Taking a completely different approach, Playmobil Country includes an array of rural-themed characters, as well as cottages, farming equipment, farm animals, and much more. And the Playmobil Crystal Palace range has a wonderful fairy tale theme that little princesses will adore. Playmobil's major competitor is Lego, but the two brands aren't really in the same category. While Lego's offerings are all about creativity and engineering, Playmobil's sets come fully formed, with much less practical work required to get them up and running.

Moving away from the building experience, I figured that there are at least some play-features. Maybe not rough handling type of play given the fragile nature of the hull, but perhaps I could pose the minifigs in interesting ways to tell a story. Well… sort of. I personally love the idea of a detailed LEGO fishing boat. Plus, I know how fan designers like to put everything possible in a design, so I was expecting a highly detailed model. I was also expecting that LEGO’s own designers would help a little to make sure the model is stable and offers a fun building experience. But what are Playmobil toys made of, and are they dangerous for kids? Almost all Playmobil toys are made in Malaysia, Malta, Germany, or Spain from plastic, and there are no tiny metal components. They should be relatively safe if children somehow put them in their mouths, but do present a choking risk, so it's important to keep them away from toddlers and babies if at all possible. I want to be clear; I’m not at all upset with the fan designer of this project. After all, they created a model that looked good in pictures, and they got it this far with strong fan support and votes. Ultimately, I believe LEGO failed the fan designers and didn’t support them in a meaningful way. Instead, fan designers were expected to magically know what goes into a professionally designed LEGO set. The Playmobil Pony Farm – Playmobil caters really well for kids who love the countryside, and this Farm set is a great base for a rural collection. Part of the Country collection, it features three pony figurines, a hayloft, an adaptable fence, and playpen for the ponies to strut their stuff.The Playmobil Crystal Palace – This dazzling ice palace costs slightly more than the Hawk Knights Castle. The centrepiece here is the lighting array, which uses 3 AAA batteries to illuminate the Crystal Throne. It comes with the Princes figurine, whose own skirt actually changes colour in different temperatures – a truly magical touch. The Playmobil Hospital – Playmobil actually offers a couple of hospital models for buyers to choose from, and both will be great for girls and boys who are interested in the medical profession. The Large Hospital has the most features, with wards, an operating theatre, waiting rooms, ambulances, and the staff needed to keep things running. The Furnished Children's Hospital is a great companion piece, with special wards for children and features like interactive operating table lights.

Various sub-collections have been added to the catalogue, beyond traditional options like town occupations or medieval knights. Buyers will find collections related to Ghostbusters, dinosaurs, dragons (a loose Game of Thrones reference), the beach, and Dreamworks' Spirit movie franchise. All include a mix of exclusive figurines, vehicles (or dragons), and buildings. Buildings range incredibly widely, including everything from castles to hospitals.

POST PRINT

The idea of an expert-level LEGO fishing boat is a good one. This fan-created design manages to put in some real knowledge about a fishing boat and things you’d find on it. And at a glance, it looks decent enough. Unfortunately, the price you pay for this set is way beyond the experience you get out of it. The building process is stressful and poorly executed at times. This project felt as though LEGO didn’t bother helping the designer realize the best possible boat that could have been built. When I build something, I’m not too concerned about having the most secure connections. As long as it looks good on display, it’s good enough for me. And this is also what I would expect from most fan-designed models. However, if LEGO is going to put their name on a model, I expect to see the strong fundamentals they incorporate in nearly every set they sell. Unfortunately, this model has issues.

The Playmobil Castle – Also known as the Hawk Knight's Castle, this kit has a hefty price tag (even more than the Pirate Ship), but it justifies it, with secret trapdoors and staircases, workable draw-bridges, cannons, swords, bows and arrows, and plenty of space in the secure dungeon. It's a great starting point for a Dragon collection, or just an army of standard Playmobil Knights.

Playmobil Sales, Toys, and Sets From hotukdeals

Some parts of the catalogue deserve special mention here. For instance, Playmobil City Life is a particularly popular part of the collection, and has been since the late 1970s. This is the place to look for schools and fire stations, allowing kids and parents to craft imagined communities out of nothing. However, there is one important exception to this age rating. Recently, Playmobil has launched a collection called 1-2-3, which caters for children under the age of 4. It features colourful, safe toys, with chunky designs that aren't based around small parts or jagged edges. If your toddler is into Vtech or Fisher Price toys, it could be a nice way to transition to more grown-up toys. To protect the acrylic paint from being removed by scratching, apply a clear varnish spray (gloss or matte).

After that, global expansion was swift – just as it was for another European export, Lego. By the 1980s, figures were becoming slightly more customisable, with hands that gripped and could be rotated 360 degrees, as well as detachable headgear. Buildings swiftly joined figurines, as well as vehicles and other accessories, allowing kids to create elaborate townscapes and social situations. So let’s take this as an opportunity to learn from and see where the model had problems. I would like to emphasize again that it’s not my goal to bash the fan designer in doing so. As I mentioned before, these are mistakes I’d make as a fan builder myself. But by pointing them out, I hope to have others avoid these pitfalls. DIGITAL LEGO DESIGNS AREN’T REALITY You can gingerly take off the roof of the pilot house to access the wheel. But you do have to be careful as there are sections that could break off. Then, there is the inner hull of the boat with a couple of bunks and a few items scattered around the area, but I’m disinclined to access it. The reason for this is that it is just too much risk and too much work. It's worth noting here that Playmobil have come up with a special Playmobil: the Movie collection, featuring scenes from the film. So, if your kids adore the storyline and want to relive it for themselves, it's a good collection to browse.

Sailing

Playmobil continues to effortlessly capture the imagination of generations of children. Maybe it's the wide selection of realistic characters and environments, the interactivity of the toys, or the ability to echo popular movies and cultural references. Whatever the secret of its success, the German toy brand knows how to satisfy young appetites for excitement. However, I know what went into building the pilot house, and I know it isn’t the most reliable of builds due to the amount of decorating that went into its design. Chances are that while I’m doing all of this, I might rip apart the center of the boat and leave the flooring still in place. This means the section I want to get at would still be covered. After the headache I went through building the boat the first time, I’m going to resign to never accessing the inner section. LEGO FISHING BOAT – FINAL THOUGHTS