Needless to say, I couldn't resist pulling his tongue. So here he is, none other than a Crate Creatures Surprise called Sizzle.
These ferocious new friends are truly awesome. I love that they come in their own little crate, ready to be unboxed. These toys are oozing personality with their grizzly exterior of ferocious fuzz, squirting snot, glowing eyes and growling noises. The good news is they are big softies really and endear themselves to you and all who encounter them.
Crate Creatures Unboxed
So what exactly are Crate Creatures Surprise and where do they come from? The story goes that these little guys were lured into crates using their favorite treats and the only way to release them is to crank out the crowbar and unlock the crate.
There are four different Crate Creature Surprise characters in the range including Blizz, Pudge, Snorthog and Sizzle. Each little beastie comes with a favourite tasty snack of their choice and they all make over 45 ghastly noises in response to various actions such as feeding them which leads to chomping, chewing sounds. The part that my three kids love the most though, is their ability to record your voice and repeat it back monster-style.
Meet Sizzle
Sizzle is a fire-breathing dragon with a temper to match. Green in color with a crazy fuzzy orange beard, horns, spiky teeth and sticking out tongue he makes quite a first impression.
I decided to leave the Crate Creature on the lounge floor waiting to be discovered by the kids which added to the excitement. Of course, like me, they ignored the warning and pulled Sizzle's tongue immediately, Zoey jumped and the boys laughed. They quickly figured out that they needed to use the crowbar to smash him out of his crate and out Sizzle popped.
I like this idea of reusable packaging, it makes a nice change from me having to wrestle with plastic packaging and twisty wire while impatient little people wait to get their hands on the toy inside. Plus it is the perfect place to pop Sizzle back in to keep him quiet when playtime is done for the day.
The kids quickly figured out the features from the packaging and decided to try feeding Sizzle his marshmallow snack which had everyone in fits of giggles at his slobbery chewing noises. Then it was time to test out another feature by squeezing his tail which made his wings flap, our little Sizzle was coming more lifelike by the second. All the sounds this little guy makes whether he is upside down, knocked over or lying down are hilarious and seemingly endless. Between his incomprehensible gibberish and roars, not to mention his frenzied shaking with rage, he is a little bundle of personality. The kids loved taking turns pressing his tummy and recording their own messages which he roared back scary-monster-style. Perhaps when I get fed up of asking them to wash their teeth for the eleven-millionth time I should just grab Sizzle and let him scare them into action.
Where to Buy
Crate Creatures Surprise (RRP £39.99) are available to purchase from Smyths Toys and are suitable for ages 3+.
My kids love Sizzle so much they want to get him a buddy, Zoey loves the look of Blizz, the ice monster and the boys like the look of Snorthog. Why do I get the feeling we may have requests for the whole collection by Christmas?
*Disclaimer: I was sent a Crate Creature Surprise for review. All views and opinions are my own and unbiased.
