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SusanJ
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| Posted: March 08 2008 at 7:31pm | IP Logged
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Thanks for the feedback. I brought this up with my husband last night and he is actually pretty opposed to Playmobil. He would rather stick with wooden, generic, and less expensive. I can appreciate his argument and I was a little loathe to add a new kind of toy to our house. I think we're actually going to get ds some tinker toys for his name day next weekend.
Susan
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: March 10 2008 at 8:42am | IP Logged
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julia s. wrote:
Lindsay,
My only warning about Playmobile or any of the plastic type figures is that once you go plastic you pretty much have to continue with plastic figures. I find it very difficult to get my kids involved in the wooden ones once they've had the others, but I know people who only use the wood or natural materials and their kids love their toys.
It's a bit of an aesthetic and philosophical choice in the beginning that unless you are aware you're making you might pigeonhole yourself without realizing it.
Just a thought.
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That's a really good point. I mentioned it to dh yesterday, and he agreed. So, we probably won't be investing in Playmobil in the immediate future. The boys will just have to content themselves looking at the catalog 
I do really like those turned wooden people, and I would love to have the holztiger in my home if it is durable (which it seems my elephant may have been a fluke). It sure plays more to *my* aesthetic ideals if not my boys.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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Mackfam
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| Posted: March 10 2008 at 8:12pm | IP Logged
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I'm sorry I don't have time to link right now, but if you're considering wooden, you might look into "plan toys."
I know Amazon carries them, and you could google them and find in them in lots of places. I do have several of the plan toys, and my kids love those as well.
All wooden, and made from sustainable sources - bamboo I think? Beautifully constructed, soft edges. If you can't find them, post back and I'll try to link.
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Jen Mackintosh
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Mary G
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| Posted: March 10 2008 at 8:51pm | IP Logged
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Jennifer -- we LOVE Plan Toys here -- Hearthsong and Magic Cabin sell their car/train sets and they are wonderful! They have wonderful dollhouse/accessories too ... and the wood is sturdy (5 yods STANDS on parts of the car set and it's no problem   ).
We are just starting Playmobil here -- helps that 16yod works at a toy store ; I really think Playmobil is a great step ABOVE "plastic toys" ... and can be used in such wonderful ways, especially for those of us who can't afford all wooden .... 
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: March 11 2008 at 6:56am | IP Logged
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Mary G wrote:
Jennifer -- we LOVE Plan Toys here -- Hearthsong and Magic Cabin sell their car/train sets and they are wonderful! They have wonderful dollhouse/accessories too ... and the wood is sturdy (5 yods STANDS on parts of the car set and it's no problem ).
We are just starting Playmobil here -- helps that 16yod works at a toy store ; I really think Playmobil is a great step ABOVE "plastic toys" ... and can be used in such wonderful ways, especially for those of us who can't afford all wooden .... |
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I agree, Mary, that playmobil isn't really in the same category as other "plastic" toys (which is why I might still consider it some day).
I could never afford the quantity of wooden figures that I could afford in playmobil. How important is quantity? There has to be some point (I need a line graph, lol) where you've reached the peak of play but haven't started into excess that just takes up space and doesn't add to it.
If I just had a number, I could better decide whether I could start buying Holztiger figures for gifts and they'd have enough to actually play something before they were thirty 
(Not that you ladies "know" that number either, but someone with a statistician for a dh should get on that )
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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Mari
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| Posted: March 11 2008 at 1:39pm | IP Logged
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Hi Lindsay,
Maybe my dds are a little strange - they "adopted" the Schleich animals as their play "people". And they still play with them (check their ages beolw
I also did not want anything plastic - but I could not resist these Schleich animals which are so life like. I did not realise that they would be played with - I thought it would be just looking out of interest of animals and that we could use them in our Montessori classification.
My dds have created characters for each one - each has a name, age, family, personality, and the rules of land they live in - all of which are a mystery for anyone else. It has become their own world of play only accessible and understood by them so I think that is some wonderful sort of freedom to create like that. At the same time they are very aware of the type of animal and the usual animal characteristics which they tell me are reflected in their game personalities. It is also educational because at the age when they became interested in money, their animal world got money too. They practised buying and selling things all day long between dozens of these animals (so they are very quick at arithmetic now.)
They have made homes for the animals outside in tree trunks, with cushions, books,Kapla wooden blocks, lego, you name it. When we travel, they only have to take one animal each and their imaginations are fired for hours.
I remember as a child I used to play with twigs as people and their house was in an old tree stump. This was my favourite game for years. Maybe becauuse the person was so undefined (plastic figures would already be male, female, young old, blond, dark, coloured, white, etc. and probably dressed to be in a certain time period) it gave me scope to create the personality I needed. Actually, I liked my own company so that was probably why I was happy like that.
Not sure if that is going to help in any way.
Blessings
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Mari, mother of 2 loving daughters aged 8 and 10
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SusanJ
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| Posted: March 11 2008 at 1:49pm | IP Logged
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I hope it won't hijack the thread to ask about dollhouses. Do your girls (or boys) like them? I saw that Playmobil had a doll house but I've seen some gorgeous wooden ones, too.
One of dh's concerns about Playmobil (he had them as a kid) is that there's all this "set up" but then the sets are really limiting and you can't do much. That doesn't sound consistent with your families at all. But he also wants to stick with wood toys.
So, where do dollhouses fit in with your kids? Dh is concerned, again, that you set it up but then you can't do much. I wonder, too, if I just want to give my daughter the dollhouse I always dreamed about when I was little :)
Thoughts?
Susan
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Mom to Joseph-8, Margaret-6, William-4, Gregory-2, and new little one due 11/1
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[URL=http://thejohnstonkids.blogspot.com]The Kids' Blog[/UR
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: March 11 2008 at 2:02pm | IP Logged
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On the inexpensive wood turned people blog entry posted (hows that for a description), she shows her children using the open ended pieces in the beautiful Ostheimer doll house. I think Waldorf, in all its simplicity, does seem to place somewhat of an emphasis on a "stage" or "platform" for play to take place.
I do remember my friend growing up who had a lot of Barbie stuff. Not what I want, but we did a lot of mixing with her brother's cowboy stuff to make "old timey days" play. Anway, I remember setting up the "rooms" on a small bookcase she had in her room and having way more fun and using that a lot more than when her grandmother sent the giant "real" Barbie playhouse.
Now, maybe it was because the hodgepodge on a wooden shelf was truly more "beautiful" than the pink plastic monstrosity (though, I thought it was "cool" at the time, yk?), and perhaps that drew us to it unconsciously?
Idk, it seems play like that does often involve a "platform" or play area modified to suit it, but I'm not sure how much difference it makes how elaborate that is, iykwim.
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Lindsay
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[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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Mary G
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| Posted: March 11 2008 at 2:48pm | IP Logged
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Susan,
We have some Playmobils now -- I didn't buy them when my older two were little as I too thought they were limiting (as opposed to Legos that can be built lots of ways). But, the little ones play with them all the time. Now, you asked about dollhouses -- Maggie got this one from Santa ... now the Playmobil characters fit perfectly with the dollhouse characters and furniture ... also, the littles (Thomas 9, Maggie 8, and JohnPaul 5) ALL play with the dollhouse, this castle and also -- and you'll love this -- use books and other objects to create their own settings and use Legos, Playmobils and wooden figures to populate their towns/villages/ships/whatevers! My kids also make "furniture" from the myriad k'nex and play with those too.
Bottom line -- NEVER underestimate the creativity of kids as they'll use/find whatever they need/want for their playtime .... whether it's pre-packaged or a hodgepodge of items (my now 51 yo brother used to use a toothpaste box as a gun, while one of my other brothers used the same box as a bus!).
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ShawnaB
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We have these community helpers figures from Lakeshore Learning. We also have the family set, and several of their animal setswhich all of my kids really enjoy. They are also indestructible and have no small parts to lose.
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JennGM
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| Posted: March 11 2008 at 4:12pm | IP Logged
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Mary G wrote:
| Bottom line -- NEVER underestimate the creativity of kids as they'll use/find whatever they need/want for their playtime .... whether it's pre-packaged or a hodgepodge of items (my now 51 yo brother used to use a toothpaste box as a gun, while one of my other brothers used the same box as a bus!). |
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Amen to that! How about crayons turn into people? Or wire hangers become a weapon at play (bow and arrow).
I can't remember what thread, but I remember Mary Chris talking about she did wooden toys until one year gave her son Playmobil, and he screamed in delight "All right, Plastic!"
And it just made me wonder is a little plastic so terrible? Am I imposing my wooden ideals on my children?
Just my own thought process...not trying to stir up trouble....
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: March 11 2008 at 4:23pm | IP Logged
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I definitely think my aversion to plastic has more to do with my own tastes. *I* would prefer to see figures I find beautiful scattered across my home than plastic I find ugly. Not to mention the little pieces.
Maybe my children will have to wait on little plastic things in volume until *I* improve as a housekeeper!
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Lindsay
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[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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montessori_lori
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If wooden figures and plastic figures (and playsets) could all be used the same way, I'd say "go for wooden" in a second. But there are many things you can do with the playmobil sets that you can't do with wooden ones (pieces that snap together, etc.) So I have no problems with them at all.
Re: dollhouses. My daughter has one, a simple wooden one for kids, and she loves it. We do play with it, although I generally have to take the lead but she follows right along. We have lots of accessories for it since I'm a miniature lover; I've given her a lot of the furniture and accessories that I had when I was little.
I do plan on buying her a more elaborate dollhouse when she gets older, but for now this one is great. I think every little girl should have one if they can - it sort of sets the stage for the love of little things that hopefully they'll have throughout their lives.
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StephanieA
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Over the years, we have had Playmobil, Legos, and Kathe Kruse dollhouse dolls from Magic Cabin. For Christmas last year, nearly every kid got a doll from Kathe Kruse (including the #3 son who is into Lord of the Rings. He got the wizard.)
At $15-$20 a pop, it's an investment, but then again, that's all they got for Christmas toy-wise. These dolls can be dressed up as saints (their original clothes stay on). My oldest daughter and I (13 years old) recreate them very simply with a felt tunic or veil, etc. A wiseman from the nativity set became St. Polycarp this month. A little duke became St. Casimir. A shepherd became St. Paul falling from a toy horse. All these were saint feast days celebrated in the last month. We put this on our "nature table" turned devotional table. A little girl doll became Bernadette kneeling before a statue of the Blessed Mother.
I like toys that have a LONG shelf life. I got rid of nearly all our plastic stuff (not the Playmobil which the boys weren't thrilled about - it was Legos or bust for them - but the girls enjoy so much).
These dolls can be used for so many purposes. They are not made in China and are often on sale at certain times of the year. For Easter the family is getting a Japenese man, ala - St. Paul Miki - made by Kathe Kruse). He's on sale now and we got almost free shipping with a coupon. His feast day is past, but he will get played with enough until his feast rolls around again next year.
Caution, these dolls are durable, but not undestructible. The baby (1 year) thinks they look great to eat, so we keep them away from him at this point. But for kids ages 4+, we have enjoyed them.
Blessings,
Stephanie
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Mary G
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| Posted: March 11 2008 at 5:39pm | IP Logged
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Stephanie -- I love the way you've incorporated the Kathe Kruse dolls into your learning environment! I see that they even have a Swedish doll -- all set for Santa Lucia day! Wonderful! I never even thought to do this ... just alway looked at the price and thought WOW!
Thanks for the ideas ....
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MaryG
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StephanieA
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Dear Mary,
I know....the price IS high! But then I started this CRAZY plan of trying to make the dolls. I spent more $$$ that year TRYING to put one of those dolls together and decided that 2 or so dolls a year for a couple of years would be just GREAT
We still have the materials to make the dolls and I am determined to sew a priest and a nun up out of the supplies.....sometime.....when I get to it.....probably when the kids are grown......like, what a great thing to do for the grandkids
Yup...the Indian doll was actually our first purchase. She was Blessed Kateri Tekawitha. It didn't hurt that one daughter was named for Blessed Kateri and got the doll for her birthday :)
It is amazing how many saints can be made into one of these dolls when you start thinking about it. We took a doll chair, stuck a key on it, and it was the Chair of St. Peter, the feast celebrated a week or so ago. We aren't as faithful to it as I had hoped, but it is fun
when we do get to it.
Blessings,
Stephanie
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MaryM
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| Posted: March 13 2008 at 12:09pm | IP Logged
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Just jumping in say that we love Playmobil here and don't find it in anyway limiting to creativity. They come up with all kinds of different ways to play with them and it rarely is the "set" ideas. I love to see them playing what we are encountering in our homeschool. In years past my older boys spend endless hours re-enacting Civil and Revolutionary War battles. Recently for the younger crew, they have been Narnia (literature), Little House (lit and history), Lewis and Clark (history), Emergency! (pop 70's culture & paramedic history ). Right now they are trying to talk me into this goldmine as we are starting to study gold. I know as a child I would have loved something like this - I love accessories and detail!
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Mary G
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uh, MaryM, you forgot to mention the "roller-derby-esque" way yours and mine were playing yesterday -- now, THAT's imaginative!
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MaryG
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hopalenik
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| Posted: April 22 2008 at 7:47pm | IP Logged
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Hi,
I know this was old but I had to give a big boost to the Rescue Heroes. My son plays with while the girls are in my old dollhouse or playing strawberry shortcake. We also have a set of plastic, David and Goliath soldiers. They don't move or pose but he loves to set up the battles and knock em down. I can not remember the name of the company-but there is one that sells cheap plastic Bible sets.
Another option is to look for sets for the matchbox cars. There was a series of car buildings-car wash, police station, fire station that was plastic out a year or 2 ago and my son will play with his cars in those animated. Because they are plastic, they are cheap but relatively durable until you are ready to move to the wooden sets.
We recently bought the castle set of dolls for the Melissa and Doug castle, they are quite nice too. I know that Voila toys sells the same type of wooden dolls as Melissa and Doug and they are not made in China but Voila products are hard to find. My kids play with the wooden doll sets from Melissa and Doug just fine, as well as the old hand sewn dollhouse dolls that my mother made for me, yet 3 or 4 years ago we were relatively "normalized" and had the normal stock of plastic toys, etc. They seem to move from texture to texture well.
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Holly
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4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Topic: Figures for Imaginative Play
