Playmobil or Sylvanian Families ?

[NomDePlume]

I want to replace DD's ELC HappyLands stuff with a more poseable type of dolls house type range, as she gets frustrated but the non-poseable figures and the fixed furniture.

I like both the Playmobil & Sylvanian Families, I personally prefer the Sylvanian Families and used to collect it all about 20 years ago (when it first came out).

I get the feeling that the Playmobil is going to be a bit more hardwearing though, having said that my Mum still has all the Sylvanian stuff in fab condition so it can't be that fragile. DD is not as careful with her toys as I was (according to my Mum, anyway).

Am I right to think that the sensible option is the Playmobil stuff as it's chunkier and a bit more handwearing ? But it is soooo expensive.

DD will be 3y4m at Christmas.

The playmobil is probably more hardwearing... BUT she will probably grow out of it more quickly if she is a girly girl. Think... a year down the line, will she want sturdy people to play with, or little badgers and kittens?

I am biased though - was still playing with SF until I was about 12

I know what you mean, FS. The SF range is more attractive, but I wonder if the stuff is bit spindly ? If she was 4+ then it would be a total no brainer but because she is younger I'm just not sure.

Some playmobil is available as girly castles and holiday home type things. Also the city range has cute shops- my girls adore it (6+3). Can you tell my bias?

One warning- some of the parts are very tiny. Could be a bit of a risk if she still puts stuff in her mouth. And you will lose bits.

I think they are probably sturdier than they look - probably best to go for things like the bakery, school etc than something with foldy uppy bits like the gypsy caravan, which could have snappable offable bits.

The little guys themselves are fairly sturdy, and I don't recall much in the way of furniture breaking (and I have always been clumsy )

lol - don't you love the way we are promoting what we like most!?

Might be forced to get in my mum's loft at some point and find all my old bits

It's the same with Sylvanian Families, vwvic, wrt the tiny bits situation. The Playmobil range is really varied, loads of stuff for both boys and girls so I'm not worried about the girly element of PM in the slightest.

I really think that if DD had both sets in front of her, she would chose the SF, because she is really girly, but I just don't know if it is the right thing for her age-wise.

How about........ get her something completely different for Christmas, and go for SF for her birthday?

DD is getting the Fifi Flowertot watering can house thingy

We're going with SF this xmas (dd will be 3.2).

We're going to get the canal boat and one fmaily, then if she plays with it loads, we can add to it in time, if not, we'll let it go.

Playmobil is great, but a bit more pc imo!

I was given a handmade dolls house for Christmas when I was around 4.5, that's what started the SF collection off, we bought the furniture and characters to fill it. My Mum still has all the bits and has said that she is going to redecorate and recarpet it for Ella's 4th birthday. So perhaps it would be best to go for the SF ?

dd2 loves sylvanian familes and is getting her first set at christmas - she will be 3years and 3 2 months.

she already has tons of playmobil. dd1 (6) has the sylvanian families caravan and dd2 plays with it very nicely. I would say they are about the same in terms of build quality but the badger babies in tiny dresses certainly win on cute factor.

she is getting the nursery btw

FS, DD wouldn't play with he FiFi thing, it's a bit close to the HappyLands stuff developmentally speaking.

I really need to get working on the dolls house - I inherited my gran's one in March, but it needs a lot of work doing on it... Cold winter nights seem the ideal time

Luckily I don't have a deadline because its never being given to DD specifically as a present - I don't want her to think of it as "hers" and then a sibling come along.

Not that any of that is relevant

Good point - DD's about 12 months behind yours.

SF is sooooo winning at the moment. I started off biased anyway ! TBH, what's swaying it for me is the fact that some of you have littlies younger than my DD who are playing with it. The age range suggested by the manufacturers is 5+ so I was abit concerned about that.

Go for it NdeP!

Birch Timbertop, Prissy Thistlethorn etc. In your home again! How nice!

Enid, I had the caravan when it first came out ! It was a bit flappy and fiddly IIRC, the pony was cute though ! I was always a bit baffled at where the loo should be in that, it didn't have one in the original.

How can I resist?!

It never occurred to me that there was no loo!!! Mine must have just peed in the bushes . I remember sending them to a stream to get buckets of water for dinner and to wash clothes

Yeah, the caravan came with a long thin 'bucket' for laundry didn't it ? Think it came with a washboard too ?

I also had the village store and the bakery and about 5 families

Yeah, the caravan came with a long thin 'bucket' for laundry didn't it ? Think it came with a washboard too ?

I also had the village store and the bakery and about 5 families

My mum spent sooo long trying to get me a grandma Babblebrook (think that was the grey rabbits) - they had stopped making them, and she was hunting in free ads and everywhere. No idea where she finally got her from.

I had caravan, school, stable, camping set (little cloth tent), bakery... and pile of people. My mum must have spent a small fortune on me buying the bulky bits - any furniture and people I tended to save pocket money for. I remember collecting the vouchers to send away for free ones.

Oooh, and a magazine where you got something free each time.

Get yourself the babies, FS!

I had the brown bears, the badgers, the duck family, the owl family and another one I can't remember.