Best starter Playmobil sets

[17caterpillars1mouse]

DD2 is turning 4 at Christmas and I want to get her a few Playmobil sets. These will be her first ones though she does play with older sisters sets (cattery, take along vets, preschool and adventure playground).

I was planning on the take away doll house and maybe a car? But any other good sets for just turned 4 year olds?

I would buy a range of people and animals as well. And the camper van is magic.

Playmobil do some lovely advent calendars. That could be a good base. They have a 123 range which is a bit chunkier, but at 4 she's probably between that and the normal range.

We have the first set which comes out each year. We also had the 123 Noah's Ark.

Who is the poster on here who does all the fab Playmobil scenes / threads? She’ll be able to make suggestions, if she sees this.

“There is a cost of living crisis in the Playmobil house” will be a top thread. (Are there Playmobil air-fryers?)

I wouldn't get 1-2-3 for a 4 yo.
I got that for my 1.5 year old!

4 yo can handle proper playmobil I reckon but would need help with assembly.

It's so expensive I would start with junior stuff at that age.

@SoMuchToBits
She’s fab!

Look out in Tesco as they often have sets for half price on Clubcard price near Christmas. We had a police van and fire engine at that age which they loved. The zoo is still played with by my now 8 year old.

Favourites in our house are the camper van, large city zoo and horse farm

Ooh, hello! I think it depends what sort of things your dd is into. My ds was very much into fire engines at that age, so his first sets were fire rescue.

I think the camper van is well liked by many people, and maybe some other leisure type sets (there's currently an aqua park etc).

If she likes horses, then maybe the pony farm. I'd definitely get a few sets which can be played with together. And yes, Playmobil is suitable from age 4.

I don't think there's an air fryer though!

Be careful of buying ones that are tall and take up space. We bought the water park and as fun as it is it’s never together long enough to play with as it’s bulky and gets knocked and falls apart easily.

My 3 older Dc (7,6 & 5) love to play playmobil and Dc4 is nearly 3.5 and also loves it. Ds loves his farm he got at 3 and have added stuff over the years, he will be 8 just before Christmas and still plays with it wants stuff.

Dd6 has the hospital & pony farm. Hospital is big and takes up space & a little fiddly but she loves it. The pony farm is great, smaller and have added stuff she plays alongside her brother with his farm.
Dd5 has the safari & zoo sets both well played with not too big either. Ds3 is getting the take along fire station, love the size of it. Pony farm is my favourite though. Agree with @FirstAidKitNowPlease 1,2,3 sets are too simple for nearly 4 or 4 year olds.

Dd wants the house and I didn’t see the takeaway one so will have a look.

Watching for ideas. I have just successfully ebay bid on a boxed Playmobil Farm for DS who will be 3.5.
Also have ordered the Farm Advent Calander to set the scene. Will get tractor and trailer also.

Off to look at Camper Van now ha ha

What are her interests? Mine love the zoo and doll house but there are so many great ones.

Her interests are mainly unicorns and things but I was trying to steer away from that to something more generic and less narrow play if you know what I mean.

We went to the aquarium recently and have seen Smyths have an aquarium set so maybe that. Or campervan or camping set but she's never been camping so I'm not sure if she would get the play value

I like the space sets but again not sure she would know how to play with it as cool as they are

She's still at the younger end of Playmobil so I'd be wary of something with too many small pieces that are easily lost.

My 4 year old loves the Ayuma fairy stuff. I've got her the Ice Palace from the magical range this year so she can attack her brother's fire castle and will get her something from the Ayuma range to go with it.

Of all the stuff we have I think the Scooby doo sets, the novelmore castle and the takealong house get the most play. We have the VW campervan and another one but dc1 (7) plays with them far more than dd.

This year there is a baking themed advent calendar which I'm tempted by.

The Blind Bags are remarkably good value. They have two sets running at a time, ones designed to (somewhat stereotypically) appeal to either boys or girls, they are usually about £2 a figure, goes down well in christmas stockings!

The school bus has been really popular here. It gets the most play out of all our Playmobil. Also the little set that has a hospital bed, doctor and child.

My son who is 4 has the Noah's Ark, the Horse Farm, and the Farm House. They have been constantly played with since he got the first set.
This year we are getting him the Horse Washing Station and then for his birthday the Zoo.

Will also add that we got my 2 year old the 1-2-3 Noahs Ark and it has pretty much been left untouched.

My 2 year old plays with ordinary playmobil so I’d agree that 1-2-3 is too young for a 4 year old.

The camper van was much loved in our house and is a great stand alone set.

We have a big amount of playmobil. My son really likes firemen and police so we have a lot of those sets. But as mentioned the camper is very good and he also has the hospital which has a lot of detail.

Definitely the camper van!

vehicles are better than buildings / scenes too for ease of play and set-up, though a generic house/ building is very versatile for open ended play.

bin lorry also popular in our house, and the car and trailer.

and yes go for proper Playmobil rather than 1-2-3. You can get loads second hand. I got a huge bundle for £20 if you don’t mind some tiny pieces missing. My 5 year old doesn’t play with the tiny bits anyway, they always get left in the box!