They're the must-have Christmas toy no one can get their hands on. But, according to one mum's honest review of the Hatchimal, if you haven't managed to track one down, it might be for the best.
Writing on her Facebook page, UK mother Mary Myerscough shared her thoughts on her seven-year-old daughter's new Hatchimal – and she didn't hold back.
For the uninitiated, Hatchimals are cute fluffy creatures, which begin their life in a spotted egg. The eggs need "love and care" in order to hatch – as well as plenty of "play time". Their eyes even change colour to reflect their moods –light blue means they're cold, red eyes mean they're upset, while orange eyes mean they need burping. And that's just to name a few …
When the Hatchimal is ready to hatch – a "once in a life-time experience" after singing "Hatchi-Birthday" kids then care for their new friend though their various stages of development. But Ms Myerscough is not impressed.
"All I'm seeing is parents desperate to get their hands on one," Ms Myerscough wrote. "This one is 1 week old and has been played with for a few hours."
The mum described that the "best bit" was watching the toy hatch, adding "then we had to break it out as it wasn't working". The Hatchimal, she continued, grew up from being a baby to "fully grown" in just a few hours – and "it doesn't talk". Instead, the fluffy creature simply records the child's voice and plays it back.
In addition, Ms Myerscough described that the Hatchimal only has a few games that are "boring and once played they don't want to play again." All that's left, she wrote, is feeding it, stroking it when it gets cold and patting its head if it gets scared.
"Also," she added, " once you take it out of the box it starts hatching takes around 20 mins to an hour so make sure your children are ready to sit with it and help it hatch."
The mum concluded her review by declaring that overall, the Hatchimal "wasn't worth the money".
Ms Myerscough's post has been shared a whopping 65,000 times as of Friday morning and has attracted almost 40,000 comments – many parents thanking the mum for her candour.
Others shared similar experiences with the toy, one commenter writing, "Completely agree, we got my 8-year-old one, she played with it the day we got it and hasn't touched it since. Definitely not worth the price."
The reviews, although scathing, are not likely to impact on sales of the "must-have" toy.
While some lucky customers have managed to find a fluffy friend in time for Christmas –with only four weeks to go, they're now virtually sold out.
And, while Hatchimals usually retail for $70, they're currently listed on eBay for up to $400.
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