My Meebas
© 2008 Mattel, Inc.
Playing off the notion of a hidden surprise inside, My Meebas ($20 from Mattel) is a sealed plastic tube with small starfish-sized plush toy hidden inside. In order to get the the tube open, children must pick the lock by playing a sliding watch-sized LCD game that is mounted on the outside of the tube. The tubes come in six themes, and might hide any one of 60 different species of My Meebas inside. The LCD screen displays a character that grows as more games are played. Once it is fully developed, the tube pops open, releasing the toy inside. Unfortunately, we were never able to find out how long this takes, because our tester, an eight-year-old girl, gave the tube to her 14-year-old brother who pried the lid open with a screw driver. According to the website (www.mymeebas.everythinggirl.com), there are 20 games, with seven levels. While the idea is a good one, don't plan on hiding your jewelry inside the tube. Runs on two AAA batteries (included).
$20, Smart Toy
Teaches: collecting, logic