Christmas 2009: 3+

This is the first of a series of posts about possible Christmas gifts which encourage imaginative and/ or family play. We’ve sets for the 3+, 7+, 11+ and 16+ ranges. The exact age for each kid can vary quite a lot, so the age ranges are just a guide. The amount of support or adult involvement on offer can also make a dramatic difference to the age range.

Figures

Schleich Dogs Complete Set

The Schleich, Papo and Safari ranges of pre-painted plastic figures are between 5 and 20 cms in size. They’re very durable and kids love using them to make up stories. Most can be bought singly for a few dollars or pounds, which makes a single figure an inexpensive stocking filler.

Pirates Set 1

Playing with sets of themed figures works really well, and young kids like having obvious sets of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ figures until they get used to the idea of more complex characters. Older kids often enjoy the fantasy or wildlife sets, and these are the most varied collections. (Pirates Set 2 has three more excellent pirates equipped with blades and the Dogs Set 2 has families of Dalmatians and Huskies).

Playmobil

Playmobil Pyramid

Getting young kids involved in imaginative play is all the easier if they can go beyond a few favourite figures and explore different ‘worlds’ and ‘adventures’. Papo, Schleich and Safari figures are a bit too expensive to buy either plenty of figures or scenery. For those with the money Le Toy Van make a selection of wooden castles and pirate ships, which complement larger figures. For the rest of us it’s often time to turn to Playmobil.

The choice of settings offered by Playmobil is remarkable and there are many ‘real world’ sets with durable plastic airports, train stations and hospitals. For a lot of kids the most appealing settings are imaginative or mythical worlds, which are good settings for ‘drama stories’. Pirates, Vikings and Ancient Egyptians are particular favourites.

Playmobil Pirate Treasure Chest

Some of the sets come with a load of clip in weapons and you might want to make a few of the sharper ones out of the hands of younger kids. On a figure for figure basis Playmobil offers good value and some of the larger packs can have the ‘big box’ present effect without breaking the bank. It’s a good idea to plan ahead to see what’s in each series. The Ancient Egyptian range looks great but the ‘headlining’ pyramid set is expensive and really needs another less expensive add-on to provide plenty of figures.