If you’re on the hunt for a toy that will encourage imaginative play and keep them playing with it again and again then this review is for you!

We were very kindly asked to review Playmobil’s new family fun zoo range and it was the perfect activity to keep the kids entertained and engaged as we waited for school to reopen after lockdown.

We’re big fans of Playmobil in our house – I grew up with Playmobil in the 1980s so the toys have a certain nostalgia for me, and the set ups really stand the test of time (in fact my Mum still has my sister’s Playmobil dolls house in the loft!)

I love the fact the characters and their signature smiles have barely changed since I was little, but what has changed is the range now on offer.

Playmobil family fun zoo review

If you haven’t come across Playmobil before the brand was born in Germany in the 1970s and is a lot like Lego in that the design has remained largely the same over the decades. Sets are numbered and categorised by age, and the pieces come in little bags with picture instructions so the kids can build it themselves.

What’s in the box?

We received Playmobil’s new petting zoo in one main box and their new gorilla, panda and lemur families in separate smaller boxes – much to this one’s delight!

The petting zoo comes complete with lots of little animals including rabbits, goats, turtles and sheep. There are pens, hutches and trees; food for the animals including miniature carrots and corn; Playmobil figures including visitors and a zoo keeper and even a vending machine with pouches of feed for the animals.

The gorillas, pandas and lemurs came separately and each have babies, which I have to say are super sweet!

In terms of building and assembly the kids could assemble everything themselves – they didn’t need any help from me and batted me away when I tried to get involved!

How much does it cost?

The family fun petting zoo comes with a price tag of £39.99 including all the smaller animals, their enclosures, a flag and a bridge. The animal families are extra: the gorilla family has an rrp of £9.99 and the pandas and lemurs are £6.99 – it’s worth shopping around online though, as there are offers to be had, including on Playmobil’s own website.

Our verdict

One of the reasons I like Playmobil so much is the way in which it encourages creative and imaginative play. This one will spend ages planning, considering and tinkering with his set up, which is quite something given he doesn’t usually sit still for very long!

Our older two also came up with the idea of using the arm of a blue running top to make a river running through the zoo with the bridge over the top, and anything that encourages them to play nicely together (for once!) gets the thumbs up from me.

I would add a word of caution if you’ve got a baby in the house like us though: you do need your wits about you because there are some very small pieces – the older children are under strict instructions to play with the set on a table, and to only play with it on the floor when their baby sister is safely out of the way.

I’ve been quite surprised just how much the kids have played with this toy and with the length of time it captures their imagination for – they’ll happily tinker away with it for up to an hour at a time. I think it’s great value for the price, and I’m sure it will be a favourite in our house for years to come.

Are you fans of Playmobil in your house? Do your kids have any toys that you also played with as a child? I’d love to hear about your experience!

We were gifted all of the items featured in this post (except the arm of the running top!) As always all opinions are our own and based on our own honest experience.

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