The Elmo

I can’t believe that it’s been almost 20 years since the original crazy “Tickle Me Elmo” craze! It was one of the original Black Friday toy deals that launched a thousand tales of people being trampled or getting into fights. Since then, manufacturers have been better about anticipating popularity (and stocking stores with enough product to meet demands), but the legend of Elmo will continue for years to come.

Elmo has remained popular among kids, and a new version of the puppet is usually released each holiday season. This year, the Playskool Sesame Street Let’s Imagine Elmo is getting rave reviews from parents and kids alike. This version of Elmo goes along with his “Elmo the Musical” segment on the show, Sesame Street. This Elmo encourages kids to trade out his cowboy, crown, and sea captain hats to enjoy hours of imaginative play. Each hat activates a new mode and prompt for new activities, with the “Prince Elmo Says” activity that prompts kids to tickle, bounce, or pinch his nose, the cowboy hat activates a counting game, and the sea captain sings a song and gets kids to guess animal noises.

He has soft arms and feet, but is more of an interactive plaything than a cuddly doll. He is meant to be durable, and can take drops without damage or malfunctioning. His mouth does move when he speaks, and users should remember to switch Elmo off to ensure slight noises do not reactivate any of his play modes during quiet times. 

Click here to learn more or buy Playskool Sesame Street Let’s Imagine Elmo at Amazon