Duck on Call from Playmobil...

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Duck on Call is the brilliant new range from Playmobil and Ace was lucky enough to be gifted two pieces from the range to review, DUCK ON CALL - Ambulance Emergency Vehicle and DUCK ON CALL - Ambulance Action: Help the Racing Driver. 

Firstly, the packaging is eye catching, bright and engaging. Before even opening the box, Ace was talking about the different parts of the vehicle he could see, as well as detailing the role play games he was planning once he'd built the vehicles. He was so excited to see the ambulance, Daddy is a paramedic, so lots of Ace's play features paramedics and ambulances. Ace was happy that the boxes didn't have any plastic elements to them, so he could put it straight in the recycling box. 

On opening the cardboard box, we were pleased to see minimal, single use plastic inside. There were a few numbered bags, each containing small parts to be used in the construction of the vehicles and accessories. The bags themselves are made from recycled plastic and can be recycled again, along with your other soft plastics at the supermarket.

Ace found the vehicles fairly easy to put together (he's at the top end of the suggested age range for these toys). He followed the picture instructions with no problems and only needed a little help to secure a couple of pieces. I think he was afraid of pushing bits too hard incase he broke them, but I can confirm that everything went together securely and without any breakages, with a slightly firmer hand. Ace also got to use his fine motor skills to put stickers on the vehicles, which he loved doing.

While these toys are undeniably made from plastic, it is far from single use and definitely not flimsy. We own Playmobil from the 1980's and it's still going! Both Duck on Call toys we were given are strong and sturdy and look set to provide Ace and then countless other children after him, hours and hours of fun!  

One of my favourite things about Playmobil is its strong links to real life, it really lends itself to role playing games. This morning, as Honey and Ace played with the new Duck on Call sets, they were discussing first aid (including whether to take a racing driver's helmet off after a crash) and the correct number for our emergency services ("it's definitely 999 in our country, but you'd call 911 if you were on holiday in America"), as well as showing empathy for others.

Another thing I love about Playmobil, is how seamlessly the sets can be used together. People, vehicles and accessories can all be interchanged, allowing your little ones to create their own, imaginative worlds together. So, whether you're thinking about purchasing your first set, or you're adding to a collection, we're sure you will love Duck on Call as much as we do!

Check out the Playmobil website for Duck on Call activities, including colouring, hat and badge making, educational activities and character information posters. You can also purchase the sets via their website.

Ace wears... Vitamin Sea sweatshirt: A charity shop find, customised by Mummy.

Playmobil EverDreamerz...

Disclosure: We were sent the products featured in this blog post to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have a bit of an issue with dolls. Honey has some great ones, some terrible ones and some average ones in-between. The terrible ones lose limbs, have torn clothing and sometimes their paint even chips off. The average ones sit in a drawer for a year or two and then get passed on to a younger friend or relative or sent to the charity shop. But the great ones? They encourage role play, story telling, imagination and even problem solving. The great ones, like the new Playmobil EverDreamerz, are played with often and by everyone and will be kept and passed down to cousins and grandchildren in the future. 

As children, my brother and I were lucky enough to own some Playmobil sets and I remember them keeping us occupied for absolutely ages. They were such good quality, robust enough to pass on to our younger sister a few years later and then I took it all into work with me years after that, for classes full of excitable 6 and 7 year olds to enjoy. I am pleased to report that modern Playmobil seems to maintain the high quality standards I remember.

       

Playmobil's new EverDreamerz collection couldn't be more up Honey's street if it had been designed by her! The dolls are brightly coloured, come with a whole host of accessories to inspire exciting, creative play. There are two worlds, Candy World and Comic World and there's an introduction to the characters and collection on the Playmobil website. Honey loved watching the cartoons, singing along to the positive, empowering song and playing the simple online game, this content is all free for anyone to access.

The packaging is great. Aside from a few small, thin plastic bags (which can be recycled alongside your supermarket carrier bags), everything else is cardboard and is designed to be reused and then placed in your kerbside recycling bin, once it reaches the end of its life.                      

Inside each box, there's a doll and a range of themed accessories, including a bracelet which your child can add charms to. Everything comes in small parts, ready to be assembled at home, hence the recommended age of 7+ for these dolls.

Each set also includes a water pen, which can be used on the stickers provided, to reveal words, patterns and designs, there's also a collector's card and sticker set to go with each doll.

 

So, if you're looking for cool toys that will stand the test of time, you can find the full range of EverDreamerz here.

Honey wears... Butterfly dress by H&M