Playmobil: Then & Now

There really is no surprise that Playmobil toys have been a firm family favourite since their inception in 1974 when German inventor Hans Beck created the first 3 characters for the Brandstätter company. (As a matter of interest, these guys were also responsible for the Hula Hoop!)

The original figures were a construction worker, a knight, and a native American. What should be interesting to parents is that the figures had no names. The Playmobil company wanted kids to use their imagination and stimulate their creativity by inventing their own characters whilst playing. The figures and play sets are perfect for imaginary play with parts and movement for realism but not without the space for ingenuity and a story to be crafted around them.

Today there are over 5 700 characters that come in a number of sets across various “themes”. Themes are toy lines of Playmobil that often feature the same characters but varying story lines. Themes such as Knights, Summer Fun, Ghostbusters, Sports & Action, City Life, Family Fun and Antarctic are just the tip of the iceberg. (Pun intended)

As with any cleverly crafted toy set, these too require some assembly but they come with clear and concise instructions to make it easy for children, or parents if you will, to construct.

Fun fact: In 2017 two young brothers from Scotland turned imagination and creativity into adventure! They quite literally launched a Playmobil toy pirate ship on the high seas. It contained a message that asked anyone who found the boat to help it back on course. The ship travelled to Denmark and Sweden and was later carried to the South Atlantic by a ship where it was set to sail again.

August 2019 marks the release of the first Playmobil movie “Robbers, Thieves & Rebels” so be sure to take the kids. It is set to be a goody!

Check out our Playmobil Movie collection after release or shop other Playmobil sets and themes here.

 

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