Mum Punteha and her eight year old daughter Amelia put the new Shimmerverse Pixlings doll and pet from Magic Mixies through it's paces to feed back on what it's like to play with and if it's worth your money.
If you're not familiar with the Magic Mixies offering, it's a range of mix and make toys that require your child to complete a series of engaging steps before magically revealing a special toy. These kinds of toys are best for children aged five and over (but do check the specific toy before you buy). Toys like this are not only super engaging for kids, but they'll also spark their imagination and help introduce them to the concept of delayed gratification.
One of the newest additions to the range is the Shimmerverse Pixlings doll and pet (it works in a similar way to the original Pixlings doll that we've reviewed previously). You might also like our review of another new addition to the range, the Pixie Supreme Magic Mirror.
Packaging and set up
"It came in a vertical plastic double-layered jar with a large screw-top plastic lid, and peel away plastic wrapping. There was no further external packaging," says Punteha. "The point of the jar was for a magic liquid potion to be added, and some steps follows before you open the lid up and remove the Pixling and her Pet, a 'Pegacorn' from it.
"Afterwards, there is no need to keep the jar and it is a sizeable amount of plastic to dispose of (30x17x16cm). It is unclear if this jar section can be recycled or not, but we have chosen to reuse ours to store craft items in so the plastic doesn't immediately go to waste.
In the box, you get:
- The Pixling doll
- The Pegacorn pet (it's half pegasus, half unicorn)
- Potion ingredients including colour liquid, fizzing moon rock, and dissolvable paper shapes
- A collectors guide and instruction manual
What's the play experience like?
Punteha says: "It definitely kept my daughter's interest as it was unusual, unique, and fun to do." As you mix the potion ingredients together in the bottle (you will need to add a bit of water), they combine to create a mystical (and shimmery) navy blue potion. Then as you say the magical words 'Magicus Mixus', you press and trist the gem on the top of the bottle and watch at the dark liquid turns clear, and reveals the doll and her pet in the centre of the bottle. Don't worry, they're kept away from the potion liquid, so they're not all soggy when you get them out. Punteha adds: "I lost count of the number of times Amelia shouted, 'Cool!' throughout the process. She really was in awe at various points and I can't blame her. The toy is seriously cool."
However, for the reveal part of this toy, adult supervision may be required as there are multiple steps to follow and it may get a little messy. as Punteha explains: "Though my daughter can read very well (she is a free reader at school), she was not able to follow the steps without supervision. There was a certain amount of stiffness to the toy's lid as well which took adult supervision. An older child may well be able to do it alone but I wonder at what age a child may no longer be interested in this. We needed scissors to open the liquid magic potions, a tray to capture the liquid mess, and paper towels to clear up the spills.
"I thought it would have less steps and be simpler to setup and use. As a parent who has a full-on job, chronic pain and limited energy, having to take my child through more than a dozen steps, many of which were messy and not possible to complete without supervision, this toy was harder to get going on than expected.
"It's also not a quick process. Be prepared to spend around 45 minutes working through the steps. You have to unbox, read the instructions and not all of them will make sense until you're at the step itself. It is not entirely intuitive and some of the instructions are not as clear as I would have liked. It left room for error which resulted in bit of a mess where the adding of the liquid portion was concerned because while the twist top lid of the jar needs to be kept shut to stop the liquid spilling out, there is another separate twist function that mixes the potion together."
Once you've revealed the Pixling doll and her Pegacorn, they can be played with again and again, but the magic potion part is sadly a one time deal. But both the doll and the pegacorn are really engaging in their own right. They are incredibly detailed, posable and kids will love their other-worldliness. Punteha adds: "The doll quality is great as expected with lovely rainbow colored synthetic hair that doesn't immediately become a tangled mess!"
Is it worth the money?
Punteha definitely thinks this unique toy is worth the money, saying: "The disappearing potion element is fun for children and adults alike, and it's good value for money. The potion fun makes it a special experience to have with your child. My daughter had a lot of excitement throughout the various stages and really enjoyed playing with the items it came with. It would make a really lovely birthday or Christmas present and a nice thing to do together with a child.
"The potion is certainly a novelty and something interesting to do. It does feel a bit of a gimmicky feature but the toys it comes with are of good quality and you might expect to pay that much for a doll and her pet on their own, if not more, so with the magic potion elements added on, I think they are good value for money. A barbie horse I looked at alone was £30 recently, and a doll of this this size and quality, you can easily expect to pay at least £20 for.
Overall, both Punteha and Amelia were big fans of the toy, despite the fact it got a little messy. "I had no idea what type of 'magic' the potion element would involve and was impressed by the mystical nature of it all. The way the inky potion cleared in the outer layer of the jar was unique and impressive and I still haven't figured out how that worked!"
