News

Hatchimals Need Batteries, So Be Prepared

Let me set a frightening little scene for you, guys; you've managed to lay your hot little hands on a Hatchimal. I don't know how you managed it, but I'm sure it was no small feat. Christmas morning dawns cold and bright. Your little one sees their Hatchimal and... it's magic. You see it in their face, that total trust in the goodness of the world. And then you suddenly think, wait; do Hatchimals require batteries? Uh oh...

I can tell you from experience, there are few worse moments than discovering a toy on Christmas morning requires batteries, and you've managed to run out. I believe it would be especially disappointing if said toy was the sensational Hatchimal, which is basically a Furbee/Wii/Tickle-Me-Elmo/Cabbage Patch Kid combined in one must-have toy. There are five different colored varieties of the interactive plush toy, a Penguala, Burtle, Draggle, Owlicorn or Bearakeet, which come packaged in speckled eggs. And yes, the Hatchimal creator Spin Master Toys requires two AA batteries, but the good news is they are included. Which means no battery panic on Christmas morning. Each Hatchimal comes with an instruction booklet, 2 AA batteries, a reference book, and of course, a Hatchimal.

Despite my sons having aged out of the Hatchimals phenomenon, I completely understand the fascination. After all, how many toys out there actually hatch themselves in front of your eyes? Even before they've hatched, the Hatchimal is interacting with your child from inside the egg; it makes cooing noises, moves around, and if you knock on its egg shell, it knocks back. Plus there are the cool, glowing eyes that peek out from inside the shell. It manages to inspire nurturing in your child while also providing state-of-the-art entertainment. No wonder everybody wants one.

Spin Masters, the Canadian toy company behind Hatchimals, has been overwhelmed by the sudden success of the toy. Started in 1994 by childhood friends, Ronnen Harary and Anton Rabie, the company started out with one toy; Earth Buddy, a "a nylon stocking-covered head of sawdust topped with grass seeds which grew to emulate hair", which they sold on the streets of Toronto. Since then, the company has gone on to create toys that are sold across the globe and produce two television shows, PAW Patrol and Little Charmers, both of which are seen in multiple countries.

And then, of course, came the Hatchimal. Spin Master co-founder Anton Rabie talked to Time about the last 10 weeks since the Hatchimals craze truly began, and the company's efforts to keep up with the unexpected demand for the toy:

You have these two levels of intensity. One is excitement, and two is everyone is working around the clock. There’s a bunch of us who for the last 10 weeks have worked every single day straight including weekends, just trying to respond to customers and increase production. People are so tired and so happy, you’re like in a different zone. No one’s got enough sleep, everyone’s working around the clock, and every time you try, you look at your emails and you can’t get ahead of them. The workload and the pace have been unbelievable.

So count your blessings if you did manage to get a Hatchimal in time for Christmas. And thank the brilliant minds at Spin Master for making sure they come equipped with batteries.

It will be a Christmas morning win.