A new addition to the collectible mini figure market, Crashlings are “meteor mutants from outer space.” There are over 150 of the tiny plastic figures to collect, divided into five categories: dinosaurs, insects, aliens, monsters and sea life. We got to take a peek at a 10-pack of the Alien series.
The 10-pack of Crashlings came with 10, 1-inch tall mini-figures (all were different characters from the series, no repeats), four hard plastic meteors for hiding/transporting the figures, two soft plastic “popping” meteors, and a poster of the entire Crashlings collection. Each little alien has a name and a biography which can be found on the official Crashlings website. My son was very interested in looking each one of them up to have their official name. They are painted with bright colors and each have unique features (crazy eyes, big teeth, etc.).He played with the aliens for quite some time, creating imaginative scenarios and taking turns putting each one inside a hard shell meteor.
Next he wanted to check out the soft plastic meteors (a large 4-inch and a small 2-inch), that are “poppers.” It took a bit of working the plastic to get them to work, but my son enjoyed them after that. When the half-circle meteors are turned inside out and placed on a flat surface, they pop up in the air. My son was amazed at how they would “come alive” and pop up in the sky. The large meteor was able to pop up about 3-4 feet in the air, though it was very hard for his little hands to manipulate. Finally we checked out the poster of the entire Crashlings collection, the “Crash-Tonomy Chart.” Thanks a lot, Crashlings, now my son is under the impression he needs all 150 characters!
My son did enjoy the Crashlings, but after a week they were put away in a drawer and have not been touched. He is on the young side of the recommended 5+ age range, so perhaps an older child would enjoy collecting specific sets of Crashlings. I can see the different lines appealing to children who love specific things like dinosaurs or monsters, for example. The packaging hides the creatures, adding to the element of surprise and suspense as to which Crashlings you will get.
As a mom, I see these collectables on the same level as those little toys your child always wants out of the plastic egg vending machines. They are a bit better quality, but also come with a slightly higher price tag (though not unreasonable.) The Crashlings are available in packs of one, four and 10 at Toys R Us and Amazon.com. The single packs could potentially make great holiday stocking stuffers.
There are also two playsets, a spaceship and a space city, that provide additional ways to play with the mini plastic aliens. With a young toddler in our household, I am not in a rush to add to our collection due to their small size, but my son plays with these when his sister is napping and keeps them in a special box that is out of her reach.
Crashlings 10 Pack – Aliens
Manufactured by Wicked Cool Toys
Available at Toys R Us (www.toysrus.com), Amazon (www.amazon.com)
$11.99
Appealed to the advertised age range: 4
Instructions were easy to follow: 3
My child played with this multiple times: 3
Small pieces were a problem: Yes
Messy: No
Would travel well: No
Durability: 3
I would purchase this for my family: No
I would purchase this as a gift: No
Overall rating: 3
Christy Petrak is a systems engineer currently taking a leave of absence to raise her two children, Thomas (4 years) and Eliza (1 year). She enjoys spending time with her family, swimming and baking/decorating cupcakes.
