SeaPals – a little girl’s best friend
This giveaway is now CLOSED.
Money’s tight, so we only got Marsy one small gift for her birthday knowing well she would get other presents from friends and family. I figured I’d tie it in with our beach trip the subsequent week, so I bought her a SeaPal. I never imagined how happy this little fish would make her!
SeaPals are marine-inspired plush finger puppets that each come with a unique code to unlock a virtual ocean of activities in SeaPalsWorld. They are made by RUSS, a company I’ve trusted for many years.
Marsy looks forward to her daily computer time and has gotten so great at manipulating the mouse over the past few months. I read that the SeaPalsWorld site is designed for ages 5-12+ so I was a little afraid that it might be too much of a challenge for a just-turned-four year old, but she dove right in. She sat on my lap while I registered her Purple Tang, thinking hard about an appropriate name for him. After several tries (who knew Purple Durple would be taken?) she settled on Stripey, after the blue streaks that grace her new friend’s torso.
Marsy’s first activity in SeaPalsWorld was to decorate Stripey’s virtual aquarium. We’ve tried a real aquarium… and well, let’s just say that didn’t work out so well. Even though this one is simulated, she still must take care of her fish by feeding him regularly, cleaning his tank, etc. It’s so easy to do, but teaches her responsibility at the same time. The best part is that SeaPals don’t die! The motivation lies in keeping them healthy and happy so they perform better in the games.
She then moved on to her SeaPad, which is Stripey’s home under the sea. Marsy exhausted all her inventory of furniture (even an electric guitar!) decorating the room. The decorating itself was super-easy! I tried to help her at first, but after showing her just one time she was able to do the rest herself. All you do is drag items from your inventory to your SeaPad or aquarium. You can buy more things with Pearl Points, which are the currency of SeaPalsWorld. You win Pearl Points by playin
g games, among other activities.
Once he was settled in, it was time for Stripey to go exploring. My first impression was amazement at how beautiful the scenery is. There’s friendly narration that guides you from place to place – New Atlantis, Treasure Point, the Great Reef, and more to be added soon. Treasure Point is a source of challenging games with spooky shipwrecks to wander through, but Marsy prefers the whimsical kingdom that is New Atlantis. Stop number 3, the Great Reef, is a wonderful learning experience! You click on a photo that pops up to learn more about that particular animal or plant. Then you have the opportunity to answer a question for Pearl Points, watch a video clip, or perhaps even print out coloring pages. There really is a surprise behind every click of the mouse. A fourth locale is coming soon… we just can’t wait to see what they’ll come up with next!
I know SeaPalsWorld is not something that Marsy will get bored with quickly because there is SO much to do. It’s possible to see other fish swimming around you, chat, even add them to your friend’s list and invite them back to your pad to play! The difficulty of the games vary, and once she learns how to read she’ll be able to do even more on her own.
Once your SeaPal is registered there’s no need for the plush anymore, but Marsy always likes to have hers next to the keyboard. It doubles as a finger puppet for pretend play. I added SeaPalsWorld to the bookmarks bar so she’s only one click away from checking on her beloved Stripey. I love that there are no additional fees associated with this product. Oh, and I can’t forget to mention that RUSS makes donations to local aquariums to help with ocean conservation. All this makes the initial $11 investment more than worth it!
RUSS introduced six new SeaPals characters last month – Stingray, Octopus, Dolphin, Powder Blue Tang, Pufferfish, and Starfish. When you have more than one SeaPal you can unlock even more of SeaPalsWorld by becoming a VIP! Marsy’s going to get the starfish as soon as she saves up enough in her piggy bank. There are other virtual pets on the market – but SeaPals are a completely unique experience. These little guys can be found in specialty stores nationwide, and on Amazon.com.
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I’m so excited to announce that THREE of my readers will get a SeaPal of their own! I’m giving away a Clownfish, a Blue Lobster, and a Dwarf Angelfish. All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me which one you’d like, and who you’ll give it to if you win. Click the photos to see more detail.
For some extra entries:
- Sign up for my feed (or let me know if you already do).
- Blog about the contest and link back to this post.
- Grab my button and link to me in your sidebar or blog roll.
- Stumble my homepage and leave your Stumble Upon name in the comment.
- Add my blog to your Technorati favorites.
If you don’t have a blog, don’t fret – you can also get an extra entry by sharing this post. Just email it to three of your friends and CC me in the email: mariana[at]ridingwithnohands.com
Please submit a separate comment for each task that you complete. U.S. entries only. I’ll announce the winners at 10pm (EST) next Sunday night – October 26th. Maybe your SeaPals can be friends with Stripey! We’ll have to touch base once you’re all settled into your SeaPad.
Good luck, and remember to check out my other two giveaways!
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If I were fortunate enough to win, I would choose the dwarf angel fish!
Thanks,
baileybobby6(at)hotmail.com
Sorry, in my last post I forgot to mention who the dwarf angel fish would be for. The little gal I take care of would love it.
Thank you
baileybobby6@hotmail(dot)com
I would love the blue lobster for my niece!
Would love the Blue Lobster for my daughter. She’s really into sea animals. Thanks for the great review – will check these out for christmas!
Wendys last blog post..Sarah Palin Tina Fey SNL October 18 Saturday Night Live Opening Sketch (Video)
These sound wonderful i like the clownfish great giveaway
i subscribed thru google reader
The blue lobster sounds great, thanks. would give this to my son who turns four on Dec11th – he’s getting into using the PC and is crazy about plush toys, we’re Russ fans also. As you said and as we all know, moneys tight for everyone, so good luck to all.
I’d choose the clownfish, the online aspect seems great, I’m currenty peeling my boy away from the mickey mouse clubhouse most evenings….I introduced him to it, so I know I’ve only got myself to blame. Lol.
I would choose the Blue Lobster for my son. He would love it. Thanks for the chance to win. I’m new to your blog, but I’m already a huge fan.
Thanks!
I would love to win the Dwarf angelfish for my 6 year old. thank you for your giveaway.
Given our love for Nemo – we’d have to go with the clownfish!!
sara_mcclintock[at]yahoo[dot]com
absolutely love these critters!! Would love the Dwarf Angelfish for my daughter, she is obscessed with stuffed animals! and she doesn’t have any fish yet!!
I am a subscriber
I would like the Dwarf Angelfish
I subscribed
I put your button on my blog
I liek the Clown Fish, too cute. Thank-you for the giveaway.
Sorry, can’t spell this morning. I subscribed through google.
I like the Clown Fish. My grandkids were crazy about Nemo.
I like the blue lobster, I’d give it to my 7 year old nephew since my girls are too young.
Natalies last blog post..I voted…sort of
I would give my nephew the clownfish if I were to win.
I’ll pick the clown fish for my grandson
My neice would love the clownfish. She saw one on tv once and still talks about it.
My son would love any of them, but I think the dwarf angelfish is particularly cool
I love the blue lobster!
I like the Dwarf Angelfish!
Chrysas last blog post..Free Sample of Betty Crocker Potatoes
I also blogged about your contest here: http://thriftyjinxy.blogspot.com/2008/10/freebie-friday-free-stuff-contests-and_23.html
The Blue Lobster — it’s our son’s absolute favorite color — EVERYthing has to be blue! Thanks a ton!
Megret
musesofmegret (at) gmail (dot) com
Love that you have such a cute giveaway in stored for all of us.. The blue lobster is so adorable! Love its cute itsy bitsy claws!
dwarf angelfish
I love the clownfish!
I love the clown fish!
My son would like the sea turtle
I love fish! As I kid I wanted to be a marine biologist, then as a teen I worked at PetSmart in the fish department. It was great fun. Now, I am home with my twin girls and I’d love to pass on my love of marine life. The plush clownfish is my favorite!
Sara gs last blog post..Just FYI about my health blog
My daughter would love them all but I’d have to choose the Dwarf Angelfish as first choice for her. Thanks!
I grabbed your button and put it on my blog!
Thanks,
baileybobby6(at)hotmail.com