Playskool #ImagineWithElmo Playdate ~ Review

**I wrote this review while participating in a campaign forMom Central Consulting on behalf of Playskool. I received product samples to facilitate my party and review, and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

With the temps beginning to get colder, I am already preparing myself for winter and being cooped up in the house. As a mom of young, active kids, I am always looking for fun options to fill our day...especially this time of year! It's important to me to find things to keep my kids stimulated and learning, while being able to interact with other children as well. That's why I was excited when given the fun opportunity to host a playdate with some friends.

Our playdate's primary purpose was to introduce the new Let's Imagine Elmo toy, as well as give the kids at the party a chance to enjoy complimentary toys from Playskool like the Transformers Mixable, Mashable Heroes Optimus Prime and Grimlock and Stack 'N Spin Monkey Gears toy. 

We were sent these toys, along hats, "when I grow up I imagine I'll be..." stickers, etc. I was so excited to get the playdate planned out, so I went to store to pick up some goodies. Since Elmo was our focus, I wanted to get some red items (the red bag of chip/cracker mix), grapes, and of course....red cups with Elmo faces!! 

When the kids arrived, they were super excited to see all of this displayed on the table...and couldn't wait to get their hands on Elmo! Right away they decided to each take turns with the fun hats too!

I thought I'd keep them on their toes, by eating a little snack/lunch first and then introducing Elmo and the other toys in more detail. Needless to say, I think the Elmo cups were their favorite part of the meal!!

Once everyone was done eating, we were all super excited to check out the Playskool toys. Displayed on the middle of the table, Elmo was especially intriguing and the kids (as well as their parents) absolutely loved him! 

Let's Imagine Elmo comes with three different hats that unlock different imaginary themes and play modes: Prince, Cowboy and Sea Captain. My kids really loved the Sea Captain, but many of our guests liked the Cowboy because if you bounce Elmo, it sounds like he's on a horse. So CUTE!!! Place the crown on Elmo to play a game of Prince Elmo Says, the Cowboy hat to learn numbers in the Countin' Cowboy game, and more!

As we put a different hat on Elmo, the kids enjoyed coming up with their own imaginative stories to tell. And even for those who can't talk yet...Elmo was a HUGE hit!! This little guy was all smiles when Elmo talked to him. I would definitely encourage you to learn more about him on the Playskool website!

Once we had spent a long time checking out Elmo and all of his fun features, the kids were tickled to learn that they were going to get the opportunity to check out the other interactive toys and take them home!!

The boys were especially drawn to the Transformers Mixable, Mashable Heroes Optimus Prime and Grimlock toys. They enjoyed taking them apart and putting them back together again. I think the mini Mr. Potato Head was their favorite part. They all commented on how 'cool' he is! They can even Squeeze the Grimlock figure's eyes and watch as his jaw chomps and launches a projectile! 

What's fun about this toy is that they could put them together really however they wanted. Not to mention, play with them however they wanted too. They created their own stories for what their toy was doing, and were able to play together at the same time. It was really fun to watch!

The girls, and the younger ones LOVED the Stack 'N Spin Monkey Gears toy! This is seriously such a cute, simple toy for little ones. I love that it encourages fine motor skills, colors and of course, cause and effect. Once the gears are in place, a button can be pushed to get them to rotate together and light up. It's a very fun toy, and one I plan to get for both of my nieces who turn one soon. Seeing how much our friends loved this toy, I know my nieces will love it just as much!

We had such a fun time at our playdate, and all of the kids and parents were thrilled to learn of these fun Playskool toys! Let's Imagine Elmo was a HUGE hit and a very welcomed guest at the party. Whether your little one is spinning, tumbling, or giggling, the Playskool core collection has something to make every little one smile! Perfect for little hands and specifically designed to enhance developmental skills through play, parents and children alike will love the 2014 Playskool collection featuring these fun and loveable characters. Having had the opportunity to try out a few, I know these and others will make wonderful gift ideas for other parents with little ones this year!

Buy It: The three toys we had the opportunity to review during our playdate can be purchased at HasbroToyShop.com.