The Ultimate Playdate

I love playdates.  It’s a great opportunity for my little boy to hang out with other kids  Oh, and it’s wonderful having some adult converation!  What is your idea of the ultimate playdate?  For me, it would be in an enclosed play area (it’s so hot in Southern California) with lots of wiggle (ahem running) room and a little cafe with healthy (dare I say organic?) snacks and drinks.

I recently had an opportunity to visit the Mattel Headquarters in Los Angeles for a Blogger’s Playdate.  Ok, I have to admit… it was so cool…beyond cool!  Walking through the lobby, we were privvy to photos and product displays I am not allowed to post pictures of (sorry).  The playdate was set up in a room filled with some of latest toys from Mattel.  It was casual and a lot of fun for my son.  Most of the toys on display were a bit too old for him, but he did enjoy playing with the UNO Moo! and the Saucer Scramble.

UNO Moo! is fun and educational.  My son doesn’t fully understand the concept, but he does enjoy putting the animals back in the barn.  Just like in traditional UNO, the goal is to get rid of all of your animals (and place them in the barn).  Matching of colors and animals is the goal of the game.  The entire game also stores nicely in the barn (great for taking it places).  Retails for $19.99

My son was pretty fascinated by Saucer Scramble.  The goal is to catch as many flying saucers as possible before time runs out.  My son was not coordinated enough to use the handheld nets (it’s for children 5 and over) but he was in awe of the flying saucers.  Retails for $23.99

Mattel has also come out with Electronic Toss Across which is like a modern day tic tac toe, complete with lights and sounds (hubby and I actually like playing this); WHAC-A-MOLE which is a table-top version of the classic arcade game; and UCreate Music where children become the DJ, recording, mixing, and creating their own tracks.

The other highlight of the event was a screening of Hot Wheels Battle Force 5 Animated Series.  This series, which made it’s debut on August 29th, is an “eye-catching CGI animated show which follows an elite team of teenage drivers (called the Battle Force 5) and their super-cool, ultra-fast vehicles as they hit hyper speeds to break into inter-dimensional battle zones.”  It’s an exciting series, but definitely too old for my son.  My husband took him out at the beginning of the screening while I watched.  It was actually well done and exciting for the children who were old enough!

Here are some pictures from the event:

Profuse thanks to Mattel for allowing us to come “play!”