The Playmobil Castle – Also known as the Hawk Knight's Castle, this kit has a hefty price tag (even more than the Pirate Ship), but it justifies it, with secret trapdoors and staircases, workable draw-bridges, cannons, swords, bows and arrows, and plenty of space in the secure dungeon. It's a great starting point for a Dragon collection, or just an army of standard Playmobil Knights. Various sub-collections have been added to the catalogue, beyond traditional options like town occupations or medieval knights. Buyers will find collections related to Ghostbusters, dinosaurs, dragons (a loose Game of Thrones reference), the beach, and Dreamworks' Spirit movie franchise. All include a mix of exclusive figurines, vehicles (or dragons), and buildings. Buildings range incredibly widely, including everything from castles to hospitals. After that, global expansion was swift – just as it was for another European export, Lego. By the 1980s, figures were becoming slightly more customisable, with hands that gripped and could be rotated 360 degrees, as well as detachable headgear. Buildings swiftly joined figurines, as well as vehicles and other accessories, allowing kids to create elaborate townscapes and social situations.

I personally love the idea of a detailed LEGO fishing boat. Plus, I know how fan designers like to put everything possible in a design, so I was expecting a highly detailed model. I was also expecting that LEGO’s own designers would help a little to make sure the model is stable and offers a fun building experience. However, I know what went into building the pilot house, and I know it isn’t the most reliable of builds due to the amount of decorating that went into its design. Chances are that while I’m doing all of this, I might rip apart the center of the boat and leave the flooring still in place. This means the section I want to get at would still be covered. After the headache I went through building the boat the first time, I’m going to resign to never accessing the inner section. LEGO FISHING BOAT – FINAL THOUGHTSBut what if you are buying Playmobil for girls? Well, the German brand doesn't let girls down, and there should be no shortage of kits to consider (assuming your daughter isn't crazy about the Pirate Ship or Fire Engine we've already considered). Here are some options that always work well: I want to be clear; I’m not at all upset with the fan designer of this project. After all, they created a model that looked good in pictures, and they got it this far with strong fan support and votes. Ultimately, I believe LEGO failed the fan designers and didn’t support them in a meaningful way. Instead, fan designers were expected to magically know what goes into a professionally designed LEGO set.

I have designed 4 different types of this boat, each one can be combined with different accessories and used in a different playing scenario. Taking a completely different approach, Playmobil Country includes an array of rural-themed characters, as well as cottages, farming equipment, farm animals, and much more. And the Playmobil Crystal Palace range has a wonderful fairy tale theme that little princesses will adore. Playmobil continues to effortlessly capture the imagination of generations of children. Maybe it's the wide selection of realistic characters and environments, the interactivity of the toys, or the ability to echo popular movies and cultural references. Whatever the secret of its success, the German toy brand knows how to satisfy young appetites for excitement. To protect the acrylic paint from being removed by scratching, apply a clear varnish spray (gloss or matte). So let’s take this as an opportunity to learn from and see where the model had problems. I would like to emphasize again that it’s not my goal to bash the fan designer in doing so. As I mentioned before, these are mistakes I’d make as a fan builder myself. But by pointing them out, I hope to have others avoid these pitfalls. DIGITAL LEGO DESIGNS AREN’T REALITY

PAINTING

When I build something, I’m not too concerned about having the most secure connections. As long as it looks good on display, it’s good enough for me. And this is also what I would expect from most fan-designed models. However, if LEGO is going to put their name on a model, I expect to see the strong fundamentals they incorporate in nearly every set they sell. Unfortunately, this model has issues.

In the 2000s, another major change took place, when “System X” was introduced. Now, connecting pieces would allow much more sophisticated constructions, with Playmobil keeping pace with Lego in the flexibility department. And with computer games and movies in the pipeline, not to mention an endless array of kits and characters, the brand looks set to go from strength to strength. How Does Playmobil Work? Moving away from the building experience, I figured that there are at least some play-features. Maybe not rough handling type of play given the fragile nature of the hull, but perhaps I could pose the minifigs in interesting ways to tell a story. Well… sort of.

Playmobil 5131 Fishing Boat

Has two bases (slots), one in the front and one in the middle. The middle is for a seat or for the mast. The front can be use as is to hold any of your creations, or you can use the front_slot part for holding a playmobil cannon if you have. But the section that almost ended this build for me was the front-most side. On one end, it uses two clips to continue the wrap. On the other end, you have to thread an angled axle into a connector without seeing and without breaking the other side of the boat. In my attempts, I managed to disconnect the support that was supposed to anchor the side down. There are only four studs so it didn’t have a great grip. With that in mind, you might be wondering what age is Playmobil suitable for? Well, the manufacturers suggest that an appropriate age range would be 4-10 years of age. That sounds about right. Below that point, kids will struggle with small figurines, and safety will be an issue. Above it, and children tend to graduate to more complex toys. But within that age range, Playmobil has captured millions of young imaginations across the world.