Playmobil Eggs for Easter #PlaymobilPlayologist

It seems like just yesterday that our Playmobil Advent Calendar's last door was opened, heralding the excitement of Santa's imminent arrival, but now we are looking forward to Easter. Easter is a lovely time of year and an opportunity for the family to get together for some fun Easter activities and a celebration Sunday dinner. Little ones love to receive Easter gifts and Playmobil has a great range of toys encased in colourful, plastic Easter eggs, which are perfect for giving, that make a great alternative to traditional chocolate eggs.

Freddy was delighted to receive two of the Playmobil eggs, one from the Sports & Action and the other from the City Life range to open early. (The eggs are available to buy from February 2016.) Both suitable for boys and girls who love Playmobil toys, they are £6.99 each, which is a great price for a Easter gift that will be loved and enjoyed for years to come. We think they are brilliant!

The City Life egg is bright yellow in colour and contains a sealed bag containing nine Playmobil pieces including a female zookeeper figure, an alpaca and accessories. With a broom for sweeping and a bucket of greenery for the alpaca to eat, children can enjoy lots of imaginative play.

The toys can be packed away into the egg for storage or added to your Playmobil collection.

The bright red egg contains the Sports & Action soccer player, perfect for sports mad kids. The set contains one footballer in a red jersey along with a ball and a goal. There are some numbered stickers so you can personalise his strip with the number of your choice.

The footballer figure fits on a stand and has a leg with real kick action so you can kick the ball into the goal for some penalty practice. This adds an extra element of fun to play time.

The Playmobil Egg toys are the same high quality as you would expect from the brand. Played with as a one-off toy, or as part of a big collection, Playmobil offers the opportunity for children to create their own world of imagination, allowing them to explore different worlds and environments through play.

The eggs are suitable for children aged 3 to 10 years old and can be found on the Playmboil website where you can see the whole range of Playmobil Eggs for 2016: Easter Bunny School, Mermaid with Seahorses, Soccer Player with Goal, Zookeeper with Alpaca and Pirate on Treasure Hunt. Each is £6.99.

Counting Down to Christmas with a Playmobil Advent Calendar

The countdown to Christmas is always made so much more exciting with an advent calendar. Opening the windows everyday, adds to the build up and excitement of the season. One of our favourite advent calendar choices from the last few years is a PLAYMOBIL Advent Calendar. Each window reveals a PLAYMOBIL figure or accessory, which when displayed together, create an attractive festive scene that looks great and can be played with. The best thing is that the toys can also be played with long after advent is over and for years to come, making this a great value advent calendar idea.

As part of the 2015 PLAYMOBIL Playologist team, Freddy has been sent a Christmas Room Advent Calendar featuring a rather elegant PLAYMOBIL family preparing for Christmas, enjoying the festivities, eating luxury food and trimming the tree in their rather fancy living room. It's suitable for both boys and girls, encouraging role play and inspiring imagination, providing a familiar setting for children to explore.

The advent calendar includes a 3D cardboard room backdrop, on which to display the pieces, adding one piece each day. It is easy to put together with slots and tabs. There is also a booklet included, which gives full instructions on the pieces and on any assembly that may be needed.

The PLAYMOBIL family of mum, dad, and two children, along with their family pets, look very happy opening their presents from around the light up Christmas tree in their decorated room.  (The light up tree requires two AAA batteries, which are not included.)

The advent calendar itself consists of a large sealed box with 24 cut out numbered windows of various sizes. There is a push out section on the back that allows it to be wall mounted if required. The windows are relatively easy to open to reveal that day's surprise, although a little adult help may be needed for little hands to open them neatly. Some pieces in the advent calendar require assembly,which can prove a bit fiddly for children and may require a grown-up's help. The collection grows throughout December, until the full scene is completed on Christmas Eve. The excellent quality of the product is exactly what you would expect from the PLAYMOBIL brand.

Find this advent calendar and the full range of toys on the  PLAYMOBIL website. You will find so many great Christmas gift ideas for the little people in your life!

                         


The PLAYMOBIL Christmas Room Advent Calendar is £19.99 and recommended for children aged 4+ .

WIN a PLAYMOBIL Special Forces Firefighter to celebrate London Fire Brigade’s 150th anniversary

London Fire Brigade have recruited a specialist #PLAYMOBILBrigade to release a catchy sing-a-long stop-motion video, to introduce children to our Fire Brigade heroes and ensure they know who to call if  they ever find themselves in danger.

To celebrate, we have a PLAYMOBIL Special Forces Firefighters to give away to 2 lucky winners!

The video shows how London Fire Brigade fights more than just house fires and highlights how much they do for the community. It launches the Brigade’s 150th anniversary celebrations, as part of a partnership running into 2016 aiming to educate children about fire safety outside of the home.

In true PLAYMOBIL style, children can watch the fire service as they rescue clowns from an RTA caused by a dragon, save an elderly lady from a flood and attend an out-of-control campfire attended by Father Christmas. The video showcases the variety of heroic deeds our fire fighters do.

For your chance to win, simply watch the video below and answer the following question as a comment on this blog and complete the Rafflecopter entry form:

What is the second emergency our PLAYMOBIL firefighters are called to?

         


a Rafflecopter giveaway

To browse the PLAYMOBIL Fire Brigade range, visit www.playmobil.co.uk/LondonFireBrigade

January 1st 2016 marks the start of London Fire Brigade’s 150th year in operation. To find out how to join in the celebrations throughout 2016, visit www.lfb150.co.uk

The video will be used by London Firefighters and the Brigade’s Education team as part of their fire prevention outreach work, teaching children in foundation year classes (Nursery, Reception and Year 1) about the people who help us.

Full Ts&Cs:

1.  Participation in the competition is free of charge and does not require an order to be placed. By entering the competition – with the consent of his/her legal guardian if the user is of minor age – accepts these terms and conditions, and any other conditions or deadlines mentioned separately.

2.  PLAYMOBIL will handle all personal details such as family name, first name, phone number and email address in accordance with legal provisions.

3. Entry to the competition is open to all persons aged 18 and over, and resident in the UK. Legal representatives and employees of PLAYMOBIL or LFB and their family members are not eligible.

4. To take part in the competition the user must submit the correct answer to the question on this page by midnight on 19/11/15.

5. The winner will be randomly drawn from all entries in relation to the competition. Any recourse to courts of law is excluded.

6. The winner will be notified via email and will need to reply by email to confirm acknowledgement of the prize. If a winner fails to make contact by midnight on 19/11/15, the prize will be forfeited and a new winner will be drawn at random.

7. The prize: a. There will be 2 winners who will win 1 x Special Forces Fire Fighters figure each

8. PLAYMOBIL bears the costs for shipping the prize to the UK domicile of the winner.

It is agreed by the participant with PLAYMOBIL that any further costs incurred by winners in relation to this competition, e.g. customs duties and taxes for the prize, shall be met by the winner or his/her legal guardian.

9. The prize may take up to 2-4 days to arrive.

10. PLAYMOBIL reserves the right to replace the advertised prizes with other prizes and to change the game rules any time. The change takes effect the next calendar day. In this event the participant is not entitled to lodge a claim of any kind against PLAYMOBIL.

11. PLAYMOBIL shall not be liable for any loss or injury which the participant may incur as a result of accepting or making use of the prize.

12.  PLAYMOBIL is entitled to exclude participants from the competition at any time in the event of a serious breach of contract.

13. PLAYMOBIL has the right to cancel the competition at any time without prior notice and without indicating any reasons, particularly if technical complications arise.

14. Any recourse to courts of law is excluded.

Playmobil Easter Gift Eggs

This Easter, why not get the kids a gift that will last a lot longer than a chocolate egg?  

Playmobil Eggs are a brilliant alternative, containing a fabulous Playmobil figure and accessories inside a colourful plastic shell.  The contents build into a lovely playset and are available in different themes to suit the child's taste.  We received a Playmobil Pirates Egg and a Playmobil Princesses Egg to try out.  

The packaging is very enticing, with the large egg showing through the cardboard surround.  The 13 cm tall egg opens into two halves and inside is the Playmobil toy set.  The 50 piece pirate set consists of a pirate figure in full regalia along with a rowing boat and lots of bits and bobs such as a treasure chest, gold coins, pistol and drinking bottle.  The  princess  comes with a vanity station, plant pot, flowers and beauty accessories in a 27 piece set. 

Freddy was really excited to get his hands on the Playmobil Pirate Egg. He loved the pirate set that was inside it and with a little help was able to put the bits of the rowing boat together.  The pirate was soon rowing his boat and waving his pistol in the air! Freddy already has some other Playmobil Pirates toys, and this new set will be a fabulous addition to the collection. The quality and detail of Playmobil makes it one of my favourite toy brands and I love how they are equally good as a stand alone toy or as a collectible toy.

The Playmobil Easter Eggs are recommended for children aged between 3 and 10 years old.  They are excellently priced at £6.99.  This year Playmobil have the pirate and the princess egg, as well as a beach scene and a tractor egg to choose from.

They will be available online at www.playmobil.co.uk in time for Easter.  (You can set up an email reminder to let you know when they are available to buy.)

Counting Down to Christmas with Playmobil

Halloween and Bonfire Night are over.  This signals the start of my countdown to Christmas, where I begin making plans for the festive season, ensuring I have ideas in place to give my family a wonderful time!  One of the decisions to be made is what advent calendar to give my children.  This year, Freddy is really lucky to have been sent a Playmobil Advent Calendar in a Santa's Workshop design.

It has a really festive theme and includes excitingly Christmassy bits including Santa, a reindeer, a sleigh, elves, a fairy and toys, hidden behind each of the 24 windows.  The pieces are all top quality Playmobil figures and accessories that can be played with year after year.

The advent calendar comes fully assembled, ready to be started on December 1st.  Each window is nice and big, and easy for little hands to open.  Children love spotting the right number on the window each day, and the numbers are very clearly displayed.

The set comes with a cardboard play scene to be used as a base for all the pieces.  Each day, children discover a surprise Playmobil piece that helps build up the scene.  At the end of the 24 days, children will have a lovely Santa's workshop display that will make a wonderful festive decoration that can be played with and enjoyed.

The Playmobil Santa's Workshop looks so lovely.  We are so looking forward to start it and create our own Santa's Workshop display and countdown the days to Christmas with Playmobil.

The Playmobil Advent Calendars retail at £18.99 and can be found on the Playmobil website.  As well as the Santa's Workshop there is a pony farm, a police set, a unicorn fairyland and a dragon's treasure battle advent calendar theme to choose from.  There is also some wonderful Christmas themed playsets, perfect for stocking fillers or gifts.

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Also this year, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Playmobil, they have introduced the fabulous PLAYMOhair beanie hats.  Available in blonde, strawberry blonde, black and grey, they are crafted from Italian yarn by UK knitwear specialist Electronic Sheep.  These limited edition pieces capture the iconic Playmobil hairstyle perfectly and make the perfect Christmas gift!

Only 40 of each colour have been made and they will go on sale soon.  Keep an eye on the website to find out when the PLAYMOHair hats go on sale and snap up a piece of Playmobil history.

50 Days of Summer - Our Holiday Round Up

This summer has been all about family and fun.  We have holidayed in a forest, been to the beach, sailed to the Isle of Wight, visited museums, learned new skills and the girls have even learned how to drive.  The children have seen all three sets of their grandparents in one week (this is the first time this has happened given that they have grandparents that are spread across Surrey, Wales and the Isle of Man) and enjoyed quality time with their cousin's baby, the gorgeous little Michael, who stayed with us for a week.  We've Skyped my nephew Tom and his beautiful new wife Ashley, following their wedding in Georgia.  Ella received her A'Level results getting an A, 2 Bs and a C (the Maths exam was a killer this year!) and is set to go to her first choice university in September. The girls went to V Festival (we bought them tickets for Ella's 18th birthday) and had the best day ever watching The Killers, Jason Derulo, Nile Rodgers, Rudimental and many more great acts. 

We've really enjoyed our time together this summer, nothing beats the time spent with my kids!

The weather has mostly been kind to us, and the sun has shone on the days that we wanted it to.  With just a couple more weeks before the kids return to school, we hope to make the most of the remaining days of freedom (even though the sunshine seems to have taken its leave!)

If you need any inspiration for keeping the family occupied, don't forget that you can get ideas for days out and things to do in the Robert's Bakery 50 Days of Summer guide.  You can download a free copy of the 50 Days of Summer guide here.

If you have any picnics on the agenda you can definitely make them more fun by making some creative sandwiches.  We made some amazing sandwich creations at the Blogger's Picnic earlier this year.

One other activity we are hoping to catch is the Playmobil 40th Annmiversary Tour where life sized Playmobil models will be making an appearance at the following venues:

Today: Fri 22nd Aug - Birmingham Cathedral

Sat 23rd Aug - Derby

Sun 24th Aug -Liverpool

Mon 25th Aug (Bank Holiday) - Manchester

Wed 27th Aug (Morning) - Newcastle

Wed 27th Aug (After school) -Glasgow

Thurs 28th Aug - Middlesbrough

Fri 29th Aug - Leeds

Sat 30th Aug - Nottingham

Sun 31st Aug - Leicester

To find out more details about when and where, keep an eye on the PLAYMOBIL UK Facebook page.

However you plan to spend the rest of the precious days of summer, have fun!!

Playmobil for Little Pirates and Animal Lovers

Freddy's latest goodies from Playmobil have made him an incredibly happy little Playologist!  He received an incredible Pirate Ship and a fabulous Wildlife set.  Both sets required some construction helped by daddy, but the toys were soon ready to be played with.

The Playmobil Pirate Ship is an absolutely fabulous toy.  It is big (68cm x 22.5cm x 56cm) and is buoyant (so it can be floated on water and upgraded with an underwater motor).  It comes with four pirate characters, two fully fireable bolt guns, assorted weaponry and accessories, a parrot, treasure map and treasure chest.  The upper deck is removable, giving an area for the pirates to sit and discuss their pillaging plans!

The detail of the pirate ship is simply exquisite.  From the crow's nest to the wind-up anchor to the rigging that the pirates can hang from, everything is geared to inspire a child's imagination.  There is a storage place under the deck for keeping all the weaponry and the pirate's booty.  There are lots of places for the pirates to hold on to, swing from and stand on.  They can even do handstands! The play value for creating imaginative scenarios is huge.  

The sails billow and look so realistic as the ship is pushed along.  They are made of a stiff material which holds its shape. Freddy was very impressed that the cannons fired out real ammo and enjoyed firing them from the ship.  There is a gold coin at the back of the boat which is compatible with the puzzle in the Adventure Island set, which helps to open the secret cave.  The detail of the pirates is great.  The chest tattoo on the captain is so cool and the others hairy chest and stubble if very rough and ready!

The pirate ship is an excellent stand alone toy that can be added to over the years with other items from the Pirates range.  The pirate characters from Freddy's Playmobil advent character have joined the crew and have added to the pirating fun.

It is available from good toy retailers or from Playmobil.co.uk for £44.74.

If your little one prefers animals, then the Wildlife Range is a great choice.  Freddy received the Jungle Animals with Researcher and Off Road Vehicle set to try out.

The set includes one male researcher, a 4x4 vehicle, a jungle scene, which includes an Orang-Utan with two babies and a tiger and her cub, plus a host of accessories.  The jungle scene includes a lift up rock hiding some deadly scorpions and a huge snake who basks in the sun.  The off road vehicle has a removable roof and boot and has storage space for all the researchers equipment.  He has a table, a laptop, a microscope, a map, plus a lantern, stove, food and tools.

Again, it's the detail which puts Playmobil toys in a league of their own.  The tree's foliage is the perfect place for the Orang-Utan family to play as they swing from branch to branch.  The creeping vines and flowers add to the scenery's detailing.  The tigers perch on the rocky outcrop as the researcher views them in their natural habitat.  The car is very detailed with spotlights, a tow bar, a grill on the front and a spare wheel. It is decorated with a camouflage foliage pattern and has the zebra emblem on the doors.

I love the tiny little microscope and laptop that the  researcher uses to identify his discoveries.  The small bits fit into a trunk, which fits in the boot of the vehicle.  There are lots more sets in the Wildlife range so you can add other animals, scenery, vehicles and researchers to games.  Budding zoologists will love unleashing their inner David Attenborough and play some fabulously imaginative games as they track down animals and study them.

The Wildlife jungle animal, vehicle and researcher set costs £29.99.  You get a lot of bits for your money.  It can be purchase from playmobil.co.uk

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This summer, if you want to give your little Playmobil fans an amazing family break in London, check out the Playmobil Suite at the Waldorf Hilton Hotel. For 40 days (until August 20th 2014), to celebrate its 40th birthday, Playmobil is taking over and families can immerse themselves with books, games, toys, accessories and giant Playmobil figures when they book a stay in the spacious suite.  Kids can run riot and indulge in lots of Playmobil fun while parents relax in the executive room.

It's a once in a lifetime opportunity that children will remember for years to come! What child wouldn't want to have fun with these amazing toys!

To book the ‘PLAYMOBIL Suite’ at The Waldorf Hilton, London, visit www.playmobil.co.uk/playmobilsuite

To find out where the large PLAYMOBIL friends will pop up and to create your own PLAYMOBILMe avatar keep your eyes peeled on www.facebook.com/PLAYMOBILUK

Follow #PLAYMOBIL40th

Freddy's birthday party with four generations of our family!

Freddy's birthday is next week, but as his big brother will be on holiday and his big cousin Tom will be emigrating to America, we had an early family birthday barbecue to celebrate last Sunday.  My guest list included all the family - meaning that all four generations (aged between 1 and 81) would be together for the first time ever.  I was so happy to be able to pull this off, especially as this was Tom's final visit before he heads off to make a life for himself in Georgia with his lovely American fiance. I will miss him so much but am so proud of him for achieving his dream.  It was a nice opportunity for everyone to say their goodbyes.  He stayed with us for four days around the barbecue and I cherished every moment and may have drank a few too many beers and shed a few tears!

Freddy's party had a construction theme.  His birthday cake was going to be a three tiered chocolate cake with diggers on top, digging up the top layer of sponge, but Freddy was adamant that he wanted a vanilla tray bake!  So I put my thinking cap on and topped the vanilla frosting with crushed Oreos and decorated the cake using Playmobil construction workers.  Cadbury's Pebbles made good rocks for the wheelbarrow and bucket! It was a very easy birthday cake and I'll use the idea of making a tray bake as a base for a themed scene again.

I bought some sand toys; buckets, spades, a wheelbarrow and a big truck, which were used to hold crisps, biscuits and sweets.  The little ones loved digging for the goodies with the spades!  A tool box made a good holder for some of the snacks and I used tin cans decorated with a construction themed label to hold cutlery.  We had a veggie barbecue served with an assortment of salads and bread.  We had construction themed plates, cups and napkins, and we had balloons with diggers and trucks on them to decorate the gazebo. Freddy's JCB toys, die cast vehicles and toy trucks were dotted around.  The theme worked well and I was pleased that everything came together.

My parents are now both in their eighties.  They have a total of 13 grandchildren and two great grandsons.  It's been years since they have had all their grandchildren in one place at the same time and the great grandsons had never met before.  Ted is my eldest son Joe's little boy who is 18 months old.  My adorable great nephew Baby Michael is my niece's son and has just turned one.  These newest additions to our family mean we have four living generations, which is a great honour. Seeing everyone together made my mum and dad's day.

With everyone together we had to try and take a family photo of my parents with the grandchildren and great grandchildren.  One of my nieces had left by this point, but 12 out of 13 wasn't bad going!  Unfortunately Freddy decided not to pose and little Ted was not going to cooperate and run off half way through.  However, this is my favourite shot of our slightly chaotic family - it really tells a story! 

The kids loved playing in the newly refilled sandpit, blowing bubbles and bashing the pinata. I had ordered a truck pinata but it was out of stock, so I got a fire engine instead. It was well and truly bashed and eventually spilled its contents of sweeties to the delight of the little ones.  Thankfully, bar a little shower, the sun shone.  It was a lovely day and I loved having my children Joe, Megan, Ella, Kizzy and Freddy all together at home.  It makes me feel whole again.

Once most of the guests had left, I remembered that I hadn't cut the birthday cake!  So Freddy blew out his candles watched by his Nana and Grandad, his sisters, a couple of Ella's friends (who Fred adores and wanted to invite), two cousins Tom and Kate and Baby Michael. (At least it meant more cake to go round!)  He had a wonderful day!

We'll be celebrating some more next week for Freddy's actual birthday.  He's a lucky little boy!

PS. Thank you to Freddy's Auntie Debbie for the fantastic Angry Birds onesie that Freddy wore all day long!

Countdown to Easter with Playmobil

We are all familiar with advent calendars counting down to Christmas Day, but now we can countdown to Easter too with this brilliant Easter Calendar from Playmobil!  There are 10 doors to open, each containing an Easter themed Playmobil item that together will create a cute Easter bunny scene on Easter Sunday.

Featuring three Easter Bunny figures along with Easter eggs and other accessories, this is a lovely gift for a child in the run up to Easter, that can be kept and played with for years to come.  It is perfect for some imaginative role play games where the bunnies are painting and hiding eggs for the big day. It would make a great alternative to a chocolate egg for children aged 4 and up and would be ideal to send through the post, being much less fragile!

I love the big, chunky, colourful box with the ten big, numbered doors pre-filled with Playmobil goodies. Freddy loved opening the Playmobil pirate advent calendar in the run up to Christmas, excitedly opening it each day to find what toy was hiding inside.  He is going to adore this Easter calendar and the toys will make a great display on our windowsill over Easter.

Playmobil toys are so well made with perfect attention to detail, and this set will be a welcome addition to Freddy's collection. (Bunnies aren't just for Easter after all...just look at Harvey, Hop or that bunny from Donnie Darko!!!)

Countdown calendars can help with children's number recognition and help build up the excitement to special occasions.  They also work well in conjunction with a reward scheme, as the promise of opening a new door on the calendar can be just the trick for getting a little one to get dressed, clean their teeth, eat breakfast or tidy their toys.  At exciting times of the year when routines get disrupted, this can prove very useful indeed!

The Easter Calendar is available at Playmobil.co.uk alongside a whole range of other brilliant Playmobil toys. It is reasonably priced at just £9.99 which I think is excellent value...or should I say eggscellent value?!

Count Down the Days with a Playmobil Pirates Treasure Trove Advent Calendar

Playmobil Advent Calendars are one of the greatest inventions ever!  In the 24 days until Christmas day, children can build a play scene, adding a new character or accessories everyday, which they find behind the doors on the advent calendar in pre-filled boxes. It comes all ready to go for the first day of December, no assembly or filling of the calendar is required.

Freddy has received a Playmobil Pirates Treasure Trove Advent Calendar.  It includes 66 pieces which includes three figures, a skeleton, a boat, palm tree, flag, hammock, treasure chest and other exciting piratey bits!  There is stand up cardboard scenery included, so the display looks brilliant from day one.  I couldn't love it more, and I'm certain Freddy will feel the same way.  Waiting for Santa will be such fun, as he reveals some new Playmobil goodies everyday in the run up to Christmas.

What I love most about the Playmobil Advent Calendar is that after all the doors are opened, the child has a brilliant Playmobil set to enjoy.  At just £17.99 it is excellent value for money providing 24 days of advent fun followed by a brilliant toy to play with for years to come.  You have something great to show for your investment at the end of advent.

The Playmobil advent calendars come in a variety of themes from the fully fledged festive Forest Winter Wonderland to the pretty in pink Princess Wedding to the super cool Police advent calendar to the rural Pony Farm.  They are all superb, with a design to suit all tastes.  The play value of Playmobil is massive, giving children an outlet for imaginary play where they can create and explore an environment of their own making and act out stories with the characters.

They are a perfect alternative to chocolate advent calendars for children who can't eat chocolate and a good choice for parents who prefer their kids to not start the day with sweet treats!

They are available from the Playmobil store online and in stores such as Boots, Smyths Toys, Tesco, John Lewis and House of Fraser.

Find out more at www.playmobil.co.uk

Flying High On Playmobil Airways!

Since becoming Playmobil Playologists, we have waited excitedly for our mission to review something from the Playmobil range.  With so many different themes available, from dinosaurs to pirates to cowboys, we didn't know what Freddy would get until our parcel arrived.  The look of delight on his face when he saw the City Action Cargo and Passenger Aircraft and control tower was priceless.  He was one very happy little boy!

The set comprises of a very large jet engine aeroplane with a removable roof and opening cockpit, a control tower complete with equipment, five people with accessories and some cargo.  The plane has seating  onboard for five passengers and two in the cockpit.  The cockpit folds upwards to stow the cargo and there is a toilet inside the plane (much to Freddy's amusement) to keep passengers comfortable during the flight!  

The construction of the plane and tower took Ian about half an hour.  Some bits were a little bit fiddly to push together, but on the whole it was easy to assemble and the resulting models are sturdy and robust.  Playmobil produce such high quality toys.  We still have some that Freddy's older brother Joe had, which are now over 20 years old and still going strong.  It is very durable and robust.

I love the detail that Playmobil puts into its toys.  The 'PM' logo on the tail, the authentically opening swing door, the computer screens in the control tower and the very realistic loo and hand basin all add to the play value of this fabulous set.  The five people are all different.  There is a pilot, an air traffic controller, a businesss woman, an air hostess and a guy that waves the things that look like table tennis paddles!  Freddy loved the red haired lady because he thought she looked like his big sister Ella.

The aeroplane itself has a swivel wheel on the front of the undercarriage making it really manoeuverable and responsive to being pushed allowing big 360 movements with ease.  Although it is a big toy (59 x 63 x 24cm), Freddy was still able to pick it up and swoosh it around the room in flight with the crew and passengers safely seated inside.

The real value of Playmobil is providing the inspiration for some really imaginative play based on the theme of the toys.  City Action brings all the excitement of the city to life.  With a police station, hospital, airport, fire station, docks, railway, banks and all the associated vehicles and people, it's an excellent range for children to act out exciting city adventures.  Freddy loved positioning his people in and around the plane, getting the air traffic controller to check the skies before taxi-ing his plane down the runway and taking off.  His constant chatter, the dialogue he has between his characters and the story he invents to act out, all help to improve his vocabulary, his communication and his imagination.  He also shows great dexterity in manipulating the people and the props how he wants them all to be.  I love watching him engrossed in imaginative play, and this Playmobil set has really captured his imagination.

I wish I had a huge house with a massive playroom as I'd love to have a permanent display of Playmobil toys ready to be played with and enjoyed.  Sadly I don't which means I have to find somewhere to keep this awesome aeroplane when it's not being played with. It is a large toy, that is too big to sit on a shelf.  So for now it is positioned on the living room floor because I can't bear the idea of making it live under the bed...not yet, not while Freddy is having so much fun with it.

It is a great addition to his toy collection and is something that will last for years and will be handed down in the future to be played with all over again by the next generation.  

The City Action Cargo and Passenger Aircraft is £59.99 and can be found and purchased on the Playmobil website alongside the full range of fantastic Playmobil toys.  

New Playmobil Magazine

Playmobil have launched a brand new comic for little ones to enjoy.  The first edition is all about pirates and comes with a free Pirate figure on the front.  It is a bright and colourful magazine with a pull out poster inside. There are prizes to be won, stories to be shared and lots of activities to enjoy.  Aimed at 4-9 year olds this magazine will engage kids who will enjoy the themes based on Playmobil playsets. They will be learning whilst having fun and letting their imaginations run wild through the pages of this fun packed magazine!  The next edition is all about the Police!

It is a great tie-in to the Playmobil brand and at £3.99 a month is great value as it will include a new figure to add to your collection.  As Playmobil Playologists, we were sent the first editiion and it's coming with us on holiday to keep Freddy entertained!

It's available now in major supermarkets and newsagents.

playmobil.co.uk

Freddy's Playmobil Pirate

Ahoy there me hearties!!  Freddy has got a new Pirate toy from Playmobil to welcome him into the Playogolist programme which we are proud to be a part of!!  The detailed little figure comes complete with a treasure chest, a monkey, a gun, a sword and a lot of gold doubloons!  Everything a pirate needs!

Here is Freddy talking about his new toy and playing a little game with him.  I love toys that inspire imagination in young children, and Playmobil does just that.  We can't wait to add to our Playmobil collection.  I can just imagine the fun Freddy will have creating scenes and acting out stories!

           

Playmobil is currently hosting a competition to find a child aged between 3 and 10 to be the voice of Playmobil in their Christmas ads.  To enter simply make a film of your child talking to camera and send it to PLAYMOBIL@onechocolatecomms.co.uk as a video file or YouTube link by August 4th. Don’t forget to include the entrant’s name, age, telephone number and address. 

Playmobil Robo Gangster Truck RC Unit and Spy Camera

I've reviewed the Playmobil Robo Gangster Truck which is a good, robust Secret Agent vehicle.  It stands alone as a good toy, but for the gadget mad technophiles among us, it has even more to offer.  It has two attachments which are available to purchase separately that turn the car into a remote controlled vehicle with a secret spy camera set mounted inside.

The RC Module upgrades compatible vehicles giving them remote control capability with three speeds and steering.  The controller is easy to use.  It is very manoeuvrable and the controls are sensitive. The aerial is a little bit fragile as the wire is fed through a tube that can fall out, which was the only downside of the conversion kit.  The internal components were easy to fit into the body of the car.

The Spying Camera Set includes a high resolution screen, separate camera and USB cable.  The camera can be set up to 'spy' on anyone or anything!!  It is a proper piece of geeky, high tech equipment.  When the camera is put into the truck in the passenger seat, it can be used as the 'eyes' to steer it around remotely even if the truck is out of sight, with the screen which can be mounted on the remote control unit.  You can carry out Surveillance work and monitor rooms to check for the all clear!  Very James Bond!  It has an auto shut off feature to save battery life.

My husband was ridiculously excited by the potential of this toy, and 15 year old Ella loved it too!  They were able to whizz the car down our hallway using the screen as guidance.  They had huge fun with it!  It really is quite unique and very innovative, taking Playmobil in a totally new and uber modern direction.  It is amazing what technology can be packed into a child's plaything.


Kizzy is 9 and was not as confident with steering the car and had a few crashes, but it added to her fun, watching the objects in the screen get closer and closer until...CRASH!!  The truck is thankfully really robust and withstood her driving skills!


The Spy Camera is an expensive piece of kit retailing at £69.99.  The RC Unit is £49.99.  Add this to the £29.99 of the Robo Gangster Truck and this is a very expensive toy.  Plus you need to factor in the batteries which are not included.  But it is unique, innovative, high tech and is a really cool boys' toy!  Hours of secret agent fun will be enjoyed using this sophisticated equipment.  It really allows kids to have the whole secret agent experience.  A great, but pricey extension to a great Playmobil toy!  We love it!!

Playmobil Robo Gangster Truck

Playmobil has been a favourite brand of mine for years.  I love the miniature world and the range of items available is just breathtaking.  The new Robo Gangster Truck brings the world of espionage to the brand with Secret Agents, satellites and chaos capsules!

The truck came in pieces, all packaged into individual bags to make it easy to organise.

It was easy to fit all the bits together, aided with clear pictorial instructions.

The finished model was sturdy, robust and impressive.  It has gull wing style opening doors, firing rockets, a chaos satellite launch pad, two gangsters and accessories.

For any budding James Bonds out there, the Robo Gangster truck promises hours of fun imaginative play.  The firing satellite is a really nice touch with shiny solar panels that fold out.  The missiles really fire from their launchers.  It is recommended for ages 7 and over.  Older children will be able to play with all the fiddly accessories, whereas Freddy just wanted to whizz the truck around.  It was Daddy who had most fun with it and expressed how much he would have loved one as a child!

The Rob Gangster Truck has an RRP of £29.99 and is available at Toys R Us.  The most exciting thing about the Robo Gangster Truck is that you can add a remote control unit to it along with a fully working secret spy camera.  This elevates this toy to something that gadget mad kids (and dads!) will love.  Look out for our video showing these features in action, coming soon!