Freddy has been a big fan of Little Live Pets ever since we attended the Little Live Pets Takeover event at Eureka back in the summer of 2014. The interactive animal toys give children the experience of handling toys that act like the real creatures, which respond to their touch and voice. Freddy loves the birds, which mimic what you say to them and sing songs. He was delighted to have been sent one of the latest Little Live Pets toys from Character Options; the Cleverkeet, which comes with its own interactive playground playset.
Taking the interaction even further, the Little Live Pets Cleverkeet not only responds to your voice, sings and talks, it also dances, drives a cart, swings on a perch, flaps his wings, shakes his head and eats food, all the while chatting to whoever is playing with him. It certainly is very clever!
The Cleverkeet comes with demonstration batteries and will do a selection of his interactions in demo mode. Once replaced with 2 AAA batteries and switched on, the full functionality of the bird is unleashed. You can name him and he will respond to that name during play. He even comes with his own adoption certificate. Freddy called his Cleverkeet Squirtle.
The Cleverkeet chats away asking to be positioned on the swing, at the food bowl, on the hand perch or in the cart. It also likes to dance in front of the mirror on its perch and asks you if you have any tunes that you can play for him. Freddy had the Cleverkeet dancing along to Britney Spears and while it grooved away it told him that the song was awesome! It's really good fun.
The Talk to Me and Talkback functions allow the Cleverkeet to record and repeat phrases and use them during play. Sometimes it will mash up phrases to make funny sentences, which amused Freddy no end. For example it started saying that it was really good at bananas instead of dancing, which Freddy thought was pretty hilarious. The Cleverkeet can also be quite sassy, again making Freddy laugh. When on the removable hand perch, it will copy back what is said instantly, just like a real talking parakeet does. Sometimes, it will ask you to ask it a question and will reply to any yes/no type question with a comment similar to a magic 8 ball. The level and complexity of the chatter is really quite impressive.
The Cleverkeet really gets going when placed in the handcart. Once correctly positioned, it will tilt its body up and down to propel the handcart forward. This is a great addition to the toy that can be used independently from the rest of the playset. The Cleverkeet is also very good at swinging on the swing perch, making its body rock to and fro, creating its own momentum. These independent movements take the imaginative play to a whole new dimension. The flapping, bobbing, tilting and head movements definitely add extra action and realism to the interactive nature of the toy.
Petting the Cleverkeet unlocks extra animations and sounds when it is in the cart, on the swing, eating or being held. The more you play with it, the more varied the interaction becomes. Children feel like they are really taking care of the Cleverkeet, meeting its needs and having fun. If you stop interacting with it, it tries to get your attention for a while by making sounds, but will eventually fall asleep. You can wake it up and resume playing with it whenever you want to. It remembers what it has learned, but can be reset if needed, for renaming and to delete stored recordings.
All in all, this is a great addition to the Little Live Pets family. It's fun, with good interaction and it teaches children about what it means to look after something (even if it is just a toy). Freddy really enjoys playing with it, in particular with the recording and repeating functions. He will sit for ages making it say silly things or speak in funny voices. Freddy also loves the physical aspect of the interaction, with the cart, the dancing, the wing flapping and the swinging. Having the Cleverkeet on the hand perch and being able to carry it around with you is also a nice touch, meaning you are not restricted to playing in the playground itself.
At around the £60 mark, this is poised to be a popular toy this Christmas. Perfect if you don't want a pet but want all the fun of a super smart feathered friend to keep the kids amused! This innovative toy gives children a unique experience through its interactive functions. There is definitely hours of fun to be had with this toy, and even when not in use, it will look lovely sat on a shelf.
The Little Live Pets Cleverkeet is aimed at children aged 5 and up.
Here is a video of Freddy demonstrating some of the functions while he plays with his new super smart, interactive feathered friend!