Boys like cute and cuddly too

One of the fun things about review blogging is the chance to try out some of the hottest new products before most people do (sometimes even before they hit the shelf). One such opportunity was the Zhu Zhu Pet Party we hosted last September; it was a huge success, and in fact Zhu Zhu Pets went on to become the hottest toy for 2009. I'm the person who's known for saying DVD's and scooters wouldn't catch on, so it's nice to finally be right in predicting a trend for once.

A couple of months ago, MomSelect contacted me again and invited me to host another Zhu Zhu Pet party. This one was for Cepia LLC's latest toy, the Kung Zhu Pets, which are mild-mannered Zhu Zhu Pets with secret lives as ninjas or special forces. The kids and I were thrilled! 3Po and Jammy were extra-psyched because the toys and the party were decidedly more boy-themed, which meant they got to invite lots of their friends to try out the Kung Zhus and do battle.


As before, we received a gigantic box of toys -- enough Kung Zhu hamsters and armor for everyone on our guest list, as well as enough Kung Zhu playsets to form a gigantic training and battle ground for this action-loving group.


I had all sorts of extra activities planned -- paper plane flying contests, coloring crafts, Pin the Samurai Sword on the Kung Zhu -- but the boys and their guests only had eyes for the playsets, the vehicles and the battle arena. They barely even touched the snacks I made for them (and with my boys' appetites, that's saying a lot about the entertainment value of these pets) because they were so busy putting their hamsters into the battle arena and defeating the other hamsters (i.e. getting them to turn over).




Our back yard was filled with the sounds of boys mimicking explosions, gunfire, crashes and battle cries, mixed in with the Kung Zhu Pets chatter. It was delightful to watch the Kung Zhus scurrying around the playsets, being pushed here and shoved there by their excited little owners!

It was even more delightful to see these little boys playing with such cute and cuddly creatures in such a stereotypical "boy" way. It just goes to show you, boys can play with the same kinds of toys that girls play with -- just in a different way. That being said, 3Po did give his Kung Zhu a cuddle when he thought no one was looking :)



Thanks, MomSelect, for the opportunity to host such a fun party!


Want to find out more about Kung Zhu Pets? Read my Kung Zhu Pets review post.

Disclosure: MomSelect generously provided the toys for this party. I was not paid to review the product or give my opinions. Product information is provided by the featured company/product and is clearly indicated as such. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.