I was slightly disturbed the other day to hear a small red creature declare his eternal love for me!
Great was my relief when I realized that I was not the only object of his affection. Indeed he seemed to be rather fond of just about anybody who took the trouble to gently press his right foot. I was, of course, looking at what is tipped to be this year’s hottest toy: Elmo Live.
The little red Muppet from Sesame Street has indeed come a long way. In his latest incarnation his toy version went from being a soft toy with an annoying laugh to a little robot capable of a range of movements. Added to that, are some great stories, songs and jokes.
I actually found Elmo Live to be a little disconcerting since it almost seemed like I was confronted with the real (now there’s an interesting concept) Elmo. His head and mouth moves in very realistic ways when speaking. He can also wave his arms, sit, stand and cross his legs. All of this is done in a highly interactive way that will have your kids in stitches.
Elmo Live‘s amazing interactivity and range of movement are made possible by four touch sensors (foot, tummy, back and nose), and a tilt sensor which means that Elmo ‘knows’ when it has fallen over. This must make it the first toy to ask for help in getting up and that then thanks you when you oblige!
I have two small criticisms, and a suggestion, to make about Elmo Live. Firstly, it is surprisingly heavy, making it perhaps slightly difficult to handle for smaller children. Secondly, the complex internal mechanisms mean that it is certainly not very huggable, even though it looks very cuddly from the outside. This might be a disappointment for very small children. I would, lastly, suggest that you keep plenty of batteries on hand should you decide to get Elmo Live. It takes six batteries and the fact that it moves around a lot means that they can get drained quite quickly.
You don’t need to be a seer to predict that Elmo Live will be quite a hit with kids this holiday season and stocks are likely to be limited. Some people have already started to profit from this fact by offering Elmo’s at inflated prices on Ebay. I would therefore advise you to get yours, if you want one, as soon as possible. If, on the other hand, you are not a big fan of cute dancing robots you should prepare for a few tough months ahead since Elmo is likely to be everywhere!