Most of today's hottest toys have one thing in common — they involve some sort of surprise element. From the L.O.L. Surprise! dolls that come with multiple parts for little hands to unbox to the Hatchimals that are wrapped in exciting blind packaging to make collecting even more fun, these toys have been popping up on store shelves and topping kids' wish lists over the last few years.
And last year, a new kind of toy entered the category and took the surprise factor to the next level — with magic! The Magic Mixies Magical Misting Cauldron was one of the hottest toys last holiday season, and as a result, repeatedly sold out during those prime shopping months. And it wasn't just kids who were under its spell, many adults were astounded by the fun, interactive experience, too.
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This season, the brand added a new toy to the Magic Mixies lineup, the Magic Mixies Magical Crystal Ball. For anyone wondering what the hype is about, we're sharing everything you need to know about the popularity of the original toy and how it works below. Plus, we're highlighting all the exciting details about the newest version, which has become one of the hottest toys this holiday season.
Magic Mixies Magical Misting Crystal Ball
The newest Magic Mixies toy, the Magical Crystal Ball promises to combine the fun, interactive features and magical elements of the original toy in a new form. The crystal ball is said to feature more than 80 sounds, lights and reactions. And when kids use the wand and say the magic words, it fills with mist and a Mixie appears. They can then play with the toy, tickling it, asking it questions (its forehead gem will light up with the answer) or making it disappear and reappear. At night, it can even be switched to night-light mode and kept on their nightstand. Plus, it'll arrive in time for Christmas! So it's perfect for holiday gifting.
It won the Creative Toy of the Year award during the Sept. 2022 Toy of the Year Awards and is one of the hottest toy picks of 2022, according to multiple retailers. It's also on the Amazon bestsellers list — it's No. 2 in the magic kits & accessories category (the original is No. 3 on the list).
What are people saying about Magic Mixies?
If you tried getting the toy for your little one (or yourself) last year, there's a good chance that you came up short. For most of the 2021 holiday season, the product was sold out across retailers, which isn't surprising given how buzzy it was. It won the Creative Toy of the Year award at the Feb. 2022 Toy of the Year Awards and was featured in multiple retailers' hot toy lists.
But the fuss around the toy hasn't seemed to slow down — more than 10,000 shoppers have given it a five-star rating, with many raving about how creative the toy is and how much their kids love it. "This cauldron captured my 8 year old grand daughter's attention and held it," one shopper said.
Another reviewer said that they were not prepared for how cool the toy was going to be, and ended up getting excited about the process. "The ingredients, the mechanics of the cauldron, the wand, the fog... it was amazing," they said. "I started out helping my kid — just to make sure he did it right — and I was 100% immersed by the second ingredient ... Is it too much to ask the company to make one for 40 year olds?"
Magic Mixies Magical Misting Cauldron
It's not rare to hear about an adult trying out the toy for themselves. Videos in the #magimixies tag on TikTok have more than 590 million collective views, and many of them feature people of varying ages casting their spells in the cauldron. "At the age of 24-years-old, this is probably one of the most exciting purchases I've made in a long time," one TikToker said.
How does the Magic Mixies Magical Cauldron work?
Made for kids ages five and older, the Magic Mixies Cauldron allows children to "experience real magic," as they add ingredients and tap their wand to create a new furry friend, the brand shares. The kit comes with a spell book to follow and everything a kid needs to work their magic. According to reviewers, the cauldron is ready to go as soon as you take it out of the box — no charging required!
You can start the potion by adding water to the cauldron (to activate it), then inserting various "magical" included ingredients — like the Fizz Feather, Magic Feather, Sound Dust and more — stirring and tapping three times with the wand after each one when the green light appears. After the final three taps, you'll see mist rise from the cauldron and the Magic Mixie will emerge. But the fun doesn't end there though — the Mixie itself reacts to touch and responds to the wand with lights and sounds, so you can play with it for hours.
Can Magic Mixies be used again?
While some shoppers have voiced their frustration with the high price point for a one-time experience, you can actually repeat the process time and time again. After the first use, you can simply remove the cauldron's bottom half, clean it, put the Mixie back in and use the included key to reset the toy (you can see step-by-step instructions, here). The brand offers a $10 refill kit, with mist and ingredient refills, but reviewers say you can also use other ingredients that you have around the house, like baking soda and salt.
Magic Mixies Mixlings Tap & Reveal Cauldron, 2-Pack
If you're looking for something more affordable, the brand also released a line of Magic Mixlings earlier this summer (and the toy was also nominated for Collectible of the Year at the TOTY Awards).
There are more than 40 collectible figures and each one comes with a mini cauldron and a magic wand that can be used to discover your Mixling's powers — like a Spellster that glows in the dark, a Vanisher that becomes transparent in water or one of the many other varieties.
