Playmobil

[Elizabeth86]

I have seen this mentioned a few times as christmas toy suggestions. I swear I must live under a rock, but I have never heard these. I just looked them up and the small set or toy seems like it would be a nice stocking gift for my boys. So, can I find them at walmart? Or where?

[Night Elf]

Oh my son was into Playmobil until he was about 12 or 13. He loved setting up the sets. 

 

Yes you can find them just about anywhere that sells toys. I usually bought them on Amazon because I was looking for particular sets he requested.

[Kanin]

Playmobil are amazing, wonderful, creative toys! They're well-made and last forever... like LEGOs. They were my absolute favorite toy growing up :-)

[Elizabeth86]

My ds 1 that really is not hugely into toys at the ripe old age of 6 would really get into these I think.

[Night Elf]

There are lots of themes too. Go to the Playmobil site and see if anything looks like it would work  for your son, then you can buy it either in a store or online. They have History, Knights, Pirates and other themes. 

[PeterPan]

ToysRUs carries playmobil, so you can go to the store and see the sets and pick out accessories, etc. We've collected a ridiculous amount of playmobil and it has gotten a LOT of use here over the years. It really ranks up there with lego for us. 

[marbel]

My kids adored Playmobil, by far their favorite toy. Hours of imagintive play. We still have it all, a huge bin. Best toy money spent.

[OrganicJen]

I don't know about these either so we must be under the same rock lol.

[gardenmom5]

better toy stores.

ebay or amazon.

garage sales.

 

they're not cheap - but will last forever.

 

 

[gardenmom5]

ToysRUs carries playmobil, so you can go to the store and see the sets and pick out accessories, etc. We've collected a ridiculous amount of playmobil and it has gotten a LOT of use here over the years. It really ranks up there with lego for us. 

 

and like lego - you can find discontinued sets elsewhere.  I got dudeling a noah's ark set he adored.

[regentrude]

Absolutely the favorite toy here. My kids got their first sets at age 4/6 (pirate ship/pony stable). Over the years we acquired the castle and knights, lots of figurines, the Egyptian set, and the Romans. For many years, until they were preteens, playmobil was the only toys they ever played with. 

Great for creative play. They spent hours every day setting up, invented worlds, combined the different sets. Absolutely fantastic and worth every penny. We kept it all.

 

Edited December 13, 2017 by regentrude

[Rachel]

Amazon and bookstores.

 

Just a warning that I bought my daughter a starter set and missed the wording that it didn’t come in a box. She won’t mind but it threw me off.

[Annie G]

Our Playmobil was very much loved and now it's the favorite toy the grandkids play with when they visit. We mostly collected animal sets (which means we have trees, rocks, caves,farm stuff etc, too) and princess stuff.   Also have a smattering of more boy stuff, but since 3/4 of the grands are girls we're in luck. 

[hellen]

The Playmobil website has good prices. There is a coupon code through the 15th for 25% off orders over $100. It's USB7BC.

 

We've had Playmbil under the Christmas tree for the past 10 years. We get more use out of the smaller pieces than the bigger pieces.

[3 ladybugs]

My DH still has Playmobile from when his father was stationed in Germany with his family. It gave him a life line love of Playmobile. 

 

Yes it is little scenarios that they can act out. Right now my 4 year old loves the Pirate sets that we have. 

[medawyn]

I loved Playmobil growing up! I'm holding out until next Christmas, when I will hopefully only have one child putting things in her mouth and two children who can build independently.  I can't wait!

[AndyJoy]

We're huge Playmobil fans here. My 8-year-old boy and 4-year-old girl get TONS of use out of them. We have a house, vintage castle (amazing thrift store find), preschool, school, farm, zoo, beach house, pool, playground, pirates, whew! We rotate what's out and they love it all.

 

Amazon, Toys R Us, our local toy shop, and the Playmobil website are all places I shop. Our local Toys R Us often has 20% off vehicles, or buy one get one 40% off, or clearance sets.

[ScoutTN]

Playmobil rocks!!!

 

My ds is fetting some American Revolution figures this year. Lots of cannons too.

 

The Playmobil Nativity is the first Christmas devoration out and the last put away every yeat.

[Garga]

Thomas the Tank Engine, Lego, and Playmoil. Those are the big three.

 

I rarely found them in stores. I would order them online. I never much liked the ones they had in stores. We had our own particular tastes. I would highly recommend spending some time on the website. I felt like the good stuff was online and the stuff the store owners picked to stock in their stores wasn't the good stuff.

 

For my boys, they never cared much about anything except the people themselves. They liked the swords and clothings accessories, but didn't care for things like the food that might come with a set, or the castle that might come with a set. Just the people. Of course, kids are all different, but it made it easier for us to get a huge collection of people. Maybe that's why I liked online better. The store would have more elaborate sets and we just wanted the Egyptian family, a few pirates, and some cowboys. :)

 

I'm keeping the Thomas, Lego, and Playmobil stuff for guests and grandkids.

 

I just wish I had kids to buy these for, because I personally loved them, too. I got their Christmas nativity set and it's on my sideboard right now. :) And they have a Doctor Who set that I have my eye on.

Edited December 13, 2017 by Garga

[underthebridge]

I loved Playmobil, but my kids preferred Lego. It has about a gazillion small pieces, so be aware. Definitely would not recommend it for that other “toys without small pieces†thread!

[Starr]

We spent money on Legos/Bionicles, Thomas the Tank and alll the engines (Brio track), and Playmobil.  I regret none of the spending.  Hours and hours of play.

 

In our downsizing, we are having to choose what to get rid of.  I'll keep a subset of the Playmobil, but not the big pieces--I already gave most of those to a godson who is giving them new life--but the small pieces/sets, those are wonderful for when friends with kids come over.  They just go play and the adults can talk and talk.  

 

My 22yo son is going to keep the Bionicles and the Lego trains and track but he will sell the rest.  But neither of us will let go of Thomas :0).  Even with the Roundhouse, I can get that all in one box.  

 

 

:001_tt1:   :party:  :thumbup:

[Calm37]

We kept hearing rave reviews and bought a set. Many of the pieces broke. I just had a different experience, I guess.

[Elizabeth86]

We spent money on Legos/Bionicles, Thomas the Tank and alll the engines (Brio track), and Playmobil. I regret none of the spending. Hours and hours of play.

 

In our downsizing, we are having to choose what to get rid of. I'll keep a subset of the Playmobil, but not the big pieces--I already gave most of those to a godson who is giving them new life--but the small pieces/sets, those are wonderful for when friends with kids come over. They just go play and the adults can talk and talk.

 

My 22yo son is going to keep the Bionicles and the Lego trains and track but he will sell the rest. But neither of us will let go of Thomas :0). Even with the Roundhouse, I can get that all in one box.

Aww we love thomas too. I am so thrilled my dd likes them too. She is getting her first engine Rosie for Christmas this year!

[school17777]

We kept hearing rave reviews and bought a set. Many of the pieces broke. I just had a different experience, I guess.

 

That is a different experience. I have had very few pieces break.

[regentrude]

We kept hearing rave reviews and bought a set. Many of the pieces broke. I just had a different experience, I guess.

 

Very unusual. We have hundreds (perhaps thousands) of pieces and no more than one or two broken ones over all the years.

[displace]

I’ve seen a few kits at target, definitely toys r us, but I’ve never seen Walmart carry them.

 

My playmobil experience is varied- large sets take forever to build, and mine tended to not stay together. Small pieces went missing until I had a separate place for them (and still I think some are missing). One child didn’t care much, the other likes them. A small starter kit (or a travel one with a case), in a theme that you think they will like, can be a trial start.

 

As an adult, I like them (I think they are cute and creative).

Edited December 13, 2017 by displace

[Hilltopmom]

Mine LOVED them. We have a ton- many totes full saved. Some were dh’s as a child.

The only broken ones were one or two I stepped on where legs snapped off animals

(Like a deer with long thin legs).

Edited December 13, 2017 by Hilltopmom

[JFSinIL]

I have a TON of sets boxed up in the basement since my kids went and grew up on me (drat). Hoping for grandkids living close by eventually - not watch me not get any gk, since I saved so much stuff for them!

 

Playmobile is quality stuff. Not for little kids who may still stick things in their mouths as the heads and event he hair pops off and could choke someone.

 

Check the Playmobile site, too, for clearance/sales.

[Hobbes]

They are fabulous. We've been collecting Playmobil for years. It's on every birthday list and is used daily, sometimes for hours.

 

I love it because it all goes into bins - no new category of item to sort. I have a tall plastic drawer set that holds it all and a large (non-Playmobil) doll house that gets staged with endless Playmobil events.

 

We have had last zero breakages in about six years of Playmobil.

[marbel]

One of my kids is very good at breaking things and never broke any Playmobil.  I hope the quality hasn't gone down.  We started buying about 15 years ago and stopped about 5 years ago, so all our stuff is oldish.  Even the Viking ship came out unscathed. 

 

Oh and BTW my 18 year old daughter still looks wistfully at the dollhouse when she sees one in the store.  We never did buy one, as she had another dollhouse. If she ever has a daughter, I will buy her that dollhouse.  

[Spryte]

Another playmobil family here. We are huge history and pirate set fans. I have the sweetest memories of DS at 6, playing with the Egyptians and Romans, listening to Jim Weiss read about Egyptian myths. We had blue play silks for the Nile. So much fun! That was the year DS asked Santa for “the entire Roman army.†Santa’s face was priceless!

 

Playmobil is our most played with toy, by our kids and visitors alike. We have to pull out Xmas pieces every winter. We have an advent calendar (ice skating in the forest) going now, a Xmas party room, and a Chris Kringle Mart ... all three in the living room right now.

 

I have never even heard of pieces “breaking†- how is that even possible? Wow. Unless maybe it’s a large piece and wasn’t put together quite right? Small pieces - what’s to break? I’m sorry for the PP who had that happen.

 

We have spent a small fortune on playmobil. Worth every penny!

 

I buy from the website, mostly, but sometimes discount places like Home Goods or Tuesday Morning have limited sets. It’s worth checking there, though they don’t always have sets we would want.

[school17777]

Elizabeth86, if I’m remembering correctly, your oldest is 6 and you have a preschooler, a toddler, and one on the way? If that’s correct, unless your 6yo has a place to play where the Little’s can’t get to, I would not get regular Playmobil at this stage of your life. I would get Playmobil 123 which all of them could play with.

 

Our stash of Playmobil 123 has had a permanent place in our familyroom for 19 years even without little ones so visitors can play with it.

[Night Elf]

Oh I forgot about our Advent calendars. This is the first time in years that I haven't put them out. My two at home are 19 and 21 and they said they weren't interested. They said that last year too but opened boxes each day anyway. I am afraid to try this year anyway because of our new cat who is still a kitten, though probably close to a year old. He explores and knocks things on the floor and bats them around. I don't want to lose any pieces. I put them back in the boxes to reuse each year.

[marbel]

I’m embarrassed to say I’m not exactly sure what this is. Is it like the little people sets?

 

It is only the best imaginative play toy ever produced.  Not being snarky at all; it's true.  Well, in my opinion.  :-)

 

http://www.playmobil.us

 

ETA: I'm getting misty-eyed looking at the history sets.  Kind of sad to see the pop culture stuff (Ghostbusters) in a way.  How is that better than Vikings?  Am I being a snob?    :-)  

 

ETA2: Someone gave us the special edition Martin Luther figure last year.  It's permanently on our mantle.  :-)

Edited December 13, 2017 by marbel

[Elizabeth86]

Elizabeth86, if I’m remembering correctly, your oldest is 6 and you have a preschooler, a toddler, and one on the way? If that’s correct, unless your 6yo has a place to play where the Little’s can’t get to, I would not get regular Playmobil at this stage of your life. I would get Playmobil 123 which all of them could play with.

 

Our stash of Playmobil 123 has had a permanent place in our familyroom for 19 years even without little ones so visitors can play with it.

Why so exactly? If it is due to small pieces, thats the one area the little one is good at. She hasn't put small parts in her mouth in ages. If it is because she will wreck what they are doing? She does that with everything. I just have the boys lock her out when they are working on something and I play with her.

[hellen]

I saw the site but I don’t get it. So are they like a cross between Polly Pocket and LEGO? Are there main sets? There’s like a gazillion different products but I’m not sensing a foundational theme and am totally confused :o

The fact that there are a gazillion different products and no foundational theme is what makes it so great. It can be used by girls and boys in a million different ways. Pirates with cannons can storm the princess castle. A grocery store can become a museum that is robbed. My girls make a town with a school, post office, park with fountain, playground, and forest. It's the variety of sets that allows one to do so much.

[Tenaj]

So it’s literally just a maker of themed play sets? That makes more sense.

 

Yes but the quality is super and the detail is fascinating.  I remember one Christmas when my olders were young that one of them got a Playmobile wagon as part of the Old West Theme (which I think has been discontinued).  My father was fascinated with the detail but then amazed that it was strong enough to actually play with.

 

My kids have sets, upon sets, upon sets stacked up in the basement.  I really should sort them out but I don't know where to start.  

 

I joke though about how much money has gotten swept up in my house through Playmobile.  Clickty-Clack . . a pirate revolver gone, that's 50 cents, clickty-clack, there went a sword ($1) . . LOL!

[nixpix5]

It is only the best imaginative play toy ever produced. Not being snarky at all; it's true. Well, in my opinion. :-)

 

http://www.playmobil.us

 

ETA: I'm getting misty-eyed looking at the history sets. Kind of sad to see the pop culture stuff (Ghostbusters) in a way. How is that better than Vikings? Am I being a snob? :-)

 

ETA2: Someone gave us the special edition Martin Luther figure last year. It's permanently on our mantle. :-)

I couldn't agree more with this. We are a major playmobil family. They are a must in our homeschool. We use them in history and to create grammar scenes. We have one of the older medieval castles that is super accurate and the first pyramid. Those are our favorites but my DD adores her shopping mall, fairy tale castle and dollhouse. The boys have the spy sets with the secret cave. That thing is neat! Our space rocket gets a ton of play too. Yes, they are huge and take up alot of room and yes, there are so many small pieces everywhere but it is imagination at its finest. I am not thrilled of the licensing products coming out such as ghost busters. Still, if they do Howarts I will be all over that.

[regentrude]

So it’s literally just a maker of themed play sets? That makes more sense.

 

Yes. There are many different themes. You have larger sets, small sets, very small add-ons and can get figures, creatures, and implements separately.

All the different sets combine. My kids loved combining the pirates with the castle knights and the pony barn :)

There are instructions how to build up the basic set, like the castle, but they don't have to construct it like that; it can be assembled in many different ways and lends itself to very creative play.

The quality of the plastic is outstanding; we used it daily over many years and had two small broken pieces out of many hundred. My kids inherited 15 year old sets from my niece which were in great condition.

 

[Spryte]

Playmobil is higher quality than something like Polly Pocket, IME. And rather than a trend type toy, it tends to classics and collectibles. Though they do have some trend type sets, I think the classics are their better sets. Much like Lego Brick Fairs, there are conventions with people showcasing their collections.

 

I have sets from my own childhood, still in pristine shape. :)

 

We like the history sets. DS was enthralled with ancient Egypt, and it was wonderful to be able to buy well made play sets in that theme - we have the big pyramid with trap doors and staircases, a temple, the barge, the sphinx, and a ton of accessories. Combine those with the Roman history sets and it’s a great way to act out what one learns in SOTW vol 1.

 

DD is on the floor with a giant forest set up right now, and DS 13 has joined her. It really just has an appeal that some toys don’t, but YMMV depending on the set you buy. We have found that the fairy sets and pink castles get very little play after the initial wow, but the gender neutral sets are timeless, for our kids.

[displace]

Regarding breaking- ours don’t usually break, but the large sets continually come apart at the seams. The connectors are not sturdy enough. For instance, the School roof bits come off, the floors and walls need to be reassembled, etc. We had smaller structures that the walls came apart too, not just huge structures.

[Spryte]

Coming back to add that we now, at this moment, have the Hunger Games on the floor, thanks to the resident teenager. Ha! Never saw that coming. Snorted coffee over that one.

[regentrude]

Coming back to add that we now, at this moment, have the Hunger Games on the floor, thanks to the resident teenager. Ha! Never saw that coming. Snorted coffee over that one.

 

LOL.

The first day my DS was homeschooled (5th grade), he used playmobil to stage the battle of Thermopylae.

[Spryte]

They do look high quality. I’d trade all our MLP junk for those. And I’ve been trying to reduce the toy load - I wonder if I can do some swapping....

Ooooh, fun! I’m always envious of those who get to discover playmobil for the first time! Have a blast!

 

DH always teases me that the playmobil is for me, not the kids. There’s something so enthralling about it.

 

Playmobil and Lego are the two categories that have stood the test of time here and will be saved. That, and the Haba ball run. Ok, and the Breyer horses. Ha!

[2ndGenHomeschooler]

My DS8 fell in love with Playmobil at a friend’s house. They have 11 kids (oldest is my age) who have loved Playmobil over the years. They have a lot. When my son first saw it the teenage boys had a battle scene set up. We got him a small knight set and he LOVES playing with it. He adds in Legos (we’re big on Legos here) and toy animals. I think I’m going to get him more for Christmas. I just ordered the catalog this morning. I think when my girls see all the sets they’ll be hooked too.

[Spryte]

Ooooh, you are going to have a ball! Enjoy!

[OrganicJen]

I'm on the verge of ordering the 1,2,3 countryside set for my toddler now.  I had never seen these Playmobil sets before but they do look very nice. 

[marbel]

When my boy was about 9, I think, we hired a teen to do some yardwork for us.  He would come in the house for lunch.  And I'd find them on the floor with the playmobil, staging battles.  

 

And, many years later, I think my kids were 15 and 14, we got new carpet for our son's bedroom.  After the installers left, there was this big wide-open space... and the kids asked if they could get the playmobil out. They had a blast; it reminded them of good times and was great bonding for them at their ages. They were sad, though, because they couldn't find Pirate Princess.  I don't know if she was an actual female pirate or a princess from another set.  

 

One year for Christmas I ordered a bunch of random pieces on ebay. It was so fun going through all that, and it just didn't matter that it was random.

[ikslo]

Last night DS’s Playmobil figures attacked his Lego city.

[Elizabeth86]

You all have totally talked me into getting these. We are kind of done with Christmas, but definatley Easter baskets and my second ds's birthday is around the corner. I will get some for ny niece and nephew too as they are really into legos, but I haven't heard their mom mention pmaymobil, so she might be living under a rock like me.