Playmobil Toys for a World of Play

In our family my grandchildren have several sets of Playmobil. They enjoy endless hours of imaginable play. They love setting up the figures for the game. Our children are still young and it helps if we get involved in helping them construct the big pieces. Once the castle, the house, the hospital is set the children are off into their game.

The Playmobil has many similarities to Lego in that they both construct things. I think the Playmobil allows boys to play "dolls". There are many themes that are boy oriented and this allows boys to play with the figures in a similar way to the way girls play dolls.

The features of Playmobil are:
The variety of themes
The ability to teach children about different themes
The bright colors
The accurate detail of the themes
The ability to add to the themes
The durability of the pieces

The cons of Playmobil are:
The many small pieces
The need to add to the basic sets to get the most from the theme.
The attaching pieces could be more interlocking.

Most of the sets (not including the Playmobil 1.2.3.) state on the boxes for 4+. From our experience I truly believe this is an accurate minimum age. The toys have been designed for ages 6-12 and before this age these toys need supervision. They are definitely choking hazards for small children. The four and five year olds need supervision to learn to play gently and responsibility with these sets.

We love Playmobil for its variety, for its ability to grow with the children, for its educational value and for its imaginary play. Start your children or grandchildren on their Playmobil theme today.

To capture the treasure on the Island the pirates arrive in this fabulous Playmobil Large Pirate Ship. Released for the North American market in the fall of 2008 it is largest pirate ship to date. One of the Amazon reviewers says it best:

"Like all Playmobil products, this ship is beautiful, made with high quality plastic and highly detailed. It has 2 masts, a bows pit, captain's cabin, quarterdeck, hold and plenty of accessories, just like the other ships.

What sets this ship apart from the others is that it's a 2 in 1 ship. At first, it masquerades as a regular ship or merchant ship. But once you release the cannons, change the flag and show the pirate head it becomes a pirate ship, ready to attack! This ship also has the new cannons that shoot "safer" projectiles.

If you are a Playmobil fan already, you won't need any urging from me, you'll get this ship, because you can't have too many Playmobil ships and because of the neat tricks this ship has. If you are not familiar with Playmobil, you can't do any worse than to buy this ship because Playmobil is synonymous with quality. I recommend this ship over any other comparable pirate ship.

For those not familiar with Playmobil I wouldn't recommend this ship for a child under 7 because there are many small parts. However, if your child is younger, you might want to keep the small accessories in their bags first and not rig the sails or rigging. You can play just as well without them. This ship floats and will make a great bath tub toy, even for adults!

The great secret about this ship and Playmobil in general is that there are tons of add-ons. You can buy additional pirates to beef up your crew or government forces to fight against them, plus forts and additional cannons, etc. This ship will grow with your child."



What are the Playmobil Pirates seeking? Of course it is the treasure chest. This is a hard to find set but is well worth the search. It comes with 3 pirates, swords, coins, crabs, cannon and cannon balls, boardwalk, some trees and of course the chest. The landscape opens on two different sides for a change of scenery. The figures have interchangeable accessories. There are lots of small parts but they all fit in the chest. The reviews on this are outstanding entertainment and value.

Playmobil Giant Octopus

Playmobil Giant Octopus is a fun add-on. The octopus squirts water and so it delights children. All of the Playmobil sets that let children play with water are favorites. This can be used in the bath as all Playmobil pieces float. The battle between the octopus and the pirates can be had in a safe place without the water flying everywhere.

My grandsons love the battle situations that the Playmobil Pirates provide. With all the options this is very good value.

Playmobil Knights Empire Castle is a "wow" hit! With the drawbridge, the turrets, the cannon firing platform, the bucket that goes up and down, all sides allow for battle ready play. The attention to detail is amazing. There are many small parts which add to options. One of the Amazon reviewers had this to say "The flags, torches, ladders and furniture are all great. Of course, the breakaway wall is super fun (and if you buy an additional "big" canon, it will actually knock it down, and you can get more enemy knights with it, which is a plus). The bucket for lifting things has been popular, as is the trapdoor. He likes the contraption for dropping rocks over the wall. There's even a chandelier that can be raised and lowered! The fact that there's a queen has kept his stepsister engaged in playing, too (the queen can also hold a sword, which makes her even more fun)." Our Grandsons love this castle!

Playmobil Action Pack Knights

To enhance the battle the Playmobil Action Pack Knights is a great selection. It comes with part of a castle, 4 figures, 2 knights with horses, catapult, chest, gold goblet and crown, rockier with trees, and plenty of accessories. One of the guys has a grappling hook, and there's also an archer. To create the opposition the Playmobil Knights Red Dragon and the Playmobil Dragon Troops are great choices. These sets are so affordable and they give so many hours of play that they are well worth it.

I think this was the second Playmobil set my Grandsons received and they play with it constantly. They set up their play area with this and the pirates then the battle commences. I think it helps that they get support and instruction from their parents. They are encouraged to be gentle with the major structures as it is time consuming to be constantly reconstructing them. They are encouraged to pick up and put away the pieces so they will all be there to play with another day. I can highly recommend this for durable, educational, imaginative play.

This Playmobil House was my Granddaughter's first introduce to Playmobil. She loves it. The basic house comes with Father, Mother, Boy, Girl, and Dog, lawn chair, movable flower bed and a pond with flowers. There are endless hours of play with this house. If I have any criticism of this set is that the basic set does not come with more furniture. Each room is an add-on. That notwithstanding, it is a wonderful house. The extra pieces can be added a little at a time and each addition brings delight and new interest.

Playmobil Baby Room

The various major room sets are: Playmobil Family Bathroom, Baby room, Family room, Kitchen, Living room and Master bedroom. Other add-ons are bunk beds, children's bedrooms, the home office, and the laundry.

My Granddaughter also has the Guinea Pig Pen, Playmobil Wading Pool, and Superset Country Life. All of these extra sets add to play around the house. I am sure we will add to house and its accessories. For Christmas this year we are looking at an addition for the house.

The focal point of this Playmobil Gladiators new set is the arena. Although we are just now seeing it in North America, it earned the Winner of the 2007 Openheim Gold Award. It measures 33 inches across and leaves ample room for the gladiators and lions. It includes eight figures, two lions, a double harness chariot, and lots of accessories for hours of fun. The children are thrilled with the gates, the trap doors for the lions, and the area to have the horses. My grandson has just received this for his birthday and his response was "wow". His older brother brought his knights to join the gladiators.

The Commander's Tent where the planning takes place, includes 4 gladiators, the tents, a horse, a catapult, and accessories. This is another example of Playmobil toys that have hours of play just by themselves as well as enhancing the larger set.



The Playmobil Chariot Roman is an ornately decorated chariot with gold adornment pulled by four white horses, with

Playmobil Chariot Roman

removable spoke destroyers plus a knight with matching attire and a sword. The attention to detail is amazing. I love the stately stance of the horses.

Playmobil Roman Warriors are a 5 man crew that are dressed in armor and loaded with spears and daggers. Launch the real working catapult and shoot weapons. You can never have enough warriors.

Playmobil Roman Battle Tower is the perfect siege engine to assault enemy castles! The Playmobil Battle Tower rolls on wheels, includes 3 Roman soldiers and features a battering ram. This can be fun by its self but what a great surprise if it takes a run at the King's Castle.

Playmobil Super Sets give hours of play just as they come but they also add to and enhance the larger sets.

Playmobil Super Set Dream Garden -this set is with delightful. It includes magic fountain, animals, a prince, and a princess. It includes two figures, swan, peacock, unicorn, butterflies, tree, flowers, and other accessories. The pond can be filled water. There is a small pump and the water can be squirted from the water spout into the fountain.



Playmobil Super Set Playground - this is a complete playground with working merry go round, slide, skater ramp, and play ground. It comes with 4 children, a kite, a skate board, a soccer ball, and sand toys.

Playmobil SuperSet Pirate Island

Playmobil Super Set Pirate Island - Includes the bow of the ship, anchor, working canon, palm tree, parrot, turtle, two figures, and may other accessories. Treasures can be hidden in a secret compartment and the shark can float. This is a fun add-on to the Pirate Ship.


Playmobil Super Set Ice Cream Parlor - The counter has a sink, cash register, and an assortment of ice cream. Also includes three figures, a table, two chairs, bike, and bike rack, and many other accessories. This is a fun accessory to enhance the neighborhood of the house.

All of the above are great stand alone sets for hours of fun. Like all the Playmobil products they easily blend into existing sets owned by children. It is always fun when the knights come to have ice cream or the Prince and Princess move into the house. They are all very affordable and deliver great value.