Littlest Pet Shop facts for kids
| Type | Figurine |
|---|---|
| Inventor(s) | Kenner |
| Company | Kenner (Former) Hasbro (Current) Basic Fun! (Under license) |
| Country | United States |
| Availability | 1992–present |
| Materials | Rubber (earlier pets were made up of plastic) |
| Slogan | How big is your Littlest Pet Shop? (2005–2012) Little Pets, BIG Personalities! (2012-2014) Who's in Your Littlest Pet Shop? (2014–2017) Unleash the Bobble! (2023-) |
Littlest Pet Shop is a super popular toy brand and cartoon series. It's owned by Hasbro and currently made under license by Basic Fun!. The very first toys were made by Kenner in the early 1990s. Later, in 1995, an animated TV show was created based on these fun toys.
The toy line got a fresh start in 2005. Since then, over 3,000 different pet toys have been made! Hasbro also teamed up with game developers to create video games for consoles like the Nintendo DS, Wii, and PlayStation 3. A second animated TV series came out in 2012. It ran for 104 episodes until 2016.
Hasbro even made online virtual pets you could "adopt" and play with. These websites were called Littlest Pet Shop VIPs and Littlest Pet Shop Online. In 2010, Hasbro added Blythe dolls to the toy line. New toy series were released in 2005, 2008, 2012, 2014, and 2017. Many of the toys have special code numbers on them or their boxes. In 2022, Hasbro announced that Basic Fun! would bring back the toys in 2024.
Original Kenner Toys (1990s)
The first Littlest Pet Shop toys were launched in 1992. Each set came with pets that could do special actions. Many had magnets or simple moving parts, like flapping wings. Collectors often call these the "Generation 1" toys.
Ready to Go Pets
These pets came with their own carriers and accessories. For example, the Happy Puppy was a Dalmatian whose tail wagged when you moved a special brush near its tummy. The Ticklish Toucan would flap its wings when you touched its head. There were also Hurrying Hamsters that could "run" in a wheel and a Color Change Chameleon that changed color with temperature.
Pet Presents
These sets featured pets with fun play features. The Cutesy Kittens set had a kitten whose head bobbled when a magnetic mouse was dangled in front of it. There were also sets with Mice, Turtles, and Playful Puppies, each with unique actions like chasing a bone or moving their arms.
Cozy Home Pets
These sets included small homes or environments for the pets. The Puppy Trio came with a doghouse and different dogs that could scratch their ear or shake a paw. Other sets included Gerbils that could be moved through pipes with a magnetic wand, Fish that created bubbles in their tank, and Monkeys that could cling to trees.
Mommy and Babies
These popular sets featured a mother animal and five babies. Two of the babies had magnets, so they could "suckle" the mother or play with toys. Sets included Mommy and Baby Puppies, Mommy and Baby Kitties, and Mommy and Baby Bunnies, each with themed accessories.
Playsets
Larger sets like the Pet Shop and Care Center offered bigger play experiences. The Pet Shop came with kissing lovebirds. The Care Center was a vet play set with a dog and kitten. It had cool features like an X-ray machine that lit up and a kitten whose "fleas" disappeared in warm water.
Movie Tie-ins and Special Collections
Kenner also created special toy lines. The Beethoven's 2nd collection featured dogs from the famous movie series. Other lines included Pal Around Pups with bath-time or prize-winning themes, and Sparkling Ponies and Sparkling Pets with glittery designs and unique actions like growing hair or drinking water.
Littlest Pet Shop Zoo
This collection brought wild animals into the Littlest Pet Shop world.
- Keep Me Safe Pets included animals like an elephant that squirted water and a panda that "ate" bamboo.
- Nursery Pets featured baby animals like a tiger and a chimp.
- Playful Ponies were horse sets with different breeds and actions.
- Wilderness Pets had animals like a bobcat that chased a mouse and a sea lion that clapped its flippers.
Later Kenner Releases (1995-1996)
Later Kenner toys included even more variety.
- Shimmering Mer Pets were mermaid-themed animals like a mermaid rabbit that blew kisses.
- Dazzling Hair Pets were plush toys with hair you could style.
- There were also McDonald's Happy Meal toys featuring fantasy creatures.
- The Sea World Stars collection featured animals from SeaWorld, like Baby Shamu.
Hasbro Toys (2005–Present)
In 2005, Hasbro relaunched Littlest Pet Shop. These toys are known as "Generation 2" by collectors.
2005-2006: The Bobble-Heads
The new pets had a more cartoon-like look compared to the older Kenner toys. They were famous for their "bobble-heads" that wobbled when you touched them. Early versions had a pink or blue magnet on their feet. Later ones had a small blue magnet or a hexagon-shaped hole instead. These pets came in single packs, pairs, or with playsets.
2007-2008: Eye Symbols and New Colors
The eyes of the pets changed to a glossy finish. They also started having cool symbols in their eyes, like a snowflake for the "chilliest" pet or a heart for the "friendliest." The pets came in many more bright colors, not just realistic ones. From 2008, most pets had a hexagon-shaped hole on their bottom instead of a magnet.
This era also brought the first Littlest Pet Shop video games! Electronic Arts made games for the Wii and Nintendo DS, like Littlest Pet Shop: Garden and Jungle. Some games even came with special pets you couldn't get anywhere else.
2009-2012: More Gimmicks and Blythe Dolls
The eye symbols were no longer used, and the pets became even more colorful. This era introduced collector stickers and new types of toys. Walkables were battery-powered pets that could move with the push of a button. The Blythe Loves Littlest Pet Shop line featured smaller Blythe dolls that came with a pet in a themed pack.
More Nintendo games were released, including Littlest Pet Shop: Friends (2009) and Littlest Pet Shop: Biggest Stars (2010), which also came with exclusive pets.
Generation 3: A Big Change
In 2012, the toy line was completely changed to match the new TV series. The look of the pets was very different, which many fans didn't like. New types of toys included Sweetest Pets (themed after candy) and Rolleroos (pets shaped like small balls). Hasbro also released mobile games where you could scan codes from your toys to win prizes.
Generation 4: Bobble-Heads Return!
Due to fan requests, Hasbro brought back the bobble-head pets in 2014! These pets looked more like the characters from the 2012 TV show and used molds from the earlier generations. However, the bobble-head style was only around for a short time. This generation also included the Pets Pawsabilities and Pets in the City collections.
Generation 5: New Look, New Show
In 2017, the Littlest Pet Shop toys got another new look. They had new molds and rounded eyes, similar to the second generation. These pets came in three sizes: teensie, mini, and classic. A new show called Littlest Pet Shop: A World of Our Own also premiered on Discovery Family during this time.
Media Adaptations
Littlest Pet Shop has inspired several animated TV series and video games.
Animated TV Series and Shorts
Littlest Pet Shop (1995)
This was the first animated series based on the toys.
Littlest Pet Shop (2012)
This series followed the adventures of a girl named Blythe Baxter and her animal friends.
Littlest Pet Shop Presents
These were short animated videos released online by Hasbro.
Littlest Pet Shop: A World of Our Own
This animated series premiered in 2018. It featured a new group of animal characters like Bev the turtle, Jade the cat, and Roxie the dog. The show ran for one season with 52 episodes.
Video Games
Littlest Pet Shop (2008)
This was the first major video game for the franchise, released for various consoles.
Littlest Pet Shop on Roblox (2023)
In December 2023, a Littlest Pet Shop game was launched on Roblox. Players can collect virtual bobble-head animals in this online world.
