My daughter loves Littlest Pet Shop toys - and I have to say that I am becoming a huge fan as well. The little figures are fun to collect and play with. Each toy is unique and comes with teeny, tiny accessories that are almost as adorable as the pets themselves.

Recently the Littlest Pet Shop line went through a bit of a redesign. If you look at the “eyes” you will see a difference. Several new pets were introduced so now there are even more to choose from. Each Littlest Pet Shop figure is numbered so you can easily keep track of your collection. And Hasbro even has a place on their website where you can manage your pet collection. You just need to create an account and check off the pets that you already have. If there are pets on your wish list, you can track these too.

Meet several of the new pets at Hasbro.com’s Toy Shop.

If you like Littlest Pet Shop, you will enjoy some of my other posts about these toys. I have done an in-depth review of LittlestPetShop.com and the Littlest Pet Shop VIP’s. My review was done shortly after the Littlest Pet Shop.com VIP release in New York City. Now that these virtual toys are available nationally I will be taking a second look at the VIP World in the next few days and let you know how it has evolved - so stay tuned! And if you haven’t already, you may want to check out MonkeyBarTV.com where you can play free online games featuring some of Hasbro’s most popular characters including Littlest Pet Shop and others.

Littlest Pet Shop VIP’s were introduced towards the end of 2007. You can read my previous review called LittlestPetShop.com. Originally five Littlest Pet Shop VIP’s were introduced, the Littlest Pet Shop VIP Cat, Dog, Panda, Turtle, and Penguin. These original Littlest Pet Shop VIP’s have now been joined by five more! Littlest PetShop VIP’s have taken on a teen celebrity status, so I will roll out the red carpet for the newest VIP celebrities:Introducing (drum roll, please!):The Littlest Pet Shop VIP Bunny:

The Littlest Pet Shop VIP Iguana:

The Littlest Pet Shop VIP Monkey:

The Littlest Pet Shop VIP Boxer:

And finally, the Littlest Pet Shop VIP Exclusive Yellow Kitty:

.

Hasbro’s newest addition to the Littlest Pet Shop Familyhas arrived at LittlestPetShop.com! Introducing Littlest Pet Shop VIP’s!. Hasbro gave me the opportunity to try a Littlest Pet Shop VIP for free so I gave these a whirl - and I liked what I saw.

What are the Littlest Pet Shop VIP’s?
For starters, VIP stands for “Virtual Interactive Pet”. You get to play with it online. The Littlest Pet Shop VIP’s are cuddly stuffed animals that come with a secret code on their collar. After you purchase the stuffed animal, you log on to LittlestPetShop.com, create an account, and register your secret code. Now your cute stuffed animal has come life online.

What is the Littlest Pet Shop VIP virtual world like?

The Littlest Pet Shop VIP virtual world is a fun place to be. The best part, of course, is the games. Choices include

• Flying High Hang Gliding,
• Super Sundae Maker,
• Leaping Lily Pads,
• Wildest Water Tubing, and
• Sporty Skateboarding.

Just to name a few - there are many more that I have not mentioned. And it appears that even more games are going to be added soon.

The games are fun for older kids, yet simple enough for younger children to have success with.

When you play a game you earn virtual dollars so your pet can go shopping. As of now the shops include:

• Supermart (here you can buy food to feed your pet),
• Pet Boutique (purchase the latest clothing and accessories for your pet), and
• Department Store (selling furnishings for your pet’s home).

These shops are located in the Village area of the Littlest Pet Shop VIP world. The VIP world is divided into six areas:

• Village,
• Get Better Center
• Playground
• Adoption Center
• Forest and
• Your House

Each area has lots of activities to do. Navigating around the Littlest Pet Shop VIP world is easy. At the bottom of the screen there are icons to help you during your visit. There is an interactive map that shows you where you are and allows you to jump from place to place. There is also an icon with a list of the shops and games, so you can click to go directly to any activity.

Social Interaction and Internet Safety
At this point your pet is the only pet in your Littlest Pet Shop VIP world.

In the interest of internet safety (very important!) Hasbro does not include the option to interact with other people’s pets. Most parents will appreciate this feature. However you can register more than one pet on each account.

There are also a few creatures that come with the Littlest Pet Shop VIP world that your pet can interact with. These are computer generated. For example there is one creature that will play a scavenger hunt with your pet.

Give it a Try - FREE
Still not sure if this is right for you? You can try out the Littlest Pet Shop VIP virtual world for FREE. Just create an account at LittlestPetShop.com, and in the adoption center click on Borrow. You will be given the opportunity to take the dalmation through the Littlest Pet Shop VIP world and play the games. I love this “try before you buy” feature.

I have to stress that the online world is NOT the only part of the Littlest Pet Shop VIP experience. Actually owning the stuffed animal is just as much fun. My son (who is 7) loves his stuffed penguin and actually takes it to school in his backpack everyday! And my 9 year old son is coveting the turtle (maybe a holiday gift?). Obviously, it’s not just for girls.

How do the Littlest Pet Shop VIP’s compare to Webkinz?
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Webkinz. After all, the two seem very similar. But it truly is comparing apples and oranges - they are not the same. Webkinz has been around for a while so the online interface is more mature. But the Littlest Pet Shop VIP’s are from the wildly popular Littlest Pet Shop line, so the stuffed toy itself is a cool toy. If you are already a Littlest Pet Shop fan then the VIP’s are a must have. If you are new to Littlest Pet Shop, then the VIP’s are a good place to start. They are fresh, they are fun, and they are not as common as Webkinz.

Where Can I Buy Littlest Pet Shop VIP’s?
The VIP’s are available at HasbroToyShop.com and Amazon.com and at major toy retailers in New York City. After the new year they will be in major toy retailers around the country.

The Littlest Pet Shop VIP world at LittlestPetShop.com is a fun, safe place for kids to play online. It appeals to all ages - from kindergartners (even some tech savvy preschoolers) through tweens. Just in time for the holidays, Littlest Pet Shop VIP’s will be turning up in stockings everywhere!

If you happen to be anywhere near New York City next week, you will have to stop down at the Littlest Pet Shop VIP Boutique pop up store. This is something you won’t want to miss!

Hasbro has taken their very popular Littlest Pet Shop line and brought them to “life”. Enter Littlest Pet Shop VIP’s. These are adorable stuffed animals (my kids can’t put them down!) that have an online persona as well. Each animal comes with a secret code that allows you to set up their online version. I haven’t thoroughly explored their online world, so I will write about that next week. But I wanted to spread the word NOW about the pop up Boutique in New York City.

What is a Littlest Pet Shop VIP pop up Boutique, you ask? (I did, too.)
It is an actual hands on playspace and store dedicated to the Littlest Pet Shop VIP’s. When you enter the Boutique you will get a “Kibble Card” with activities you need to complete as you travel through the store. The activities are fun things like playing with the VIP’s online at one of the computer stations, having your picture taken with the VIP’s, and playing a real life version of the Super Sundae game. You then turn in your Kibble Card for some really cool prizes. And, of course, you can shop for your VIP’s here as well. But here’s the catch! The Boutique will only be there for a limited time. Six more days to be exact.

When:

• Today thru Sunday October 21, 2007
• And next week on Thursday October 25, 2007 to Sunday October 28, 2007

Where:

• 587 Fifth Avenue, New York (Between 47th and 48th) - an easy walk from Grand Central Terminal.

If you can’t make it to the boutique, not to worry, the VIP’s are available at HasbroToyShop.com, Amazon.com, and at major retailers in New York City area.

To see my complete review of the Littlest Petshop VIP’s read my post called LittlestPetshop.com