Courtesy of MomSelect, I was able to recently host a Hexbug Nano party for my kids and a few of their friends. Logan, having already been somewhat familiar with the
Hexbug Originals, was especially anxious for the day to arrive when he could play with the miniature version.
Hexbug Nanos are small, robotic creatures that resemble bugs. They skitter around and vibrate when turned on. They are packaged individually in tubes and a code is included to register your Nano online to play games and learn about science. Hexbug Nanos can be purchased individually. Habitat sets can also be purchased separately to make playing with your
Hexbug Nano even more fun. The Habitat Sets include two Nano specimens that are considered rare.
About an hour and a half before the party was to begin, Jason took on the task of assembling the habitat sets. At first, he was apprehensive about putting them together. There seemed to be a lot of assembly and he was afraid that it would take a lot of time or be frustrating to piece. Even with having to put pieces together for a party of eleven children, it didn't seem to take much time and Jason said it wasn't hard to put together at all. Curved bridges, straight bridges, and cells can be customized to the child's liking. There are many different ways to build the habitat sets.
Logan and Adam have built their habitat sets in various ways and they've had no problem clicking the pieces together. There's few things more frustrating to a kid when playsets fall apart or slide around when in use. I noticed that the habitat sets don't come apart or shift around much during play.
With eleven children and a handful of adults in attendance, I explained what Hexbug Nanos were and how they work. I also emphasized to the kids that the paper inside the tube has a code to register online. I can see how it might be interpreted as trash and possibly thrown away.
After the presentation, each kid was allowed the opportunity to play with the large habitat set. They also each received two Hexbug Nanos of their own, along with an individual cell. Hexbug Nanos come in a variety of colors, including purple and pink, so girls can get in on the action.
Orange tabs are on each Habitat Cell so they can be closed to keep the Nanos from getting out or be opened to attach other pieces. The Hexbug Nano creatures move around in the cells and go through tunnels or down slides. The plus about Hexbug Nanos is that they flip back over on their own if they get turned upside down. It was a rarity when a kid had to push one along to get it in the right direction.
Special batteries can be purchased separately so they can be played with time and time again. My kids have played with their Hexbug Nanos for quite some time now and have yet to replace the batteries.
Hexbug Nanos have become a phenomenon at camp. The party started in the evening and kids were still playing with it into the night. Logan and Adam toted their Habitat Sets with them everywhere they went at camp. Kids who didn't attend the party were playing with it, and parents were either asking me or calling me wanting to know where they could get these. One parent even called from Wal-Mart wanting to know if she could find them there. It is my understanding that Wal-Mart does carry them, but the one in our area doesn't yet.
Kids as young as three to teenagers as old as sixteen were playing for hours with the Hexbug Nanos. Adults were even battling the kids in games to determine whose Hexbug Nano was the best.
My husband rarely comments about toys and could care less about them. It's my sole duty to do the holiday and birthday shopping for them. I was surprised when even he said that these are the next "hottest toy of the year" and will be a "big hit".
I have received nothing but positive feedback from the party about Hexbug Nanos. The only suggestion that I can come up with, and it's one of my own, is that a special carrying case or tote be made to store and carry the Habitat Sets in. Logan and Adam have carried theirs around and it has yet to fall apart, but it's bulky and cumbersome to take along that way.
Win It!One person will win the two Hexbug Nanos shown above.
Mandatory Entry:Leave a comment with something you learned at
Hexbug OR another version of Hexbug that you like.
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Leave a separate comment for each entry and include your email address in the comments. Giveaway is open to residents of the USA.
Giveaway ends 10/6/10 at 8 pm CST. Winner will be randomly drawn and will have 48 hrs. to respond to email notification or a new winner will be drawn.
I received products for review from Hexbug on behalf of MomSelect. The opinions within this post are of my own and I was not influenced in any way. Please do your own research before purchasing products. Your opinions and results may differ.
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