Sunday 18 December 2011

Sylvanian Families review


Sometimes, the toys that we get to review here at The Madhouse make me get just as excited as the kids, if not more so ! That was certainly the case when these boxes of lovely Sylvanian Families animals turned up. I remember these from my childhood, a fact that was confirmed when I read the enclosed press release and learnt that Sylvanian Families are celebrating their 25th anniversary.



Sophie immediately grabbed the Celebration Wedding Set featuring Katherine and William Balmoral, the Reverent Kelvin Waters, gorgeous bridesmaids Amelia and Louise and cheeky pageboy James. The attention to detail is exquisite and the clothes look so gorgeous, it's almost a shame to get them out and play with them. With the cheeky wink at the other Kate & William marriage of the year, I can see this becoming a real collectors' item, especially as it is a limited edition. It would also be an original and ultra cute gift for any other couples tying the knot this year. You could even stand them on top of the cake instead of the traditional bride and groom figurines ! At this point, Sophie rolled her eyes and said "Yes Mum, or you could just give them back to me so that I can play with them" ! True enough !



Meanwhile Juliette was oohing and aahing at the Motorcycle and Sidecar featuring George and Mildred Mulberry. George & Mildred ? Remember the TV sitcom ? I tell you, Sylvanian Families are targetting the grown ups more than the kids, for whom all of these references (George & Mildred, Kate & William) would be going right over their heads ! This cute playset also reminded me of Compo and Nora Batty in the motorbike and sidecar on Last of the Summer Wine, yet another programme that today's kids would never have even heard of ! But back to the toys !

The Sylvanian Families website explains : "George & Mildred Mulberry are the racoon Grandparents and enjoy riding around the country lanes. George has a helmet & goggles so he can see where he is going. Mildred likes to wrap up warm before they set off as it can get a bit breezy in the side car!"

The playsets are extremely cute with great attention to detail so they are highly conducive to imaginative play and creative story-creating. They are also beautiful enough to be left out on show as decorative items on a shelf in the bedroom when slightly older kids no longer want to play with them but still want to admire them !

They're such timeless toys that I can certainly see them being around for another 25 years (if not more !).

star rating : 5/5

RRP : £24.99 for the mototorbike & sidecar, £22.99 for the limited edition Royal Wedding Celebration

for more information : http://www.sylvanianfamilies.com/



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2 comments:

  1. this has been around for years - my daughter doesnt have any but i am sure she would like them!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh my goodness - I used to love Sylvanian Families but I only ever had one character, lol! I wanted all the sets and the houses but my parents said they were too expensive :( They are so gorgeous though! great review :)

    ReplyDelete

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