1. Playmobil is more versatile than you might think, but I have failed to upload the Gypsy Vehicles my kids built to prove it. Alas. 2. You can build spaceships and the Eiffel tower with it if you are Mark. Only they are a bit weird looking. 3. The Playmobil Fun Park in Malta. Also awesome, if you can find it. (We have been there!)
Actually the real reason I went for Playmobil rather than Lego when my kids were very small is because Lego was so headbashingly gender-themed (Star Wars for boys, pink unicorns for girls) at that time that it made me want to barf. Also, at that time (about ten years ago) you couldn't get anything versatile--they didn't do sets of just LEGO. You had to buy a Death Star or Hogwarts Castle. We did have a few sets but my daughter (age 3) got fed up because I wouldn't buy her the huge £100 set that had the ONLY Hermione figure available, and she was bored not having any girl characters to populate her castle with.
Playmobil, on the other hand, is refreshingly broadminded--true, the construction sets are more "boyish" and the fairy tale castle more "girly"--but in between there are hospitals, zoos, pirates (including figures in all different colors, ages and genders), policemen, airports, farms, playgrounds, beach scenes, etc. They also now do dollhouse families in just about every ethnic group imaginable. It's nice to have people to play with in shades other than gray, green and yellow.
Also, my Egyptian bandit's hideout set comes with a SALUKI. SOOOOO cool!
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branchandroot
belated in Defense of Playmobil!
Date: 2010-01-09 11:24 am (UTC)2. You can build spaceships and the Eiffel tower with it if you are Mark. Only they are a bit weird looking.
3. The Playmobil Fun Park in Malta. Also awesome, if you can find it. (We have been there!)
Actually the real reason I went for Playmobil rather than Lego when my kids were very small is because Lego was so headbashingly gender-themed (Star Wars for boys, pink unicorns for girls) at that time that it made me want to barf. Also, at that time (about ten years ago) you couldn't get anything versatile--they didn't do sets of just LEGO. You had to buy a Death Star or Hogwarts Castle. We did have a few sets but my daughter (age 3) got fed up because I wouldn't buy her the huge £100 set that had the ONLY Hermione figure available, and she was bored not having any girl characters to populate her castle with.
Playmobil, on the other hand, is refreshingly broadminded--true, the construction sets are more "boyish" and the fairy tale castle more "girly"--but in between there are hospitals, zoos, pirates (including figures in all different colors, ages and genders), policemen, airports, farms, playgrounds, beach scenes, etc. They also now do dollhouse families in just about every ethnic group imaginable. It's nice to have people to play with in shades other than gray, green and yellow.
Also, my Egyptian bandit's hideout set comes with a SALUKI. SOOOOO cool!