Wooden or playmobil pirate ship - what would a 4 year old prefer?

[TheScottishPlayer]

I had been looking at this playmobil one but have recently come across this le toy van one.

Any thoughts on what is likely to be played with more? I have a preference for playmobil but it's not really about me.

Playmobil. There's so much more detail from what I can see.

We bought DS (4) the playmobil one for christmas and he loves it and its played with daily. Be warned though that are lots of very small bits in it, if you have younger siblings. I like wooden toys myself but then im old!

I'm more of a wooden toy person myself but for this sort of thing plymobil rally is best. We got some wooden playmobil-alike stuff for DN (http://www.google.nl/search?q=woody+click&hl=nl&client=firefox-a&hs=paJ&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=WGI6T_ukBKPD0QXd_9WTCw&ved=0CDsQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=591Woody Click) pre-DC, it's fab but playmobil is so, so much better.

woody click

We keep the small bits of playmobil sets in component boxes, helps make sure the sets stays complete and I just keep the smallest bits in the box when there are tinys about.

Playmobil - because you'll eventually buy other Playmobil things and the pirates will be able to have Playmobil refuse collection vehicle empty their bins, and they can invade the island with the Playmobil castle and escape from the Playmobil dragon, visit the Playmobil zoo and then go home to their mum's Playmobil house in a Playmobil taxi and get held up in roadworks where the Playmobil digger is mending the road, etc.

Definitely the Playmobil one. Ds loves his.

We got ds the playmobil one for xmas he's just 5 now and loves it, but so many little pieces and takes ages to put up :)

Thanks everyone - fairly overwhelmingly in favour of playmobil then! DS does have some other playmobil that I really enjoy setting up for him so I can see how the Pirates might invade the zoo and have an ice cream in our cafe!

We have a playmobil house next to a playmobil hospital. DD wanted the playmobil chuch to go next to them.

"Ahhh, that's sweet, is it for weddings?"

"No, Mum, when the poeple get sick at home and Calpol doesn't work they go next door to the hospital, and if the doctors can't make them better and they die, they can go next door to the Church...."

timetosmile - is there a priest figure in the church? Or is it non-denominational?

I remember seeing a nun playmobil figure in a museum. Can?t buy them now though.

Playmobil
We have a wooden dolls house, but it is inhabited by Playmobil people, with Playmobil furniture.
At the moment is a respite home for sick children who arrive and depart in playmobile ambulances to visit the Playmobil clinic (DD2's Xmas money) or go off in various vehicles to visit the pets zoo. Where the keeper lives in the Playmobil campervan. Etc etc etc
You get the idea.
DD is almost 11 and this lot is still all over the livingroom.
Playmobil is her thing, she loves the detail the fact that you can get vehicles that people can ride in and take their bikes and luggage and pets. Also you can take out the seats and put in pushchairs and wheel chairs. Thus really complicated family sagas can be acted out - yawn, but she loves it

"Playmobil rocks!"..posted on behalf of 3 DCs, 4-12 yrs

I would have been like that if I had playmobil growing up startail. I secretly yearned for some kind of massive little world toys.

timetosmile - would the church be for praying for miracles or for playmobil funerals?

I think we'll definitely go for playmobil. The new one will be out in time for DS's birthday. How big do the ships tend to be? Do they dismantle much?

We're Playmobil fans but sorry not the Playmobil pirate ship.

I have twin boys and for their 4th bday/Xmas they got the Le Toy Van one in your link and the blue Le Toy Van one along with The Bucaneers fort,the playmat and all the PM pirates.

They are fab toys and stand up to pirate duals.I know many people who got the PM ship and all the bits come off and they don't withstand violent battles.

The PM people are the perfect scale for Le Toy Van and the cannons in the Le Toy Van ships are fab albeit lethal ie the cannon balls can travel some distance.They are going to be lovely toys to pass onto my grandkids one day.

i dont like the playmobile pirateship either sorry! but the riggin was forever coming off etc and it was a pain in the arse! another fan of le toy van here, were have the ship and its withstood my four boys just great :)

We have the Playmobil Ghost pirate ship which my DS(5) loves. It has hidden compartments that the ghosts arise from and working cannons. I think a lot may depend where you think it will be used, my DS mostly plays with it in the bath which is why we went for the plastic one. It does have an easily removable weight (just clicks out) when not using in the bath and it is fitted with wheels. The worst parts are the treasure coins but I superglued them into little bundles of coins before we gave it him for this birthday.

Ooh, some late support for le toy van! Interesting to hear that playmobil figures are a good size for le toy van ships.

that should say rigginG obviously, but yes it drove me DEMENTED! seriously i was very tempted to super glue it on but that didnt seem to work, the wooden one is much nicer, the boys can put the sails on etc themselves, but can take the masts out to put them into the boat and then it slides under their bed so storage is easier. we have the schleich figures, which are a good size and no little bits to get lots or heads or hair to come off etc!

That's interesting to know 4madboys. I have got a friend who has a wooden ship (but not the le toy van one) and I think that comes apart really easily when my DS and her DS play with it together which had put me off wooden ones.

I imagine that DS would love to play with a pirate ship in the bath though (or maybe even in a paddling pool in the summer if we get one this year) so I think I'm edging in favour of playmobil again.

Thanks everyone for all the feedback though, much appreciated.

we had an elc wooden pirate ship that was also quite good, i dont know if they do it anymore?

re boats for in the bath, the imaginext toys do a good range of stuff like a submarine etc that is great, again very sturdy,comes with little people etc, we have the boat, a helicopter two submarine type things and they have lasted really well and are played with by all of my 5, ranging from 12yrs down to 14mths :)