Hatchimals at Argos

My kids would love a pet, really my husband and I would really like one too but cost, time and space don't really allow for this to happen. I'm sure there are a lot of you are in the same position as us, but worry not because this Christmas you could be the owner of your very own Hatchimals. Available from Argos stores both on the highstreet and online, it is being hailed as one of the most exciting toys this year!

We were lucky enough to be sent our very own Hatchimals to play with and nurture. These interactive magical creatures are extremely innovative, with an amazing live hatch feature, the vibrant, speckled egg manages to capture a child's attention as soon as you open the box, well it certainly did with my girls anyway.

There are two species which you might receive, Pengulas and Draggles but all remains a mystery until they hatch out of there egg. The Pengulas come in either pink or teal and the Draggles come in either green and blue or purple.

As I mentioned earlier on, in order to start interacted with your Hatchimals you first need to help it hatch. This is such a unique idea. The toy responds to different actions ; rubbing, tapping, shaking and the colour of its eyes which you can see through the shell will change as its mood and needs change.

I'll admit the process of hatching took a while but was lovely to see was my children working together to make it happen and the time it took only made their excitement levels build. You can see the video over on my Facebook page which shows you part of the hatching process and also the video below of just how our Hatchimals develops. The toy is aimed at children aged 5+ but my daughters ages range from 4 up to 10 and they were all just as entertained as each other.

Once the shell begins to crack you get hints of what might be inside, flashes of the colour of the beak tapping on the shell. This actually was quite well timed as the previous week my girls had been watching ducklings hatch at school so they were already familiar with what might happen.

When our Hatchimals finally broke free it was revealed that we were now the proud owners of our very own Draggle which was swiftly named Kylie Emerald Hazelden. Now this is where the real fun begins.

The idea is that your Hatchimals comes out as a baby and your child/ren now needs to care for them, helping them to learn and grow, progressing from baby, to toddler to child themselves. You can teach them to walk, talk and play games, unbelievably cute and utterly hilarious when they repeat what you say back to you. 

Putting my parent hat on, I like that the toy comes complete with batteries, means it can be enjoyed immediately when opened. And I will also say that the batteries last well. Kylie has really become like the 7th member of our family. The kids have taken it turns to look after her, she sits at the dinner table, even watching the bake off with us.

I can see just why so many people were excited about the release of this toy. Superb entertainment not only for the kids but for the adults too. It is wonderfully interactive and really pushes the idea of learning through play as it teaches kids about both responsibility and team work. Priced at £59.99 it is a reasonable cost compared to a lot of the other must have Christmas toys this year, if you are considering buying one I'd get it ordered quickly!