too old for happyland?

[waitingforsomething]

DD is coming up for 4 and loves her happyland stuff still. She shuts herself in her room (where her 1 year old brother can't get to her!) and plays with it for ages. I was thinking of getting her a couple more bits for her birthday as we've not got loads but have been told by a few people that she'll grow out of it any minute and I should invest in Playmobil/Sylvanians.
Any thoughts/experiences?

She may not have outgrown it yet but I'd say she is on the cusp.

Could it be that she loves playing with figurines and as Happy land is what she has then that is what she plays with?

I'd highly recommend Playmobil.

She loves figurines yes, and the games usually involve them going in and out of the various shops/places to buy stuff/post letters and then getting on the bus and going to queue up for the fairground rides...

Perhaps I should move her on to playmobil as she's the oldest child so doesn't have an older sibling to move her on from her more toddler-y toys

My DC is 4.5 and still plays with hers along with lots of other figures, so we've action men and play mobil and my little ponies and clangers in the houses as well as the happyland people.

My dd is almost 4 and loves playmobil, I would definitely recommend. She plays with it much the same way you describe the happy land but there is a fantastic scope for different scenarios. We have an ambulance, campground, mobile home, ark, nursery, bin lorry and probably other stuff I've forgotten. She sets them all up in a playmobil city and can be lost in it for hours.

thanks that sounds up her street. I'll have a look :-)

I too think the playmobil is a great alternative, which you should introduce. I know a neighbour's kid loves it and tries to include me in the game every time I am a guest there.

Too late now, but it's a pity you went down that route in the first place.

Duplo, and a bit later, Lego are much more useful, have a much wider range of items with greater play and educational value, and are better made. They may be more expensive but will outlast other products. The Duplo 'Number Train', for instance, is far superior to similar products.

I don't think it's a pity to go down a route of a popular toy that my daughter has got years of imaginative play out of.

We also have a large amount of duplo including the number train, but it is quite a different sort of toy to the small world play I was asking about which is why it isn't already mentioned.

Sorry ferguson what a stupid post. Toys don't need to have an educational value.

Who says the op hasn't got her daughter duplo as well as happy land. I had playmobile, duplo and sticklebricks, I preferred sticklebricks and moved on to Lego. My little brother had Lego which he hardly touched cos he preferred maccarno.

My point is just because ops daughter prefers Happyland it isn't a shame it's hers and ops choice.

And you say the number train is superior to similar products. It isn't similar to Happyland Happyland is small world play and duplo is construction.?

Playmobile is also less 'pink' than Sylvanian families IMO so more likelihood it can be passed onto little brother. My DS loved his.

DD is 5 and still plays with it plus shopkins and barbie and little people, lego so on. She mix and matches and comes up with amazing stories she plays out. personally I still played with that stuff till I was a lot older. 10ish. Could you maybe take a little trip to elc where they have days you can play with some toys that are out. See that your little one plays with.

Sorry to be controversial again (which I haven't been for AGES!) but virtually every interaction between a child and an older person or adult, is - whether you realise it or not - to some extent 'educational' in an informal, or sometimes formal, way; by virtue of the adult having more mature experiences, and the ability to introduce concepts to the child.

It is just because so many parents in the modern world DON'T realise the extent to which they should be discipling their children (which is a form of 'education') that MN columns are littered with so many parents in despair and 'at the end of their tethers'.
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DD is 6 and a half and still loves her Happyland. She has Playmobil and Sylvanian Families but not keen on those at all. Oh, and right now she's playing with Lego and earlier in the week it was Duplo (yep, still got that!). I think Happyland stuff is ace. DD can plays for hours with it, I don't see what's wrong with an imaginative child playing with it?

What has Happyland got to do with discipline?

Playmobil is great for any child past the putting things in their mouth stage. We have the take-along house which would be a good toe in the water starter set. On the other hand if there is a Happyland set she has her eye on then get her what she asks for!

Turgid on what the bloody hell are you talking about! I'm scared you used to be a TA you seem to understand bloody nothing about child devoplment.

Any way this indepentant small world play which actually is educational. Just not academically

Do you understand what small world play is? Imagangative play?

Because first you compare it to duplo, not at all a similar product.

Then you talk about adult interaction and disapline which I don't understand where it comes in to indepentant imagist ive play!

Um Ferguson, what?! I am neither in despair or at the end of my tether, and discipline is not an issue for her. I was just wondering about small world play toys...

Thanks for the playmobil suggestions I'll take a look at what's around. I'm sure it'll all get thrown in with the happyland and played with together whatever I buy!

The playmobil take along house is a good first set because unlike some of the other larger sets it comes fully furnished and is not too pricey. I removed some of the smaller accessories (tiny cutlery!) because it was a bit frustrating for dd to handle but she played for hours setting up the breakfast table and rearranging the furniture.

Op I'm wondering where Ferguson got that this was a disapline or you being at the end of your tether.

Dd loved Happyland when small. From her 5th birthday we started getting her Sylvanian Families which she also loved, ended up with tons of it too over the years.

Dd was never a Lego fan. She got far more play value - for her - from Happyland and Sylvanian Families.

We have a lot of playmobil (I have dd 8 and 5) I would say favourite sets have been the camper van, the pack away house the ark and the current one with my 5 year old is definitely the city life playground stuff. We also have a small zoo set she likes.

I just went to the playmobil shop near me (am abroad, not shopping at 6am) and saw a waterpark set on sale which looks great. I think I might get it for her so I can see how she goes with it. I looked at Sylvanians too and I think it looks good too but this is a child who is luke-warm at best about animals so I think she might prefer the people figures of playmobil.