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From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Christmas

hexbugs are they worth it?

17 replies

OnTheGoodList · 30/10/2012 20:10

considering getting these for ds age 6 because hes taking a liking to little plastic bugs, halloween and all that so ones that move should blow his mind lol seen a set with two nanos for £12.50 are they worth buying?

OP posts:

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Llareggub · 30/10/2012 20:16

If my DS is anything to go by, no. They had copies in the pound shop last year which are pretty similar to be honest. I bought my DS the whole shebang last year and he has barely played with it.

OnTheGoodList · 30/10/2012 21:40

oh really, maybe wont bother then i hate wasting money. thanks

OP posts:

HappyAsEyeAm · 30/10/2012 21:49

I posted a month or so ago in Chat, as I was thinking of buying them for Christmas for nearly 5yo DS1. I got some encouraging feedback, so I have bought some for him for Christmas. The set I got is on offer in The Entertainer, down to £20. The individual Hexbugs are down to £5 each there too.

sheeplikessleep · 30/10/2012 21:50

Disagree here.
DS1 just turned 5 and had the set for his birthday a couple of weeks ago. Both he and his little brother have spent hours, and I mean hours, watching them go around.
However, the parts aren't that sturdy (we've built it 3 'times' so far in different set ups and it's visible where the join is beginning to 'show').
But then both DSs love watching trains go around too on their trainsets.
I think if your DS is into trains, then yes he'd like it.
Oh and batteries on ours are already going!
They give me the jeebies though, the way they scuttle is so lifelike

incywincyspideragain · 30/10/2012 21:51

ds1 had some for his 5th birthday - one small set and 3 hex bugs, likes them and they are still played with - wouldn't go crazy but a good novelty

sheeplikessleep · 30/10/2012 21:51

We are buying more for DS for Christmas too to extend the track.
And my DSis told me about the bugs in Poundland too (and they fit in the track).

Pancakeflipper · 30/10/2012 21:52

My 7yr old has had a Hexbug for 2 yrs and he still loves the little critter. I have bought him a set thingy that was on offer for Christmas.

And oddly enough he is huge train fan and often found with his Hornby.

Sulfur · 30/10/2012 21:53

We got these last Christmas, and I don't think they have been played with in 2012.

Lizzylou · 30/10/2012 21:58

NO!!!
Few weeks of fun (so spent christmas money on extra sets) and then...nowt all year.
Such a good idea but the batteries die so quick and the fun value is very limited.
My boys were 5 and 7 last Christmas.

Pancakeflipper · 30/10/2012 22:01

We have yet to change the battery in ours

PeanutButterOnly · 30/10/2012 22:36

Novelty yes but there's not much imaginative play value.

DewDr0p · 30/10/2012 23:18

My 3 all got Hexbug Nano sets for their birthdays (8 6 and 5) - so between them they have quite a bit of it - and they love them. I think you need a reasonable amount of "track" to make it interesting and can build different combos.

They quite often use it as a space station for their Star Wars fighter pod figures

NoSoggyBottoms · 30/10/2012 23:26

Was considering these for DS who is 11. Having a look at the other posts saying that your DC's are 5-8, thinking they may be too young for him!

ChippingInLovesAutumn · 30/10/2012 23:38

I got these for a friends little boy for his birthday - I got the 'hive' as it folds up fairly small and is self contained and has some fun features link here and another Hex bug.

He and his sister play with it loads still (they've had it almost a year now). I also bought a pack of batteries on eBay - something like £5 for 100 as buying them in small packets is a bit expensive & I hate giving gifts that parents then have to pay out for the kids to use.

On the other hand, another friends little boy hardly plays with his - but it's quite a big set so has to be packed away all the time (not just folded up) and he had a younger brother so it has to be moved out of his reach all the time... so more trouble than it's worth for a 4 yo I think!

So, I think it can depend a lot of those types of things whether they get used much or not. They're quite addictive little buggers to watch, even though you know they're battery operated

If you buy additional bugs, just make sure they're the small ones. They do bigger ones which are fun too, but they don't fit the play things.

ChippingInLovesAutumn · 30/10/2012 23:40

NSB - no I think they're fine for 11 year olds as well they're quite good for 40 year olds as it happens they just play a bit differently with them.

NoSoggyBottoms · 30/10/2012 23:49

Thanks ChippingInLovesAutumn. Concerned it could be one of those toys that will get played with for 5 mins. Nothing beats the Xbox/laptop

Worth an investigation for cheapo ones in poundshop though!

ChippingInLovesAutumn · 30/10/2012 23:54

Yeah - cheapo ones in pound shop would be fine too if he's creative with them. You need somewhere for them to 'play' that's hard and has things for them to bounce off and either go up or go around (have a look at my link and you'll understand what I mean if you don't know what they're like). If he'll have fun making 'an environment' for them, then just the bugs is fine.

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