I was hunting through the dollar section at Target the other day, when these expanding capsules caught my eye. They’re cheap, extremely light weight and unbreakable – they seemed like they should be the perfect travel toy. Other ones I’ve seen have called for hot water. That seemed like it could be a bit of a hassle. Especially if, say, you were balancing a baby on your lap while helping your toddler with them. These, however, did not. I wasn’t sure if this was just poor instructions or if they really didn’t require it, but I figured, for the price, I could afford to find out.
I dropped it in a cup full of room temperature water and waited. Nothing. The toddler in question asked me what was happening… I let several minutes go by. Nothing. Our toddler asked me if it was food… (Which actually, is another vote against these – I’d hate to think about what happens if a child should swallow these. Yes, they do say 4+, but plenty of children older than that might still be tempted). Even a couple of HOURS later, still NOTHING. Our daughter was seriously underwhelmed. By this point she’d lost interest in our little experiment. By the next day it was still only about half out of the capsule and even the half that was out was underwhelming.
It worked better when we tried it in hot water, which wouldn’t be hard to come by in a hotel room, or even on the plane. So it’s travel friendly enough. But seriously, the sponge that came out was sad. Tiny, flimsy, lame.
There’s no way it’s going to be an exciting toy. So, scratch GROW Capsules, Drop in Water Farm Animals
Need some tips on great travel toys for kids that actually are great? If travel with baby is in your future, check out our vote for Top Ten Baby Travel Toys. Have a toddler? Read about these great toddler travel toys, and find some great travel toys that will “grow” with your child.