Ahoy, mateys! Santiago of Nickelodeon’s preschool series Santiago of the Seas is living every kids’ dream as an 8-year-old pirate hunting for treasure and sailing the high seas. Kids can now get in on the swashbuckling action themselves with a new Santiago of the Seas playset from Mattel.
Recommended for preschoolers ages 3 and up, the Fisher-Price Santiago of the Seas Lights & Sounds El Bravo Pirate Ship is packed full of adventures and interactive features so Santiago fans can feel like they’re entering the same fantasy world they see on TV. The set comes with a pirate ship, a poseable Santiago figure with a sword, a Kiko figure, a removable sailing board, a treasure chest, a coin, a spyglass and “heart of El Bravo” play pieces.
There is a compass dial on the top of the ship that kids can turn to select one of the characters from the series and play more than 75 sounds and phrases in both English and Spanish, including character introductions, like “It’s me, Bonnie Bones, queen of the pirates.” There is also a Santiago button, so kids can actually hear Santiago’s voice as they play, saying things like, “Adventure awaits, me hearties,” “Where’s the treasure, frog?” or “Ahoy! There’s something in the water!” This will help guide kids’ role-playing, giving them ideas for different scenarios to act out.
The ship is full of surprises, like color-changing lights that appear on the sails when the sounds play, a tab kids can slide to reveal a plank, and a hidden chamber that makes the pretend coins vanish and reappear. There are also wheels on the bottom of the ship so kids can roll it along on a hard surface or give it a push to make the ship sail. As it rolls, the ship moves up and down to mimic wave motions, giving kids the perfect setting for their treasure-hunting and rescue quests with Santiago and Kiko.
There are places throughout the ship and on the accessories where kids can connect Santiago’s feet to make him stand above the lookout spot or on the surfboard. Kids can also place the rope in Santiago’s hand to make him swing above the deck. There are even other character figures sold separately to add to the adventures.
The next time you’re looking for a new toy, remember that this pirate ship will steer imaginative play in exactly the right direction.
