Larva HEXBUG Review & Giveaway!

*review by Janelle P.
       (also blogging now at Mother Necessity!)

HEXBUGs are all the rage with kids these days. I had seen them in the store, but didn’t really know much about them.

I requested the Larva HEXBUG as it seemed the most appropriate bug for my 14 month old (the one with the least moving parts!). They are recommended for children age 8 and older, but we were able to play with the Larva together very safely.

HEXBUGs are robotic creatures made to mimic real-life bug movements and give children “a positive experience with robotics at an early age”.  I must say they have met their goals, especially the life-like part.

We received a orange and a green Larva HEXBUG along with some extra batteries. I decided to try these out after Angelo went to bed because I was curious what they would do. I almost screamed and probably would have if Angelo wasn’t in bed already! They actually move like real worms! Don’t believe me? Check out their video!

I would have to say worms in any form are one of my least favorite bugs to come in contact with. I actually had to work up the courage to pick the Larva up and turn it off. I’m pretty certain most 5-7+ year olds fascinated with bugs will love and adore HEXBUGs. In fact, I’m pretty sure I would have loved them when I was that age (I collected worms then- my, how the tables have turned).

I was impressed with how fast they move, and that they work on carpet and hard surfaces. The Larva does exactly what it says it should: it wiggles and slithers and avoids obstacles without needing to touch them.

 

I tried them out with Angelo. I was curious to see what he would think given he doesn’t have much experience with bugs yet. First, I let him hold and play with them while they were turned off. He like that and examined them closely.

Then, I turned one on and let it go. At first he was interested but very alert (the bug moves pretty fast). Then he looked at me, and I’m pretty sure he saw me squirming when the bug came toward me. He decided he was done.

I tried again later in a larger area and made myself pretend they were cute fun little creatures and no big deal. He was wary of them at first but relaxed pretty quickly. I almost got him to pick one up, but he decided no go at the last second.

All in all, I think the Larva bug works great as I’m sure all the HEXBUGs do. It’s definitely realistic, well made, and icky! I would recommend them for kids a bit older than Angelo, especially those bug collector and robot crazed types. I’m sure we’ll end up with more of these creepy crawlies when Angelo gets a bit older.

Connect with HEXBUG on Facebook and Twitter!

*Please note that the Larva HEXBUG is recommended by HEXBUG for children ages 8 years and older. Younger children should be closely supervised by an adult at all times.

 HEXBUG is generously giving one lucky Mama Chocolate reader their very own Larva HEXBUG!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Share and Enjoy:

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Tagged as: giveaways, reviews, toys