Crazy Silly Bandz

Do you remember the jelly bracelets from the 80's?  I do.  I had them in hot pink and black.  Madonna even wore them in some of her videos.  I really wasn't suppose to watch Madonna, especially the "Like a Virgin" video, but MTV was the new frontier and jelly bracelets were all the rage.  That and some lace gloves with the fingers cut out and, oh yes, remember jelly shoes?

Right now another jelly bracelet is taking the world by storm....

but they are not called by the old fashion jelly bracelet name.  They are Silly Bandz or The Original Crazy Band, or whatever else someone who wants to start a company devoted to silicone bracelets wants to call them.

My kiddos love collecting these bracelets which are made from silicone plastic and die molded into cute shapes you can wear on your arm.  The rubber bands return to their orignal shape when you take them off. 

There is quite a selection to choose from at the store, that is, if you can find them.  It is indeed a craze.

My Big 8-year-old Bee has been collecting them, wearing them, and trading them with friends.  He loves to collect most anything, from shark's teeth to bottle caps, but these are really fun.  He has animals, cowboy shapes, and pirates, some even glow in the dark. 

After soccer this weekend we headed over to our local toy store Learning Express and there we found parents and children swarming around the racks.  There are several different brands of these bands, but the most common appear to be Silly Bandz and The Original Crazy Bands.

Now, I am not usually a Mommy who lets my kiddos follow the whims of society, but Silly Bandz are pretty affordable at around $2.95 for a pack of 12 and $4.95-$5.99 for a pack of 24.  As one Mommy said to me on her way into the toy store,  "They cost less than a Zhu Zhu pet or a Webkinz and the kids are going to do chores today to pay for them."  Sounds like a win win to me.