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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i love the dwarf angel fish.
There all super cute
I really like the clownfish!
The clownfish would be so cute…and I think my 4 year old nephew is computer savvy enough to have a blast with this!!
Julies last blog post..Freebie Friday
The Blue lobster
My son or daughter would love any of those. Although, I think my son (age 5) would get the most enjoyment from the web experience and I think he would like the clown fish most.
Christys last blog post..So Many Things
Thanks for introducing these to me. (Not that my kids need another online obsession but I know that they would love Sea Pals World.) My first choice would be the Blue Lobster.
I’d be happy with any of them, but the clown fish is sure cute!
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I have your button on my blog.
Julie Donahues last blog post..Stronger than I knew
Would love any of these but the clownfish is adorable!
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I would love to win the dwarf angelfish! Such a cute plush toy.. Im sure my niece would love it!
I really love the blue lobster.. I know my friend has a little niece whom she’s close to and it’ll totally make her day if i gave this to her niece. I really do hope i can win it.. Thanks so much for being so generous & offering such cute toys..
Cheers!
I subscribe too….
Thanks!
I like the Powder Blue Tang I would give it to my daughter.
I love the blue lobster, but I know my kids would like them all. They are really cute..Thanks for the giveaway!
I also subscribed !
I want the blue lobster for my son!
Bettinas last blog post..Weekend in Santa Anna
They all are so cute! But if I had to choose I’d go with the Clownfish. My kids just discovered Finding Nemo and would love a little fish that looks like him!
Pattis last blog post..It’s Fall, where’s my wine…
My daughter loves fish and would really like the Clownfish
Oh how cute! I have never seen this before. Thank you so much for the link! These would make GREAT gifts this Christmas for my nieces and nephews.
I think my kids would love the Dwarf Angelfish, but honestly, they would be thrilled with any of them. Besides, I’m sure they’ll want me to buy more of them. LOL!!!!
Thank you for an awesome giveaway and for telling us about this neat new site.
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I subscribed in Yahoo reader.
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I have your button on my blog too (just below the archieves)
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I would love to win the Clownfish for my daughter. It makes me think of my favorite movie Finding Nemo.
Jessicas last blog post..Presley Bella Boutique
I’d love the blue lobster for my new baby boy
I’m subscribed to your RSS feed.
I would love to win the Clownfish for my grandson.
Thank you!
janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com
My daughter would love the clown fish!
I am subscribed.
janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com
Your button is on my sidebar;
http://grammyjanetsplace.blogspot.com/
janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com
I would love to win the clown fish for my kids.
Clown fish for us please!
I like the blue lobster the best, and I’d give it to my niece and nephew, Amanda and Cameron. They would LOVE it!!!
Thanks so much!
Michele R.(CA)
luvkittysmeowmail@gmail.com
I subscribed to your feed!
Thanks so much!
Michele R.(CA)
luvkittysmeowmail@gmail.com
You’re in my Technorati Favorites!
Thanks so much!
Michele R.(CA)
luvkittysmeowmail@gmail.com
I Stumbled your homepage, and my username is Luvkitty. (Also, I favorited you on Technorati, which I mentioned in my comment above, but I forgot to tell you my username. It’s Luvkitty on Technorati, too.)
Thanks so much!
Michele R.(CA)
luvkittysmeowmail@gmail.com
I emailed three people and CC’d you.
Thanks so much!
Michele R.(CA)
luvkittysmeowmail@gmail.com
I love the Clownfish!
kelli at pfrog dot net
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When I saw the dwarf angel fish, I could just picture the look on my daughter’s face! If I won, I would love to be able to give it to her!
I would give the blue lobster to my nephew for Christmas!
margelina@comcast.net
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I subscribe (googlereader!)
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I really like the clownfish, but really, any of them would be wonderful. I think my daughter would really enjoy these, as she is already enjoying the Webkinz that she has, and this sounds very similar in style, yet completely different in terms of the world, characters, etc.
awesome giveaway! I think either of my younger girls would love this. If I win one, I might have to buy another for Christmas! We would all love the clownfish..NEMO!!!
Thanks for the great giveaway!
Corina Ss last blog post..makin cupcakes
clownfish as my older son recognizes the species from finding nemo
The clown fish is my choice – though all of them are great. It’d be for my son. Thanks!
Those are so stinkin’ cute! My 7 year old daughter would love these. My first choice would be Dwarf Angelfish!
I stumbled your blog, user name is momof2ballerinas
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I blogged ~ http://momcontests.blogspot.com/2008/10/seapal.html
i would like the dwarf angel fish…actually any would be fine. My kids would love em!
=) melanie
http://melaniescrafts.blogspot.com
melaieadey at hotmail dot com
Great for Christmas present
This would be right up my 5 year old’s alley! He’d love the clownfish! Thanks for sharing!
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