Some Hatchimals toys left kids in tears on Christmas Day, parents say

They were one of the hottest toys of Christmas 2016.

But now some parents are complaining that Hatchimals — “magical creatures” that hatch from inside colorful plastic eggs — aren’t what they were cracked up to be.

The hype was certainly no yolk.

Demand for Hatchimals — the most-Googled toy of the year — was so strong that some stores limited purchases. When supplies ran low, the toy that retailed for about $50 popped up on eBay for as much as $250.

Celebrity mom Chrissy Teigen showed off the one she got for her baby daughter, Luna, and joked that she was so enthralled with it that she almost missed her daughter’s first crawl.

“Each Hatchimal is special — it’s up to you to help them hatch, play with them, and raise them,” says the pitch from manufacturer Spin Master.

“Care, nurture, and play with your Hatchimal’s egg. Tap the egg and your Hatchimal will tap back. Listen to hear its heartbeat, turn the egg upside down, and watch the eyes light up from inside the egg.”

But parents who vented on Twitter and Facebook on Christmas Day complained that it took hours for the eggs to hatch — or they didn’t hatch at all. And the batteries didn’t last long enough, some parents griped.

Parents dumped complaints on Spin Master’s Facebook page, too, where one mom wrote that her daughter “was in tears for most of the day … and inconsolable” when her egg wouldn’t hatch.

Others complained that the little “magical creatures” looked downright demonic.

The complaints were similar to beefs lodged against the toy on various websites where the toys are sold.

“I understand you have to work to get it to hatch. We spent half the day following directions to hatch our Hatchimal, and it never worked,” one frustrated consumer wrote on Target’s website in November.

“Finally after getting frustrated and breaking it out, it did nothing. Followed all directions to reset it and it still never worked.”

According to NBC Chicago, Spin Master told customers on Twitter to direct message the company or call customer service.

The company apologized on its Facebook page for the “challenges” some customers were having. As of Wednesday more than 2,000 comments, many negative, had been left there concerning Hatchimals.

“The first step to note is that the plastic ‘locks’ located underneath the egg need to be turned 90 degrees and pulled out from underneath to activate the hatching process,” the company explained.

“With toys that incorporate a high level of technology, there are rare cases where the product may malfunction or become damaged during shipping.

“While the majority of people have had a positive experience, we have heard from consumers who have faced challenges.”

It also directed customers to a YouTube video with five things to know about Hatchimals.

This story was originally published December 28, 2016 at 9:59 AM with the headline "Some Hatchimals toys left kids in tears on Christmas Day, parents say."