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Share your toy stories and recommendations on our Toy and Games forum.

Share your toy stories and recommendations on our Toy and Games forum.

Toys and games

Is 8 too old for Sylvanian Families?

15 replies

Merse · 08/05/2015 12:57

Desperate for present ideas and think my DD would love Sylvanian Families as still v. into imaginative play. But wonder if others think aimed at younger children??? New to Sylvanian - can anyone recommend a particular set that is popular? Prepared to spend a bit as main present. Many thanks!!

OP posts:

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dotty2 · 08/05/2015 13:08

DD2 who is nearly 8 still plays with hers, but I don't think I would buy her more now, as they are really expensive and a bit cutesy for (many) older children - though it depends on their taste, obviously. I think Playmobil is a better bet for older kids who are still into imaginative play. We have the hospital and DD1's friends still play with it sometimes when they come round (they are 10). Big investment though!

Merse · 08/05/2015 13:22

Hmmm. She loves Playmobil, but I just can't face spending another 20 hours trying to assemble the wretched things with their hopeless instructions. DH has said he refuses to ever do it again which I totally understand. Was wondering if Sylvanian might be a painless way of achieving something similar.

Any other good ideas for non-screen/electronic presents for an 8 year old????

OP posts:

Artandco · 08/05/2015 13:31

Outdoor stuff - bike/ pogo stick/ scooter

Craft - clay/ tools/ watercolours/ proper paper and canvas

Dolls house - nice one that she can design inside with wallpapers etc as she goes along.

Tbhbi would buy sylavains still also. She's only 8. Maybe get a main building then more accessories rather than several buildings. Or something like the canal boat and horse and cart is good as can be used more freely ie as Sylvanian 'home' and transport and with other figures and used around house and in garden as smaller than say big house

SavoyCabbage · 08/05/2015 13:38

My dd asked for a dolls house for her ninth birthday and I was a bit aghast. I did some reading on it and apparently 9 in the perfect age.

When you think about it, we do things too early. Like buy them a Cinderella swimming costume when they are 18 months when they don't know who Cinderella is. Then when they are eight, we don't buy them a Cinderella swimming costume as its too babyish.

Anyway, my dd enjoyed her dolls house. Shen made rugs and pictures in frames and all sorts. She lived rearranging the furniture etc.

Merse · 08/05/2015 14:51

I rather agree with you about assuming they are 'too old' for things too early. Maybe I will consider a doll's house. We have one, but it's old and pretty rubbish anyway. Hmm. What is your view on Sylvannian Famillies? They do castles and houses too, don't they?

OP posts:

scrappydappydoo · 08/05/2015 15:00

Savoy I agree. I've always thought we make Winnie the pooh too babyish before children can appreciate the humour in the books.
Op - if your dd wants sf and you think she will play with them then get them. If it doesn't work out they have great resale value.

SavoyCabbage · 09/05/2015 00:02

Yes, Winnie the Pooh is a great example. My mum got that out of the library when she was 11. That was when you were allowed your own card so she remembers it well. She says that there wasn't a children's section and that was the book that looked like it was for children.

My dd got the Lundby dolls house.,she has some Lundby furniture and some Sylvannian. Depending on whether she likes one set or the other.

The other thing I looked at was getting her a 'real' dolls house. There is a shop in Ripley, Derbyshire. They have a website and a catalogue.

Itfellapartinmyhands · 15/08/2015 07:38

Hi all, I just saw this thread and had to add this. I am 37 now and Sylvanians came out when I was young. I loved them. I grew up in a small village, obviously way before mobiles and tablets started sucking the imagination out of us. I admit I was pretty innocent but my friends and I enjoyed playing with Sylvanians way beyond 8 - I mean way beyond, ok I reckon I was 11/12 maybe even 13, or could've been older when I finally stopped! Innocence is bliss Also my cousins played with theirs for years and I was a nanny to a girl who played with hers for endless hours. I think they are such lovely toys and we should let our children get lost in their imaginary small world toys for as long as possible. Actually 8 is a perfect age, with all the small parts, younger children are more likely to loose them. I hope you got your daughter some Syvanians Merse, I'd love to know!

Ps I have a little boy and if I don't have a girl, I'll probably be getting him some anyway! I don't see why they have to be just for girls. and I want to play with them again!

Hulababy · 15/08/2015 08:05

Ime 8 is a perfect age for getting SF. Dd got SF from age 5/6y but continued to acquire more til she was 10. It was only last year - age 12 - it was packed away as hadn't been used for a few months. Even then she was sad to do so and wouldn't let us sell them - they are boxed up in the garage now.

8 years still have a couple of years of playing left in them ime. Many of Dd's friends were still getting them at that age.

VashtaNerada · 15/08/2015 08:13

I think 8 is about right actually! Bought some for DD when she was younger and she took all their clothes off and then never played with them

Magicpaintbrush · 07/09/2015 07:16

I was still playing with Sylvanians aged 12. I'm 37 now and still get wistful when I see my daughter playing with them. You're never too old for Sylvanian families :-). Seriously though, I think we expect our kids to grow out of things so quickly these days and actually when you think about it 8 is still very young in the grand scheme of things. Also sylvanian accessories are ideal for kids to spend their pocket money on.

Keeptrudging · 07/09/2015 07:20

DD is still playing with her SF stuff and she's 11

Kampeki · 07/09/2015 07:25

DD is 10 and still asks for SF stuff, though she plays with it less often now than she did. Her 12yo friend still plays with hers occasionally!

She is very mature in some ways, but I'm so glad that she still enjoys playing with stuff like this. Let's not wish their childhoods away too soon!

AsTimeGoesBy · 07/09/2015 07:37

DD got a doll's house and a job lot of secondhand SF (thanks to a kind MNer who pm'd and offered to sell me them after I started a thread about them ) for Christmas age 7, now she is 9.5 and it is always what she and her friend go straight to when I boot them off the x-box.

upthegardenpath · 30/11/2015 12:30

OP I think it depends entirely on your child.
My DD (now almost 8) outgrew SF by the age of 5, but still plays with all her Playmobil and Lego.
One of her best friends is 8 and loves all her SF. Her big sister (10) still believes in Santa. It's all relative!

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