’s out of the egg, the Hatchimal is raised through three different stages of life: baby, toddler and child. It even sings its own rendition of Happy Birthday as it passes through each stage. While playing with it, a child teaches the Hatchimal how to walk, dance, play games and repeat words. Think of it as a souped up Tamagotchi. Can you believe it’s been 20 years since that toy’s debut? (Wow, do I feel old.)
It’s pretty much sold out everywhere but you can find it on Amazon from third party sellers or on Ebay. (The suggested retail price is $59.99, but most are going for $200-$500 on internet resale sites.) The most coveted one is the “Owlicorn” Hatchimal, which is selling for over $200 on eBay. At the beginning of this month, Carol snatched up eight of them at once at Barnes and Noble. She’s always on the cusp of what’s cool!
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