Whataya Got Rock In Yer Head? No, Just Candy Bars…
Written: Aug 31 '08 (Updated Aug 31 '08)
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Pros: Sturdy skull, great for Halloween or pirate parties.
Cons: They are best bought locally as they can be damaged during shipping.
The Bottom Line: A great pinata for Halloween or "Talk Like A Pirate Day"!
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| Freak369's Full Review: Oriental Trading Company Skull Head Pinata Per Pie... |
Most kids love the idea of taking a stick and beating the crap out of a pinata; every once in a while you will come across a kid that isn't into it but for the most part kids get a kick out of it. The Star Wars Darth Vader 3D Pinata was a huge hit [no pun] and when I started getting things ready for a pirate themed party I knew that I wanted to get the skull and crossbones styled pinata that I saw at the Oriental Trading Company website. My intuition told me that I was better off paying a few more dollars for it at Party City but the bargain hunter in me couldn't pass up the price and free shipping on orders over $50.00.
I learned the hard way that saving a few dollars ordering online isn’t always the best idea. When the pinata arrived two of the bones were broken and while I was able to repair them, if the pinata had arrived a few days later thee wouldn't have been time for the glue and pieces of paper mache to dry. This wasn’t the fault of Oriental Trading Company, it was the shipping company that totally destroyed the box when they were delivering it. While I love everything that OTC has to offer and the great prices they charge, oversized things like this are a risky thing to order.
Part of the problem with it is that there four bones sticking out of the sides of the skull; while it isn’t exactly a skull and crossbones design, it's close enough for a pirate party. The two bone pieces that were still intact and stuck to the skull got a little extra reinforcement when I was fixing the other two so when it was all said and done, it looked perfect and you couldn't tell that the bones were broken. If you measure from bone to bone on a diagonal, this is over nineteen inches long so it isn't something that is going to ship easily; even with the packing peanuts and pillow packs inside it, settling does happen during shipping. If you are thinking about getting one of these, check places like Party City first because it will save you a lot of hassle and frustration.
The pinata has a nice look to it but you do have to keep in mind that you are dealing with a cardboard base and paper mache on top of it so unless you are willing to fork out something in the $70.00 range, you aren't going to get anything that is going to knock your socks off. It's a white skull with red eyes and a nose and mouth. This is an old school pinata that you have to whack with a stick [not provided] not one of the newer non-violent politically correct ones where kids pull a string to see if it opens a trap door to release the contents of it. If you are having younger kids at a party the pull string version might be less traumatic but then again, you won't be having a skull shaped one for tots.
The back of the skull has a pop open flap that you lift up to fill with candy, toys, treats, coins or anything else you want to put inside it. Since this is an old school version you don't have to worry about the size of the things you are stuffing it with because once its broken open, all you have to do is let the kids ransack it and find anything that might be stuck inside it. All you need to supply is the pinata fodder, blindfold and stick. It does help to go over the rules with kids; tell them how many swings they get per turn, make sure no one else is around them when the person is swinging and no fighting over things that have fallen to the ground.
What can you stuff inside one of these? Mini candy bars are the best way to go. If you are having a Halloween party you can stuff it with all kind of little toys, glow sticks and other festive things. For a pirate party go with stuff that isn’t going to get ruined if it hits the grass. Gold foil covered chocolate coins might sound like a good idea but if kids are going to be stepping on them, there is a chance they could bust open. One cool thing to do is use plastic mini Easter eggs and put pieces of paper with numbers on them; use these for larger things that won't fit inside the pinata or might get damaged when kids are grabbing up the stuffing.
Since this is a skull shaped pinata there aren't many times during the year outside of Halloween and a pirate party that you are going to be able to use one of these. Sure, you could have one for an Over The Hill party but I can't see a bunch of 40 or 50 year olds getting excited over whacking a pinata to deal unless its stuffed with Billy Madison items like Rolex watches. The skull itself isn't all that scary but you can definitely turn it into one if you want. Buy some glow in the dark paint and apply it to as much of the pinata as possible. You will need to do this at least a day in advance so it will be completely dry. Then you need to charge it for at least a half hour. A garage or well lit bathroom works best and keeps it out of sight until you want the kids to go at it.
If you really want to have some fun with this wait until the last minute to stuff it. Have all the items in bowls or bags and have at ten to twelve glow sticks ready to snap. When you are ready to break out the pinata, crack the glow sticks and add them to the candy and treats. Because you are adding the glow sticks to it, you can have them take turns hitting the pinata at night rather than during the day or at dusk. The glow sticks will help them see items that have fallen to the ground but if need be you can arm some of the older kids with flashlights and let them turn them off and on so the kids get a little glimpse of what's on the ground. Is that slightly mean? Maybe, but it is a whole hell of a lot of fun for everyone watching.
As always, thanks for the visit…
~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~
© 2008 Freak369
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): see review
Type of Toy: Other
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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