When it comes to build-it-yourself toys for our kids, Playmobil is a classic. There’s just something thrilling about opening up a toy kit with 117 pieces, right? But now that there are new Playmobil toys with electricity just launched this year, the sets have turned into a hybrid STEM toy that our kids are geeking out about.
The new summer fun amusement park collection may be the best of the collection, with flashing, colored lights powered by batteries. And a few of them — the rotating ferris wheel, spinning tilt-a-whirl, and swinging chairs — move with a hand crank, included in the set. But the real excitement happens when you splurge for an electric motor (sold separately, of course) that clicks in the same place as the hand crank and powers the toys with at the click of a button.
Liz caught a demo of it at Toy Fair earlier this year and ran home raving about it to all of us. And based on my own kids’ reactions, I can see why.
My children have been fully living out their best memories from past theme park trips; just like real carnival ride operators, they’re taking tickets, loading people on the rides, and warning them to keep their hands and feet inside the car. (I admit I’m drawing the line at the cotton candy stand they’re trying to set up in the driveway.)
You’ll probably need to help your younger kids to build the sets, but the nice thing about the addition of electricity is that it helps keep them relevant, longer. Especially for 9 and 10 year olds who might ordinarily be outgrowing the basic imaginary play that a Playmobil set offers in favor of electronics and screen-based games. Playmobil with electricity is the best of both worlds, making it one that grandparents, aunts and uncles should note, when they want one toy that both the younger and older kids in the same house can enjoy together.
You can shop for the summer fun amusement park toys from Playmobil at their website or our affiliate Amazon. Start with the ferris wheel, it really is a lot of fun. Thanks to Playmobil for sending CMT a basic set for review.
Do you know if there are any kids’ apps that function like snap circuits? Seems like tinybop or somebody would make that but I’ve had no luck finding one.