Blog POP! Boomer The Zoomer Robotic Dino Giveaway

We received a sample Boomer for the purpose of this feature, regardless, all photos and opinions below are original and copyright Momma Told Me Blog 2014.

Momma Told Me: When I was a kid toys didn't need batteries.

I'll admit, I'm pretty conservative when it comes to children's entertainment. In general I prefer electronic free toys, or at least toys that require some imagination and engagement to bring electronic features to life. I think pretend play is one of the most important aspect of toy selection. Naturally, Sabrina (12) would like to disagree. Her theory is "The more it does on its own, the cooler it is," so we try to reach a middle ground when selecting the toys that come into the house. In 2014 Zoomer the robotic dog was one of the hottest toys of the year, let alone the holiday season. While having a robot dog seemed quite unnecessary given the fact we had physical pets, I was reminded of my own 'Furby' experiences as a tween.

Needless to say SpinMaster's Zoomer was a big hit- you may recall our feature on it. I was not exaggerating in the least when I said she took the dog everywhere for weeks; she made it do tricks in the bowling alley during league, and her friends would line up just for a chance to interact with it. Best of all Zoomer required patience and training to 'learn' Sabrina's voice and commands. So, while she would get frustrated and walk away, I was proud to know she always came back to practice training the robot dog once again. Unfortunately, because Zoomer relied so strongly on verbal commands for interaction, it was a bit advanced her Sabrina's step-siblings (4 and 9.)

When SpinMaster announced the release of their follow up toy, Boomer, the Zoomer Dino, this year I initially saw it as a masculine aimed Zoomer. When I was sent an advanced unit to play with and explore I quickly put those misconceptions to rest- Boomer had a remote. Gone are the voice command frustrations and in are the visual ques of hand waving and button pushing paired with the mobile execution of a remote control. Having a remote to control the movement of the robot is much more intuitive, and watching it balance itself on two legs (wheels?) is very neat indeed!

There are a few ways to begin interacting with Boomer right away, but you will need to charge him and insert batteries into the remote, first. Thankfully Boomer charges with a USB cable (included) to avoid meltdowns when  out and about with the new dino friend.  Once he is charged you will turn him on via the switch on his belly. He will begin to animate and 'talk back' immediately, but will not roam without engaging him via his back button or the remote. I especially like that Boomer can be played with without wandering off- IE, I can hold onto the remote until we are in a calm clear, play space, when traveling.

Boomer is just as difficult to control at first as Zoomer was, but the remote does ease frustration and make the training period fun regardless. That is to say younger children will enjoy watching and interact with the robot regardless of why it does what it does, while older kids will enjoy the challenge of 'training' with visual commands. His eyes have multi-colored LEDs which serve partially as a key to his moods and interactions, but, for the most part, he does have a personality of his own. I especially enjoyed when he would burp recognizable songs or wave his tail in the air and fart (so long as the kids don't start copying!)

Boomer has proven incredibly durable and seems to have a decent play time on a full charge. We have yet to have to replace the remote batteries, and the dino seems to get a full day of play in without fading. Overall, the entire family enjoys both Boomer and Zoomer, now we'd love to see a version of these pets that can interact with one another!

What Daughter Says: Electronic toys, like Boomer, can also encourage imagination and growth.

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One Momma Told Me reader will win Boomer The Zoomer Dino! Enter below and click the banner above to be taken to the official event Giveaway LINKY!

Blog POP! Boomer The Zoomer Dino

THE FINE PRINT: All entrants must be 18 years of age or older. Please read each giveaway 's directions carefully as entry methods differ, and giveaways may be open to different world areas. Please make sure you leave a way (valid email address in form or comment) with your entries to be contacted if you win. Please note that Momma Told Me, Blog POP! or the Blog POP! bloggers are not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes. We have represented each sponsor with the expectation they will fulfill their prize and in a timely manner we will contact the sponsor regarding your prize(s). The sponsors, in most cases, are shipping their items to you directly and prizes will likely not arrive in time for the holidays due to event and giveaway timing. We will make every effort to assist you obtaining your prize should concerns arise after winner's notification. If there is an issue with a sponsor please notify the blog owner no sooner than 14 days from prize notification and no more than 6 weeks, for assistance, after that we may be unable to assist you.