I like to encourage all sorts of games and activities in my house- not just “girl-centric” ones. That said, I have a complete and utter weakness for ponies. (Just ask my husband, who’s had to move boxes of my childhood toys TWICE.)
So we were extremely excited to review the new Princess Ponies of Pony Royale- “we,” of course, being Nora, Susannah, and myself. (What does a nine month-old contribute to a review, you ask? Oh, just wait.)
Here’s the deal: these ponies are royalty. In the storyline, they each have their own princess to care for them, as well as a matching jewel on their foreheads. The jewels correspond to birthstones and element “kingdoms,” where the ponies reside. (There’s an interactive land online for the bigger kids where they can play with the map and learn more about their princess.) The ponies come with mix n’ match fashions, as well as hair that can be changed out. So yeah- we were a little stoked to play with these ladies. We received Harmony and Brooke (Earth and Water element ponies, obvie, with pink zircon and peridot jewels, respectively.)
Please enjoy this brief video detailing (in rapid succession), the girls’ joy at opening the boxes, figuring out how to play with them, Zuzu whacking the heck out of Brooke, and Nora looking at the kingdom map and explaining to her sister (with Rain Man-like repetition) how they did not have the other ten ponies yet.
So- my thoughts. These are cute, no doubt about it. The hair situation left a little to be desired, however. It had been artfully flared out in the display box, but to remove the pony itself you almost had to rip the hair from the stays (causing a mammoth tangle- and again, I am a professional pony hair-doer). Nora had no problem changing the hair in and out (which is cool, because she’s two and a half- obviously these are user friendly), but they get ratty like no one’s business within minutes of play. Even worse? When using the enclosed brush to comb out the tail and mane, huge clumps of hair pull out at the slightest tug. Like, tumbleweed on the playroom floor. (This happened with both ponies, when I brushed their hair and when Nora took a turn.) For a toy whose main (no pun intended) feature is the styling of hair, I wasn’t too happy with the quality.
That said, the crowns and bustles(!) were cute, as were the interchangeable saddle blankets and jeweled saddles themselves. And seriously? The girls loved the ponies. LOVED THEM. Somehow, Nora has confiscated both ponies and they currently have the place of honor on her nightstand.
The Princess Ponies will be available exclusively at Toys R Us stores at the end of this month. Bottom line? These ponies are nothing revolutionary. But they’re cute, they’re fun, and they’ve obviously got a hold on my preschooler. I’m sure Susannah will love to play with them, too.
When it’s her turn.
Visit the Pony Royale website for more information. Look for Princess Ponies in stores starting late July! Meanwhile, be sure to check out Pony Royale’s Facebook page and follow them on Twitter!
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