to want to build the toy in advance

[Sassyfrassy]

Bit of a silly one,
It's our youngest daughter's fourth birthday in a couple of days and she will be getting a huge playmobil pirate ship. It looks great in it's box but from reading reviews it apparently takes 1-2 hours to put together.
I think we should build it and put it in a big box and wrap it up so that it's ready to play with straight away.
DH thinks we should leave it in the box so that she will be impressed at seeing the big box and the pictures on the box. He will then build the ship while she watches. (DD is not a patient child)

So, what should we do?

We spend ages at christmas building presents so they don't have to wait. Nothing worse than getting something you really want then can't play with for hours.
If your DH want's to impress with the box can you not just cut out the pictures and stick them on to the box your going to be wrapping?

I remember my friend buying her son a bicycle that had various bits and pieces which had to be put onto it/adjusted. She wouldn't let him help in case he got it wrong. He disappeared in the end very upset and wouldn't play with the bike.

Let her see the box and get her to hand him bits and pieces (until she gets fed-up).

Build it. One Christmas I spent 3 hours building the playmobil airport whilst poor DS (he was 3 or 4 can't remember) sat there watching me.

I second the idea of sticking pictures of it on to the box you will put it in.

WRap the box and the ship??

I think watching someone else build the present will be v frustrating, from remembering older siblings 'helping' with lego.

If you didnt want to put pictures on the box you could make them into a card?

Build it beforehand. Wrap the box so there is something to unwrap. She can be impressed with the box and the pictures. Then produce toy all made up. Sit back and enjoy the peace and quiet, feeling smug. Don't leave it till midnight the night before their birthday before thinking about putting it together. Didn't get to bed till 3am. Voice of experience here!

Good ideas, thank you.

I think I will present the idea of wrapping the box and then magically producing the built ship. DH has this idea that it will help her learn patience. I don't think your birthday is the day to learn patience!

Build it.
When DD was little, I unboxed everything, added batteries, built what needed building and wrapped.
The playmobil Noah's Ark and the stupid arse littlest pet shop stuff that needed unscrewing from the box taught me that lesson.

We had the Playmobil ship for DS' 4th birthday (a few years ago now!) and I would totally agree that you must build it first, or, like us, you will have an over-excited child jumping up and down going "is it ready yet" a gazillion times while you spend, yes, at least an hour assembling the thing.

Kids do not care about packaging IMO. Tie a big red ribbon around the assembled ship.

It's a great toy that gave DS many happy hours of imaginative play. Hope you enjoy it too!

By the time the toy is built the child probably wont be interested in the toy. I would build it first.

Build it, but maybe wrap up all the little bits - pirates, treasure etc - for DD to unwrap.
I spent many a happy Xmas Eve assembling playmo and I'm pretty sure the ship has rigging and sails that are best done in advance.

And have the paddling pool ready for the maiden voyage!

PS Keep the box for when you want to sell the playmo in ebay later.

I'd build bits of it - there will be loads of small parts that you can put together or stickers to put on things - if you take it all out of the plastic wrapper and have it ready to go, so you just have to click together the larger bits, that might work?

Playmobil's a bitch though - if you ever buy the castle definitely build it first. Same goes for the hospital and school.

oh god I remember that ship.... 2-3 hours my arse I was up untill gone midnight putting the wretched thing together for my DS birthday (many moons ago) it looked fab when done. we wrapped the box and left all the little accessories in it for him then put the ship in the other room under a sheet. I nearly wept when in the first play he started dismantling the sails argggh. take lots of pics so you remember how it looked before you let her loose on it, have fun!

Draw a treasure map or do clues and put the map/clue in the box and wrap the box.

So he wants her to spend an hour or two on her birthday waiting for him to build her present? She's already waited 364 days! I always make Playmobil up in advance. It causes to much swearing to do it in the presence of DC.

Playmobil is brilliant stuff, but putting it together stinks.

My totally Playmobil mad and very bright 11Y DD can just about help.

For a 4y build it first!!!

2 hours lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Build and wrap it

We build and re-wrap anything like that the night before!

I'm glad everyone is in agreement with me! I do always get toys out of packaging and put in batteries, but DH likes the unspoilt look. DD is very very keen on pirates, so there are some other small playmobil sets wrapped up nicely that requires no assembly. I'll get on with building the ship tonight =)

I would do it in advance. It takes a good two hours to build.

I did the pirate ship and the f@@king Pony Ranch one Christmas. Luckily our DCs were so happy playing with other toys that I was able to get on with building them in peace. Also luckily I was not doing Christmas dinner at the same time!

We build and then wrap everything at Christmas and for birthdays. I usually take alot of stuff out of boxes too - those ties they use are such a pain in the butt! Makes for alot less stress all round if the job is already done. Most children will be far more impressed with a toy that is ready to play with than a picture of it!

And yes I'm old enough to remember needing a plug!

'DH likes the unspoilt look'

Well then on his birthday you can leave it in the box

Build it in advance, we will be doing the same for DD's 2nd birthday this weekend (a play kitchen in her case rather than playmobil).

Learning patience is important but IMO no one should have to learn stuff on their birthday