To wonder why so many people on here love Playmobil?

[SchnitzelVonKrumm]

(Clearing out the toy boxes). I know some of the detail is cute, but Playmobil stuff falls apart as soon as you look at it. See also: Sylvanian Families.

I would say it's fine for three and four year olds as long as the children are ready for it, are reasonably gentle with toys and interested in that kind of imaginative play. We got our first set when our son was three - because I'd seen my friend's four year old play very well with it. My son loved it, played really constructively with it, (it was the fire engine and he made multiple, very elaborate "rescue" scenes for hours!), and from then on , we never looked back! It was Playmobil for birthdays, Christmas, holidays - both my children could't get enough of it. My daughter got the mansion at two and a half (much to my in-laws' incredulity and disapproval - they clearly didn't think it would last the day!) and she sat down in wonder and played with it, mesmerized, all Christmas day. I knew she would love it.

We all know our own children and how they play. Some are more than ready to play with it at three or four, or even younger. The ones that do start at an early age normally go on to enjoy it even more over the years, expanding their collection, joining the "scenes" together, and generally making their play ever more complex and interesting.

I have a very soft spot for Playmobil - in my son and daughter's childhood, it was synonymous with happiness.

We loved playmobil in this house. I think the refuse vehicle was the most played with toy ever, closely followed by the helicopter and fire engine.

Youngest is 11 so too old for it now. We have a mountain of it to get rid of.

YABVU re Playmobil...it's wonderful stuff. It's the single most played with toy in our house (2 DDs, 9 & 7). The campervans is my own personal favourite.

I'll give you Sylvanian Families though .....it's a pile of crap.

PS how do manage to get it to break? I've always thought it one of the toughest toys around,

I love Playmobil. I don't have children but that's a minor detail. It appeals to the miniaturist in me, like dolls houses but on a wider scale. If I ever won the lottery I would have a room of dolls houses and an entire city of Playmobil.