"What's A Nanny, Mama?"
Written: Jan 15 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Lots of pieces, very realistic looking, love the basinet.
Cons: Drawer falls out of changing table, baby figure difficult to pose.
The Bottom Line: An important addition to any victorian Playmobil collection.
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| dagny21's Full Review: Playmobil Victorian Nursery #5313 |
Note: If you're just considering starting out with Playmobil, it's important to know that the recommended age on these products is 4+. My son has above average fine motor skills and is extraordinarily interested in pretend play. He's also unusually anal about keeping track of his toys so small parts aren't really a problem. All parents should make their own judgments about age appropriateness, and not necessarily assume because my 3-year-old loves these toys, that yours will.
I never realized I had an addictive personality or an obsessive nature until I had a child. Since I started my son on Fisher Price Little People almost 2 years ago, I've developed one pretend play toy obsession after another. A few months ago, I began purchasing Playmobil toys for my son. In doing so I came across the Large Victorian Dollhouse #5300. Not a personal fan of Barbies or many other such "girl" toys, this is the first toy that's ever actively made me wish I had a little girl. Although my son is still pretty open-minded when it comes to his toys and I thought he might enjoy this dollhouse to a certain extent, I didn't want to spend $200 (plus the cost of furniture) on a toy that he would set aside as soon as some other little boy told him "that's for girls."
Finally, after much hesitation, I decided that I deserved this dollhouse just for myself. So, I saved my money for a bit and had my husband pick it up for me on his way home from work one day.
For about a month, my dollhouse sat empty except for the few pieces that came with it. Finally, I had a little money to spend and I picked up this next set.
Playmobil Victorian Nursery #5313 includes:
~1 nanny figure
~1 toddler figure
~1 rocking basinet with canopy
~1 area rug (cloth)
~1 blanket (plastic)
~1 basinet mattress/pillow
~1 changing table with slide-out drawer
~1 changing pad (cloth)
~1 2-piece highchair
~1 baby bathtub
~1 plate
~1 spoon
~2 short canisters
~1 tall canister
~1 pitcher
~1 teddy bear
Price
The SRP on this set is $10.99, we paid $11.99 at the only toy store in our area that carries Playmobil items. Factoring in shipping, I was not able to find a better deal anywhere online, including ebay.
Assembly
All Playmobil sets require a fair amount of assembly, but their instructions are clear, and the only tools required are your bare hands. Everything is very durable and snaps together neatly and easily. The basinet came in several pieces but was very easy to assemble. Unlike many other Playmobil sets, there are no stickers to apply to this one, and I appreciated that greatly. No complaints here.
What We Like
Lots of Pieces
There are so many different scenarios to play out with this set because of the large number of pieces. You can pretend about changing the baby on the changing table, giving the baby a bath, feeding the baby, or rocking the baby to sleep in the basinet. Many parents complain about large numbers of small pieces with their children's toys, but as far as my son is concerned, the more pieces the better, and he's unusually organized and obsesses over keeping track of his toys, so this is not a problem. Also, if you keep the instructions that come with your Playmobil sets, there are part numbers for everything and you can call Playmobil and purchase individual small pieces if you ever lose anything.
Rocking Basinet
This basinet rocks very easily, and looks very realistic. It also came with a plastic blanket that is shaped to cover baby just perfectly. The basinet is one of the best parts of this set.
What We Don't Like
Changing Table Drawer
The drawer on the changing table pulls out very easily, which is nice, but it also falls out entirely, and too easily. This is not a problem if you're going to leave it sitting on the hard floor, but is frustrating for a small child who wants to cary it around with him, or move it from room to room.
Toddler Figure
It's nice to have a toddler Playmobil figure, but - probably because of the small size - the head, arm, and legs are very stiff and difficult to move on this figure. All other Playmobil figures we have move very easily.
Our Experience in General
Obviously, play for me is just setting it all up artfully in the house and looking at it occasionally. I love this set because - like all Playmobil Sets - it's very realistic and detailed. All the little pieces really make look just like it should. I do let my son play with my dollhouse on an almost daily basis, and he was as excited about this set as I was. He has enjoyed playing with this set quite a bit, and he loves to talk "baby talk" to the baby figure and speculate about what might be in the cansisters or what the baby might be eating.
This set is equally enjoyed by my 3-year-old and myself.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 11.99
Type of Toy: Playscene
Age Range of Child: Other
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Epinions.com ID:
dagny21
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 in Kids & Family |
 - Top 500 |
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Member: Christine D
Location: Alaska
Reviews written: 388
Trusted by: 66 members
About Me:
Happily married mother of one boy.
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