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Christmas

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Original poster

Playmobil - should I assemble?

35 replies

Changebagsandgladrags · 15/12/2010 13:24

Have bought DS1 the Playmobil Dragon's Castle for Christmas. Do you think I should assemble it in advance?

Normally I would, but we want him to keep all the Playmobil upstairs as DS2 will be crawling soon.

How frustrating is Playmobil to put together?

OP posts:

NL3 · 15/12/2010 13:28

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
Requires time and alcohol - keep it in the box!

walesblackbird · 15/12/2010 13:29

On a scale of 1-10, I'd say probably about 12!!

We've never put ours together beforehand - half the fun involved is the frustration, arguments and shouting that comes on Xmas morning when you're trying to put the damn thing together!

Thankfully mine are no longer that interested in Playmobil having moved on to Lego which they're now able to put together themselves.

Bucharest · 15/12/2010 15:34

No, no no.
Fathers or Grandads have to put it together, on Christmas Day afternoon, while the ladeez of the house slob on the sofa with the bucket of Thorntons and the cheesey movie.
Men go into the other room and tinker with their spanners.
It's in the Playmobil rule book.

mamaloco · 15/12/2010 15:35

How old is your DS. DD loved putting it together last year at 4.5 that is part of the fun!

MrsJohnDeere · 15/12/2010 15:45

No!

Assembling is a huge part of the fun.

Bucharest · 15/12/2010 16:40

MrsJohnDeere...I'll meet you here, that's what we'll (dp) will be putting together, he has already predicted "even the bloody chickens will have detachable feathers"

howtoapproach · 15/12/2010 16:54

I'd say yes. We bought a jungle safari house (sounds smaller than yours) and it took two of us 2 hours of my DD birthday to put it together. It would be much more fun if they could play with it straight away.

LIZS · 15/12/2010 16:57

Is that the one with the red dragon on the front ? If so it isn't nearly as arduous as some of the others !

DasherandSmugly · 15/12/2010 16:58

I'd say yes too. I spent all last Xmas Eve assembling various toys while DH was in the pub

AllarmBelly · 15/12/2010 17:00

PSML Bucharest at "even the bloody chickens will have detachable feathers"!

We got DD the cafe last year, spent hours putting flower heads on stalks. First thing she does - pull them all off and scatter them over the floor.

MrsDingDongMerrily · 15/12/2010 17:07

I'd say do the bulk of it. I have just been doing the school, my first experience of it, box said 2 hours, it took 4, and that's without all th smaller pieces. We go to visit parents Christmas Day afternoon, so need to have it ready to play with in the morning.

Also our house is small, I did it upstairs, the thought of doing it in the front room when it's awash with wrapping paper and other presents brings me out in a cold sweat.....

sazm · 15/12/2010 17:14

i def would assemble it,
nothing worse than having to do a job like that on xmas morning while your lo is getting fed up waiting and wants to play with it.
i unpack and assemble as much as i can before i wrap it,that way i dont have to spend hours fighting with boxes to get everything out!!!so much easier!!! and means i can chill on xmas morning while the lo's are unwrapping istead of trying to build 20 different things that they all want to play with!

shirazplease · 15/12/2010 17:18

I'm inspired.

Going to arm self with a bottle of wine and attempt to build DD's playmobil hospital tonight.

DH is away on business so won't have to listen to him whining.

Anybody have any experience of building the hospital? Any tips?

Bucharest · 15/12/2010 17:20

Yes!

Not nearly as difficult as either the airport or the modern house.

But then again, there were no chickens.

Or perhaps we're getting better with practise.

Just do it ward by ward, bed by bed. Have you got a flask of soup and a packet of biscuits and a change of pants? You may be gone some time.....

shirazplease · 15/12/2010 17:25

SnowMuchToBits · 15/12/2010 17:39

To the op - it depends on how interested your ds is in the assembly part, and how patient he is, and also whether your dp/dh is keen to help.

We have always left it, as ds enjoys the assembly part, and is reasonably patient, but he was 5 when he had his first Playmobil. Now we are experienced Playmobilers, and can put together even complicated sets quite quickly (ds does most of it, but he's 10 now).

The hospital isn't too bad - would agree with Bucharest it's easier than the airport or modern house. But allow plenty of time if you haven't put Playmobil together before.

Baublepink · 15/12/2010 18:06

Assemble part of it, get a grip on how it all works/puts together and leave a 15 min segment to finish off together on the day, or build in sections if possible and put those together on the day.

Assembling on the day is only fun if it goes together like a dream, first time round. Unfortunately this is rarely the case with self assembly items. DCs get bored and fed up unless they are old/technical enough to assemble themselves or at least make a significant contribution. You could leave little bits for your DS to do himself but definitely, definitely scope it all out beforehand

loujay · 15/12/2010 18:13

YES!!!
I dod not assemble anything for DS birthday on advice of DH, and then spent most of the day constructing a police station.
I am ahead of the game now and have assembles the pirate ship ready for Christmas morning...........it took me 2 hours!! (along with half a bottle of wine)

batshit · 15/12/2010 18:17

I'd say yes as well, or at least put some of it together (the more complicated bits are SO much easier if you can do it in the evening with a bottle glass of wine.

Pantofino · 15/12/2010 18:21

Nooooo! 4 fecking hours and much wine it took to assemble the Playmobile hospital one Xmas eve. That was me AND DH! On Xmas Day, DD took all the people and furniture out and put them in a shoe box. Never ever again.

pugsandseals · 15/12/2010 18:57

Do it beforehand!!!

DD has the modern house which we bought after xmas a couple of years ago. We had the display one so got it ready set up and got a discount! [hides before somebody gets too jealous and throws something]

We later bought the lighting kit for it & it took us hours to take apart & reassemble...

alarkaspree · 15/12/2010 19:01

shiraz, you will never get the playmobil hospital together in one night! It took me two days. And a couple of weeks ago a baby fell on it and broke it, I can't bear the thought of putting it back together now to be honest.

I'm on the side of not assembling it in advance. The kids can have plenty of fun with the characters and easily-assembled accessories while you take your time putting together an entire building.

MrsDingDongMerrily · 15/12/2010 19:57

I worry that if I tried to assemble it in the presence of the DCs, or left it out whilst assembling, DD (4) would start taking the pieces off to play with and I would never find them. Maybe when she's older it will be OK.

petalpower · 15/12/2010 20:49

It took me 4 hours (and lots of biscuits!) to put the hospital together. Not a job for the faint hearted!!

TaperJeanGirl · 15/12/2010 22:38

Oh god im scared now.....my girls are playmobil virgins, ( 3 and 5) and I have got them the campervan and safari hut thingy, they are smaller, please tell me it wont take hours to assemble? I am just testing them out with these and had planned to get house/hospital/school for birthdays.......I feel queasy

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