JediKermit's Full Review: Fisher-Price Little People Christmas Village
Yes, Fisher Price Little People, There IS a Santa Claus
I’m gearing up to write a ton of reviews about all the toys Miles (and I) got for Christmas. I was going to do it before Christmas, but I wanted to get them all open and everything and see how much he likes them, I like them, how much they drive my wife crazy, etc. Then today I found a deal that was too good to pass up. We were in the midst of returning a few things (we got three Trivial Pursuit games for Christmas) and were in Target, where all of their Christmas stuff is on clearance. And we found a Fisher Price Little People set that was too good to pass up. I collect (and mutilate) the classic Fisher Price Little People, and Miles is amassing quite a few of the new ones, with his Noah’s Ark set and some sets he just got for Christmas. Sometimes we can pass them up. Not this time.
The Fisher Price Little People Christmas Village may just be the cutest Christmas-themed toy I’ve ever seen. I’ve liked the various Rudolph toys we’ve seen in recent years, the Peanuts Christmas figures, and others…but when I saw this for ten bucks, it hopped into the cart. And for a change, Melissa didn’t protest.
The Christmas Village is a set of three little buildings, Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, an Elf, a reindeer and sleigh, gift which opens, and a Christmas Tree that plays music. Each piece is charming, and seems to be sturdy enough to last many Christmases with Miles and his impending siblings.
The three buildings are each square little structures that are decorated with red and green and fit in perfectly at the North Pole. Each building has an open bottom, an open door and at least one window, making it easy to put the Little People to work. First up is a little bakery, gingerbread colored with peppermint stick details, icing roof, and all sorts of treats visible through the windows. There’s a little “bar” on one side of the building with stools for elves to eat at on their work breaks, and a wheel slides a window open so the elves can place their order. Next is the post office, a red and white building with a green roof, a wreath hanging over the mail drop. When you push the little plastic envelopes down the chute, a smiling Santa appears; on another wall you can see the Christmas stamps available, including Santa, reindeer, and penguins. The toy workshop is the third building, green with a red roof (and a chimney that looks like a wrapped present). This one has a wheel feature as well—you turn the clicking wheel and see the different gifts the elves make—dolls, trains, balls, horns, drums…it’s quite sweet.
The three figures that come with the set are each wonderful as stand-alone pieces, all with that cute Little People chubbiness that I used to disdain but now I love. Having a fat-cheeked boy myself had a lot to do with that. Santa is really just a traditional Santa, with green mittens, brown bag over his shoulder, black belt and boots. I want to give him a hug. Sitting on his lap is out of the question. Mrs. Claus is really the highlight of the set’s figures in my opinion. She’s got great details like red glasses, a lacy white apron, and a little sprig of holly in the back of her white hair. She’s holding out a gingerbread man, and you know she’d invite you in for some hot chocolate. The elf who comes with the set is dressed in green (and has a little Kermit collar, which scores points with me) and is holding a red paint bucket in one hand and a paint brush in the other. He’s darn cute too. I say cute a lot. Blame my son.
The accessories that come with the set are up to the same high standard as the rest of the set—the reindeer has the same chubby shape as other modern Fisher Price animals, and his green removable harness connects him to Santa’s red sleigh, big enough for Santa and a passenger or the accompanying gift. The sleigh has white runners and white scrollwork detailing—a good enough ride for St. Nicks of any era. There’s a green gift box with the set; you can lift the box off of its base, and you’ll see a little brown puppy sitting on a red pillow. Awww. There’s also a small Christmas Tree—when you push down on the star topping the tree, it plays an electronic beepy version of “Oh Christmas Tree,” or “O Tannenbaum,” if you’re of the deutsch persuasion.
This would have been a great set for $20.00, which is what it retails for. At $10.00, only a fool would pass it up. If you have small children, or are ever planning on having any, I recommend high-tailing it to your closest Target and picking one up. We’re planning on keeping it in storage from February – November, and then breaking it out with all of our other Christmas decorations—this can be the set that the kids get to play with and enjoy during this special season, and get them excited for that day when Santa Claus comes to town.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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