It's advent for the Playmobil people in our house...

[SoMuchToBits]

...and so every day between now and Christmas I'll be bringing you some scenes of what they are getting up to during advent.

Today Marta is helping Matthias put up the Christmas decorations. She puts the last bauble on the tree.

@RoofTopSingers I expect Playmo shop assistants are well paid! We also have lots of police (including cars and motorbikes with flashing lights) as that was one of ds's interests too. He's now almost 25, and I miss those days too. Probably why I keep playing with the Playmobil myself!

Surly shop assistant? 😮
Anyone would think you had never been to Playmo Land!

@SoMuchToBits we had an eclectic mix, mainly knights on horses, lots of weaponry as we had a wooden castle. There was a lot of imaginative play, epic battles and heroic acts. I mean what child doesn't want to play with a trebuchet? The police were all part of the emergency services, with the fire engine. We had no tech days so we played with it a lot.

I donated all of it to a local church a couple of years ago who ensures it goes out to where it is needed. Someone somewhere is hopefully having the time of their lives with it.

There can always be one just for a change I mean. We do have robbers and bad uns.

@RoofTopSingers we had lots of police, fire rescue and construction sets when ds was little, plus cargo harbour, airport etc. He played with Playmobil more than anything else (although he also liked Lego, wooden train set and other toys). He had a great time, and I was lucky that there wasn't much tech around then. He would occasionally use my laptop for something plus a bit of tv, but mostly he played with toys or did reading/drawing etc.

@SoMuchToBits Ds1 is 22 and Ds2 is 19. I was a sahm so although they did have some tech we also did a lot of everything else; playdoh, painting/drawing, reading, board games etc. Ds2 was very creative and pulled Ds1 into that world so he led a lot of the stories and adventures the Playmobil people got up to. I think it is much harder these days, even homework from primary is complete this maths game on this app.

Yes, I think in many ways it must be harder being a parent to young children in this digital age.

I saw the Winter Olympics thread a few years ago (loved that!) but not any others so I have some catching up to do.

Those puddingheads are a couple of wrong ‘uns aren’t they? Sounds like they often make an unwelcome appearance. I presume they got caught up in the wrong crowd when young 😔

@AcornAntiques yes there have been quite a few Playmo threads over the years. I think the first one was an impromptu election in 2010, followed by a royal wedding in 2011, but these early ones were put together by ds and me, and not really staged properly.

In 2018 I went to town a bit on the next royal wedding. Since then I've done a few Advent ones, a summer holidays and a couple of odd bits. Was intending to do an Olympics in 2020, but then the pandemic happened. I ended up doing a Playmobil pandemic, which ran for ages and evolved as it went along.

Last year I finally got to do a PlaymOlympics. That was quite epic! And this spring I did a wedding fair. Who knows what will be next!

Today Father Christmas and the elves are all busy in the workshop. Father Christmas ticks the toys off his list as he goes.

I ended up doing a Playmobil pandemic, which ran for ages and evolved as it went along.

As I've said before, the Pandemic one was genius and like a social commentary of the times! I'm assuming it's in Classics.

Pip is doing a bit of carpentry.

I'm not sure @Westfacing , might still be in Chat. It went on for so long it ran to 4 threads in the end I think!

Nat adjusts the nuts on the balance bike.

Joy checks the tuning on the xylophone.

Bud makes sure the train is running properly.

Honestly the pandemic Playmobil people helped me to stay sane during that horrible time, and my then-toddler loved it too! Thank you @SoMuchToBits. I don’t underestimate the effort all this takes, it’s incredible and you’re wonderful for sharing this little bit of fun and whimsy with us.

Pip uses the trolley to move the toys to the packing area.

Nat is packing toys into boxes.

@SoMuchToBits you are a LEGEND, thank you for this again

Joy checks the horse for rockability.

Bud adjusts the screws on the sailing boat. They are all very busy!

Thank you everyone. I've just checked and the original Pandemic thread is now in Classics An outbreak of Covid-19 has occurred for the Playmobil people in our house... | Mumsnet but the follow on threads are still in Chat. I put a link towards the end of each thread to the next one .

Lovely to see the Playmobil thread return.

The size of Nat's spanner! 😄