Bath time - for most kids, bath time also doubles as play time. After you get the boring stuff out of the way (like the actual cleaning and scrubbing), the fun commences. Here are some Playmobil toys that have made bath time very enjoyable for all three of my kids:
(Note: the number is the product number, the name in parenthesis is the set theme, and the name is the product name.)
5721 - (Fire) Rescue Raft: This set comes with a red Zodiac-style rescue boat, two firemen, and a swimmer. There's also the requisite accessories - outboard engine, oars, and miscellaneous rescue gear. It even has a length of nylon line that you can string around the perimeter of the raft to make getting in that much easier. I thought for sure this line wouldn't last very long. Imagine my surprise that it has held up for several years now, surviving three kids and twice a week dunkings! Overall, a great toy that has been a bath time favorite. I give it a well-deserved 9 out of 10!
5754 - (Adventure) Croc Boat: G'day, mate! For some reason, I can't help but think of Paul Hogan and his "Crocodile Dundee" movies when I hear the word 'croc.' You get a cool air boat, two croc wranglers, a croc, assorted small animals, and some swamp adventure gear. There's also a piece of swamp terrain that goes with it. The croc boat has also seen a lot of action in the tub, and has consistently been a favorite. The rubber luggage restraint up front comes off a lot, as does the fin assembly that steers the airflow on the aft section of the boat. Still, a solid toy that rates a 7 out of 10.
5749 - (Adventure) Pontoon Helicopter: This set contains a pontoon helicopter, a pilot and co-pilot figures, and a couple pieces of rescue gear. The rotors spin nicely, the bubble canopy folds forward for easy access, and it's pretty stable in the water. The canopy hasn't help up well, as it is very scratched and clouded. Not totally unexpected from clear (smoke-tinted) plastic, but still kind of a bummer. I give this one a 6 out of 10.
3155 - (Vikings) Nessie: Bath dragon! That's what my kids have always called Nessie. The sea serpent was purchased years ago on a business trip to London, and it has resided in one of our bathtubs ever since. A detachable green weight on the underside of Nessie allows her to float upright. The weight falls off from time to time, but not often enough to rate as annoying. My daughter has enjoyed playing with the smiling viking warrior girl included in this set. Nessie deserves an 8 out of 10 in my book.
Of course, all of these toys have a slot on them where you can attach the Underwater Motor (7350) for the added enjoyment of having your boat/dragon/etc. motorized!
I just can't say enough good things about Playmobil. Great toys.
Showing posts with label playmobil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label playmobil. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Playmobil Overview
I didn't have any Playmobil toys growing up, but I sure wish I did! My sister introduced me to the ubiquitous smiling figures when she bought them for her girls.
Playmobil figures were first introduced in 1974. The basic Playmobil figure is almost 3 inches tall, and can stand, sit, bend at the waist. You can rotate the head, arms, and hands. The hands are shaped to grasp a huge assortment of accessories.
The recommended age for Playmobil is 4+ due to the many small parts, some that can pose choking hazards to little ones, so use your own judgement - if your child is prone to putting things in his or her mouth, Playmobil may not be the best choice.
I wanted my kids to play with their Playmobil toys starting at 3, so I made sure I was the first one to open all new Playmobil sets. Any and all small parts went straight into ziploc storage bags (along with the instructions), to be saved for later use when the kids were older.
Another potential downside of Playmobil is the frustration factor, especially when dealing with small hands (ages 3 to 5). Some items tend to fall apart during play (not break, mind you) which can lead to some unhappy campers. Case in point:
The Jet Airliner (3185) is a great toy. It was one of my first Playmobil purchases two or three years ago, and it still gets a lot of use today. The problem is that some of the pieces fell off rather easily, such as the wheels and tail assembly. My solution was to take the tail and wheels off, and set them aside. Not perfect, but it worked for my kids. I also ended up using some Zap-A-Gap (super glue) to fasten the four small red connectors located in the wing, because they fell out a lot.
Overall, I would give Playmobil a solid 9 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being "Outstanding." As long as you remove any potential safety concerns (small parts) and are ready to deal with some minor frustration (mostly from your youngest players), Playmobil is a great toy. All three of my kids still love Playmobil, and I see many potential years of creative and fun play in store for both the kids and the toys.
Official Playmobil website:
http://www.playmobil.com/index.html
Playmobil figures were first introduced in 1974. The basic Playmobil figure is almost 3 inches tall, and can stand, sit, bend at the waist. You can rotate the head, arms, and hands. The hands are shaped to grasp a huge assortment of accessories.
The recommended age for Playmobil is 4+ due to the many small parts, some that can pose choking hazards to little ones, so use your own judgement - if your child is prone to putting things in his or her mouth, Playmobil may not be the best choice.
I wanted my kids to play with their Playmobil toys starting at 3, so I made sure I was the first one to open all new Playmobil sets. Any and all small parts went straight into ziploc storage bags (along with the instructions), to be saved for later use when the kids were older.
Another potential downside of Playmobil is the frustration factor, especially when dealing with small hands (ages 3 to 5). Some items tend to fall apart during play (not break, mind you) which can lead to some unhappy campers. Case in point:
The Jet Airliner (3185) is a great toy. It was one of my first Playmobil purchases two or three years ago, and it still gets a lot of use today. The problem is that some of the pieces fell off rather easily, such as the wheels and tail assembly. My solution was to take the tail and wheels off, and set them aside. Not perfect, but it worked for my kids. I also ended up using some Zap-A-Gap (super glue) to fasten the four small red connectors located in the wing, because they fell out a lot.
Overall, I would give Playmobil a solid 9 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being "Outstanding." As long as you remove any potential safety concerns (small parts) and are ready to deal with some minor frustration (mostly from your youngest players), Playmobil is a great toy. All three of my kids still love Playmobil, and I see many potential years of creative and fun play in store for both the kids and the toys.
Official Playmobil website:
http://www.playmobil.com/index.html
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