Xia Xia
View: Product Video | Product Image
Xia Xia
from Cepia, LLC
This product is part of the
Xia Xia brand of toysWe recommend this product for
ages 4 and up-
2 CELL batteries required
Buy online
$12.99 MSRP
(actual price may vary)
Editors’ Rankings
TimetoPlayMag.com Ratings and Reviews
At TimetoPlayMag.com, we want to engage, inform and entertain our readers to give them the benefit of our knowledge, experience and the breadth of products we cover. We look at more than 10,000 new toys and children’s products every year, and our primary purpose is to help you make the best choices for the kids in your life.
Our goal is to give you the real story on what you’ll find when you bring a toy home. And we know that every kid and every family is different. That’s why we always say: “The hot toy is only hot if it’s hot for your child.”
Our editorial team has more than 100 years combined experience working in the toy industry. Our rating system ranks toys on 4 key criteria:
- Fun — Does it engage the child? Does it inspire imaginative play? Does it contribute to creative expression? Is it entertaining?
- Repeat Play OR Collectibility — Some toys are played with, some are collected. If we feel a toy is better suited for collectibility, we’ll rank it based on Collectibility instead of Repeat Play.
- Repeat Play — Will kids come back to it over time? Does the toy allow diverse imaginative play experiences? Does it provide longer-term play value?
- Collectibility — Some toys may have limited traditional play, but kids will treasure them as collectibles.
- Assembly/Instructions — Is the toy easy to assemble? Are the instructions clear?
Over the years we’ve learned a lot about what makes great toys and exciting play experiences. We want to help you create the best experiences for your kids and your family.
Ultimately, you’re the best judge of what you want to bring into your home — and what’s best for your kids. And because you’re an important part of the Time to Play family, we invite you to let us know if you ever find an error or have any ideas how we can better help you. After all, we exist for one reason: to help you have more fun!
Fun
Repeat Play
Assembly & Instructions
What It Is
Xia Xia (pronounced "sha sha") are colorful and collectible robotic hermit crabs from Cepia, makers of the popular Zhu Zhu Pets. There are four different hermit crab characters in the first collection: Bimini, who comes with a pink polka dot shell and flirty eyes; Trinidad in a grey skull-spotted shell with orange body; Turks, who wears a red shell and pink bows; and Tobago, who has a blue exterior and boyish grin. Each of the hermit crabs has an interchangeable shell that pops right off and a little buddy that rides inside or on top of the shell. Twelve collectible shells are sold separately.
Playsets include the Rio de Trio Village with three colorfully decorated rooms, the Confetti Cottage that doubles as a storage case, and the Copacabana Playset, which connects to the Confetti Cottage. Each is sold separately.
Why It’s Fun
Lots of kids love hermit crabs, but appealing as they are, they might not make the best pets. The Xia Xia pets have all the appeal of a real animal with lots of cool play additions, such as dancing, singing, and encouraging kids to create an imaginary world all around them. The interchangeable and collectible shells create a lot of opportunities for play and customization. The playsets create a bright, colorful environment for imaginative play. The action of Xia Xia is engaging and kids will like the bright tropical theme.
Who It’s For
Xia Xia is for ages 4 and up. On the older end, this will most likely appeal to girls who like the colors and the collectability.
However, don't be surprised if younger boys are intrigued by the action and want to set up competitions between the characters. (Much better, in our opinion, than trying to create battles among live critters.)
What to Be Aware of
The assembly instructions for the playsets are only pictures so they can be a little bit confusing. Give yourself a few minutes to put them together.
We like the great value pricing of all the elements in the line, which makes these really attractive as collectibles.
Each hermit crab requires two button cell batteries, which are included.
Comments
What do you think about Xia Xia?
Hot Toy Categories
Click here to see all 71 of our categories
