Boohbah: Dance Along Jumbah - Our very own dancing & farting Boohbah toy
Written: Oct 07 '04
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Pros: Cute, Big, Its a Boohbah, My son loves it
Cons: Expensive, Loud, Doesn't do much
The Bottom Line: This will be enjoyed by Boohbah fans but is way overpriced for what you get!
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| marytara's Full Review: Boohbah: Dance Along Jumbah - Blue |
My little guy (age 3 1/2) fell in love with Boohbah this summer and now I find my home invaded by these silly creatures. The latest, Boohbah: Dance Along Jumbah - Blue from Hasbro/Playskool which I purchased for him purely just because. I've seen these prices as high as 27.99 but I believe I paid $19.99 for ours (still too much for what you get).
So, what the heck is this Boohbah: Dance Along Jumbah - Blue all about?
Well, to begin with this is a toy based on the kids program, Boohbah currently shown on PBS KIDS. A Boohbah is this amorphous shaped being that looks like a furry pear from another planet that is supposed to represent an atom of power, light and fun. They come in different colors - Blue, Yellow, Pink, Purple, and Orange and each color has a different name. So, Playskool (Hasbro) is raking in the bucks by selling the identical toy in each of the different Boohbah colors, slapping that Boohbah's name on it and "voila!", a new toy. There are a few different Boohbah toys out there - one that is just a plush, one that is medium sized and makes silly sounds and then this larger version which is the dancin' one -- each of these comes in the different Boohbah colors. Once I figured out the different versions, I picked out one of the larger dancing versions, in blue - the Dance Along Jumbah
About the toy
Boohbah: Dance Along Jumbah is a toy from Hasbro/Playskool recommended for kids ages 2 and up. The toy itself is about a foot tall and mostly plush, but does have a hard plastic base (so that it can stand up) and a rubbery head (so that it looks just like the Boohbah's on TV). Jumbah is a shimmery shade of light blue, which is the only thing that distinguishes it from the other Boohbahs. The toy requires 3AA batteries to run, but Playskool has been kind enough to include batteries in the toy so it can be played with right away.
According to Playskool the Dance Along Boohbahs play 6 different songs and can do 11 different dance moves. the songs play for just a few seconds and the dance moves might consist of it moving its head up and down or rotating it in a circle - nothing complex.
Like many of the interactive toys out there this one comes in a Demo mode so that it can be tested in the store. I admit that I spent quite a bit of time playing with this Boohbah, and others on the shelves, in the store before I bought it. Ok, I fess up - anytime I go down the toy aisle in Target I love to press all the different Boohbahs (as many as I can) and get them all going because they are just such silly toys.
Our thoughts
So, since I (admit it) that I got such a kick out of this bizarre toy in the store I looked forward to getting it out of the demo mode and seeing what it could do. My surprise was that it didn't do much more (at all) at home, which led me to be a bit disappointed - especially for the price.
Now, my 3 year old Boohbah fan however, he loves this thing even though the song it plays and dance is extremely short. He gets a major kick out of pressing Jumbah's left hand as well as the button Jumbah's foot to activate the song and dance. Especially funny to him are the blowing/farting sounds that the toy makes - of course. I should also mention that there is no on/off and no volume control on the toy so this isn't something you'll want to bring to church with you or anyplace that quiet is expected.
So, for the MSRP of nearly $30 this toy is extremely overpriced. I paid around $20 which I feel is still too much. For the high price Dance Along Jumbah and the other Boohbah toys should really do a bit more. It would be pretty cool if they had programmed them along the lines of the furby toys so that the different colored Boohbahs could actually interact with each other. Or, at a minimum have the different colored Boohbah toys each do something different or say its name. As it is, if you want a full set of them (and some kids very well may) then you would be out over $100 on a set of toys that really doesn't do much.
All in all, my son really loves his Boohbah: Dance Along Jumbah and I don't regret the purchase at all. I recommend this toy (be picked up on sale) for kids who enjoy Boohbah and/or adults who can't resist purchasing something extremely bizarre. I'm sure that after the holidays - and perhaps even before that we'll see the price on this come down to something more reasonable.
Boohbah!
My review of the TV program Boohbah can be found here:
http://www.epinions.com/content_156287078020
Epinions member Katopasna reviewed the orange dancing boohbah here: http://www.epinions.com/content_157000633988
For more info about the program including interactive games and printable coloring pages:
http://www.boohbah.com
http://pbskids.org/boohbah/boohbah.html
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 20
Type of Toy: Stuffed Toy
Age Range of Child: 3 to 5 Years
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Epinions.com ID:
marytara
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 in Education, Kids & Family |
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Member: MT
Location: Jersey Shore
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