What is Peekimo and why is everyone buying it?

Peekimo is Spin Master's shy, wearable electronic pet. How it works, the Penny, Lulu and Boo versions, and why it is on Christmas 2026 lists.

Updated 2026-10-14

Peekimo is a tiny electronic pet made by Spin Master. A fluffy-haired creature with large eyes lives in a small pod that you clip to a bag or wear on a lanyard. It starts off shy and peeks out more as a child talks to it, taps it and plays with it, reacting with lights, sounds and over 100 responses. It has no screen and costs about £24.99 or $24.99. People are buying it because it sits between two things children already like, a Tamagotchi-style pet and a bag charm, at a price that works as a stocking filler, and because US hot-toy lists for Christmas 2026 have picked it up.

The short version

How Peekimo works

Spin Master's February 2026 announcement set out the idea: a pet that is shy at first and grows more attached as a child feeds it, plays with it and gives it attention, answering with LED expressions and sounds. The finished toy works like this, based on the People of Play review and the Smyths and Target listings.

Coaxing it out

The pet lives in its pod. Smyths describes it peeking out as it learns to trust the child. A button pops it in and out, and WAVY's Toy Fair write-up describes it appearing when a child rubs it or talks to it.

Feeding, cuddling and talking

There is a touch bar on the pod. Tap it to feed the pet and swipe along it to cuddle. Press and hold the button and it chatters back in its own made-up language. There is also a sound sensor: blowing into the side of the pod sets off a surprise reaction. WAVY also mentions keeping it warm and singing to it.

Reading its mood

A light on the pod changes colour with its mood. People of Play lists eight moods, with a chart in the box. Three examples:

Growing up and unlocking games

As you keep playing, the pet has birthdays, and each one unlocks a game. Retailers describe this as working up to best-friend status. The five games People of Play lists are:

1. Peekapella: swipe to change the music style.
2. Poke-a-Peekimo: a timing and listening game.
3. Peekimo Says: a version of Simon Says.
4. Whirlywind: blow air to keep the pet inside its pod until the light turns blue.
5. Peeki-Fortune: ask the pet a question and get an answer.

Meeting other Peekimos

Put two Peekimos near each other and they recognise one another and interact. Smyths, Target and WAVY all mention this, and it is a large part of the appeal for friends and siblings.

What we could not confirm

None of the sources say what happens if a Peekimo is ignored for days: whether it gets sad, resets or simply waits. They also do not say whether there is an off switch or sleep mode. Check the instruction sheet if this matters to you.

Characters, colours and versions

Spin Master announced Peekimo in four colours. In UK, Irish, US and European shops we found three, and each has a name:

Boozt's blue listing says Peekimo comes in pink, purple and blue. We could not find the fourth colour on sale or named anywhere, so it may be a later release or may have been dropped. All versions appear to work the same way and can interact with each other; we found no listing describing different features by colour.

Why everyone is buying it

It is on the hot-toy lists

• WAVY's editors put it on their February 2026 Toy Fair list of toys likely to sell out.
• TODAY included it in Amazon's hot toys of 2026 (6 October) and its hottest holiday toys list (14 October), both at $24.99.
• Hip2Save, a US deals site, called it a "viral TikTok toy" and a top toy for Christmas on 12 October 2026.

The price is right for a gift

At around £24.99 or $24.99, with the battery included, it costs less than the Tamagotchi Uni and Tamagotchi Paradise prices we found (see the comparison).

It doubles as an accessory

Spin Master pitched it as a pet you wear, and the lanyard and carabiner in the box mean it can hang from a school bag, belt or lunchbox like a charm. TODAY described it as part pet, part accessory.

Parents like that it has no screen

Smyths, Target and Boozt all stress screen-free play. Boozt's listing presents it as an alternative to video games.

Early ratings are good

When we checked, Target showed 4.91 out of 5 from 21 ratings and Walmart 4.8 out of 5 from 25. That is encouraging but a small sample, and it is too early to know how well it holds a child's interest after Christmas.

Is it really a craze in the UK?

Less clearly than in the US. Smyths and Very stock it, but The Entertainer's top 10 Christmas toys list for 2026 (9 September) did not include it. Most of the buzz we found comes from US outlets. We found no sales figures from Spin Master or retailers, and we could not check TikTok directly, so "viral" rests on Hip2Save's description.

Things to weigh up

• Five games and 100+ reactions is a fairly small amount of content. Older children who want depth may prefer a Tamagotchi.
• It works best in pairs, which can mean buying two.
• It takes a AAA battery that an adult should change.
• Small parts make it unsuitable for under-3s.

For prices and stock, see Where to buy Peekimo. To weigh it against Tamagotchi and Bitzee, see Peekimo vs Tamagotchi and Bitzee. Back to the Peekimo overview.