Holiday Gift Guide: WowWee Alive Minis

Last year the huge toy craze was the WowWee Animal Alive Cubs. Even I got into the swing of it, giving my son a White Tiger Cub. I’ve read several reviews on them, with a range of opinions. Personally, I loved it and still do after owning it for 11 months. It became my sons Lovey quickly and he named it Meow.

I was worried that the white fur would get dirty, since my little one is so messy. But the White Tiger Cub still looks and sounds great. We’ve only had to change it’s batteries once. I love the range of sounds he makes and he “falls asleep” after a few minutes – he will even snore. To “wake him up”, you just push a button on his ear. Then by petting it’s head, rubbing its belly or cuddling him in your arms will allow him to make many realistic noises.

You can hear the mechanics in these realistic, animatronic animals, but it is soft. Overall, my toddler LOVED it and I always kept an eye out for them at the store, thinking it would make a great gift for my nephews and niece. And throughout that time I saw new animals pop up in the WowWee Animal Alive Collection. You can choose from a lion, seal, koala, leopard, orange tiger, husky, panda and polar bear. They cost approximately $49.99.

If you want something with the same “Wow” factor but a lower cost, you’ll want to check out the WowWee Alive Minis. These are smaller versions of the Animal Alive Cubs, with a few less features. They look like newborn animals, and sound like them too! They have the same smart technology that let’s them know when they are picked up, they fall asleep when you leave them alone and you can “bottle feed” these little furballs. He’ll even make feeding noises, as well as open and close his eyes.

I had the chance to see the Leopard Mini up close. It could fit in the palm of my husband’s hands. It reminded me of my puppy when I first got her, just small and always asleep. The small size makes it easy for any child to hold and cuddle. I loved his sounds, which were more like chirps than mews. And my boys love all of the noises it made! I like the tan color of the leopard, with the dark spots. I imagine it will be hard to tell if it gets a little dirty. And I expect that it will withstand to the same amount of play that our White Tiger Cub had in the past year. His eyes opened and closed and I could open his mouth to give him a bottle.

The mini leopard is meant for ages 3 and up, making it a great gift for a preschooler! They retail for approximately $19.99. It takes 2 AA batteries.You can purchase all WowWee Animals, both the full size and minis, at Toys R Us!