How to Love Your Littlest Pet Shop
Littlest Pet Shop toys have been a huge hit in my house since they came out in 2005. They are a toy franchise owned by Hasbro (which also owns Playskool, Transformers, Monopoly and Nerf - just to name a few).
The original toy series was produced by Kenner Toys in 1992 and each set included an action, such as a movable part. Most of them included magnets or simple mechanisms like flapping wings. Most of the Kenner Littlest Pet Shop sets are easy to find while some are hard. The Foxes, deer and swans are hard to find. The rarest set is the Pony n'Play Stable Play set which is worth more then $3,000!
The new versions of Littlest Pet Shops that came out in 2005 have larges heads. There are over 3,000 different pets that have been created by the Hasbro company. You can go online and create your own world and adopt your own Littlest Pet Shop while playing with other friends online.
They have come out with many different types of Littlest Pet Shops. Here's what is out there now.
- The Blythe Loves The Littlest Pet Shop line was created in 2010 and these dolls are meant to be the Littlest Pet Shop petsitters.
- Walkables are pets that walk, crawl, move when a button is pushed on their heads.
- LPS Faries live high above the clouds and far beyond the seas in the Glistening Garden.
- The Cutest Pets have fur of their own on them. The main on the lion and ears of the puppies are just a few of the soft cuddly parts of these Cutest Pets.
- Teensies are teeny, tiny pets from all kinds of places. Pets that belong in the ocean, the farm, the meadow and the forest.
- LPS Connect is where you login online to share your pets, find your friends, and play with your adopted pets online.
Check out all these wonderful Littlest Pet Shops at the Hasbro website: Littlest Pet Shop
Purchase Your Littlest Pet
To purchase your Littlest Pet Shop you can go to just about any store and they will have them. Target, Kohl's, Walmart, Family Dollar, Kmart, and Toys R Us are just a few stores around my house that sell these adorable little toys. Another great way to purchase these toys is through Amazon or EBay. Little girls will grow out of these toys (like almost everything else) so I have purchased huge lots on EBay for real cheep.
Make or Buy A Home for it
Littlest Pet Shops all have their own home environments. From Tree Houses to Sea Shacks there is a home for every pet. There is the Little Bitty Birdhouse for your flying friends and a Playful Puppy House for your puppy's. There is a Leapin Lagoon for the frogs and a Sea Shack for your fish. There is even a Slide and Dive that all the pets can enjoy. If your pets need a mode of transportation you can get the Paw Powered Cruiser or the Pet Jet that carries many pets at once or just the the Speedy Tails remote controlled car to zip your pets from place to place. If you need a place for your pets while you are gone there is a Pet Daycare and also a Rescue Tails Center in case one gets hurt.
To make your Littlest Pet Shop a home all you really need is a good size box (shoe boxes work great) and extra cardboard to make levels in your house. Without the lid on the box, take the extra cardboard and measure it the size you want it and glue it into place. Hot glue has worked best for us. Then you cut windows and doors into your box. After that you can paint the box and each room can have it's own color. Add stickers and whatever else you want to each room and when you are done you have your very own home for your pets.
Give them baths
Your Littlest Pet Shops are bound to get dirty and when that happens it's really easy to give them a bath. Just fill a sink, small bowl or glass with warm water and put your pets into the water. Take them out and lather them up with some soap (we use baby wash) and then rinse. After your pets are done playing in the water take them out and dry them very well. Make sure all water is off your pets so they don't end up breaking. After my daughter bathes her pets she has to put them to "bed" so they get completely dry before playing with them again.
Bring them places
There are many modes of transportation that a Littlest Pet can use. From their own backpacks and carrying cases to purses and pockets of your own kids, these little pets can fit just about anywhere. The Littlest Pet Shop backpack we bought for my daughter comes in quiet handy and it has areas where your pets can sit and look out so they know where they are going too.
Feed them
When you purchase your Littlest Pet Shop, most of them come with some type of food. Carrots, apples, bones, cakes, the options are endless. The easiest way to feed your pet is to put all your food in one spot so you know where to find it and what each pet would like to eat.
Buy More
Having just one Littlest Pet Shop is hard. What if that pet gets lonely? It's really easy to go to the store and get more pets. Warning - If your child is really into Littlest Pet Shops there is no telling when or where this phase will end, be prepared to buy a lot of Pet Shops!
I'm not sure how my daughter does it, but when we go to the store she knows exactly what pets she has and doesn't have. We have over 70 pets and I have no idea how she keeps track of them all. With new pets coming out all the time though it makes it a bit easier for me to find ones she doesn't have.
An idea for Christmas time - I like to keep an eye out for the tubes of pets. These normally have new ones in them each year and they fit perfect into a stocking or rolled up like a big piece of candy under the tree. These are my favorite to buy during the holiday season!
Have Parties
Parties are always a way to introduce new pets and have a blast with the pets you do have. You can have a party for anything really. There are Littlest Pet Shop play sets that can help you with party ideas too. The Tea Party set and the Garden Get Together have been favorites in my house. There are also ones that include an ice cream shop and a day at the beach. If you have friends who have Littlest Pet Shops you can invite them over to join your party as well. Don't forget to have birthday parties for your pets (their birthdays would be the day you bought them). Even pajama parties or sleepovers could be a great time.
The Extras
Littlest Pet Shops have spread far and wide from just the toys they were started for. Now you can find blankets, bed spreads, sheets and pillows with Littlest Pet Shops. Here is a list of other items that are great for Littlest Pet Shop fans.
- Alarm Clock
- Nintendo DS games
- Backpacks
- MP3 Speaker Systems
- Curtains
- Rugs
- Lamps
- LPS Carry Case
- Books
- Stickers
- Clothes
- Shoes
- Notebooks, Pens and Pencils
- Party Favors
- Raincoats
- Hats
- Spa Sets
- Suitcases
- Cards
- Calendars
- Board Games
- Puzzles
