Playmobil or ELC Castle which one to get ds (4)?

[Glassofwine]

We've never had any Plymobil and I know people rave about it, so tempted to get that one, which also comes with characters etc. The elc one doesn't have any character, so once you've got them too the prices are about the same. Minor detail in that I haven't seen the Playmobil one for sale anywhere either.

oh dont ask me

I LOVE playmobil

it is so fab

so I would say deffo playmobil (ltos and lots of little bits though - I love this but many don't)

playmobil ones are for sale in toysrus Ds is desperate for one but will have to wait until next year as he asked for a kitchen all this year so thats what he has got..lol

playmobil castle

Great website.

get the playmobil

Probably not cheap though.

ds (8) has the Playmobil Rock castle and loves it ! We also bought extensions from Playmobil Direct to make the dungeon bigger and towers taller.

I would say PlayMobil for that age - they are absolutely brilliant.

there seems to be a pattern emerging here!

Hmmm, playmobil is good but you do get a lot of little bits and pieces and I've found that even once you put them together they can break apart quite easily. So it depends what your 4 year old is like! I got a playmobil police station, pirate ship and aeroplane for my 3 last year - they were 4.5, 3 and 1 - teh police station is all broken up in a box, the ship is OK,the plane they really like but the winge and stuff come off really easily and I have to keep putting it back together.

For me, at 4, I'd go for the ELC one. Save playmobil for when they are older.

Playmobil castles look fab but do come to bits. Lots. My ds1 has just sold his because it was so frustrating. Get a wooden castle.

just when i thought playmobil was going to romp it, ELC comes back fighting

The Rock one comes apart a bit (mainly the rocks around the ramparts durign battles) but isn't difficult to put back. Have heard the larger castle is a pita to assemble.

I bought the playmobil one today from John Lewis (no idea if it's going to survive into the new year though!)

Ds1 had the 3268 (very large). It was a lot of work putting it together but it was quite fun (the first time!)

Well, here is an alternative suggestion. My boys rlly love playmobil. They are 5.5 and 2.5. But what they love most is the people, not the large contraptions. They love the knights and castles things and this ye my Mum bought them a wooden castle (not sure from where) without any people. Then I Have bought a load of knights and related parephanalia in playmobil off ebay. You do not need to go one way or the other. I think hte playmobil knights are gret because they do more. But wooden castles are nice and simple.

My daughter has been given both by diffrent Grandparents and gets more use out of the castle.

I would get a wooden castle. Our Playmobil castle (DS2's last Christmas present at 4) is now in bits as I got fed up with rebuilding it so often. It collapses really easily and it's difficult to find all the bits once they've been strewn around a few times. They do like the knights and people, but I prefer those German moulded ones (can't remember the name) and wish I had bought a wooden castle.