We opted for the PLAYMOBIL Wild Life Care Station because it looks like something our twins could play with as well after their big brother and I construct it. The theme of this set seems like it would prompt imaginative play since there are so many different accessories to give them ideas of new storylines.
Below you will find all the parts we needed to build the Wild Life Care Station plus the abundance of accessories and animal figures that came with this set. This set only comes with two figures, so we will most likely purchase another small kit from the African Wild Life series so that each child can have one to play with.
Some of the assembly requires use of the included tool seen below. Once we figured out how to use the tool, it turned out to be pretty handy. We only needed to put a connector onto the tip of the tool, then my 6yr old son used the tool to push the connector into place. Once the connector was in place, the tool seemed to release it easily.
Although my son was anxious to start the assembly portion, I urged him to follow the instructions because we did not want to use the wrong piece, nor did we want to put a piece upside down or backwards. Then we would have to take it apart and rebuild. I personally recommend putting all the connectors where they need to go per the instructions and then assembling each section of the building all at once. For example, we prepared all the parts for the platform before we began to assemble it. We did the same for the building. I also recommend that you put all the small parts in a big bowl, except for the connectors, before you begin.
We had to take a dinner break in between the building. I want to say that it took us almost 3 hours to finish assembling everything, including putting together all the accessories and applying the decals.
This is the front of our Wild Life Care Station . . .
Although building the Wild Life Care Station was an enjoyable activity for my son and I to do together and we felt a great feeling of satisfaction once it was finished, the real fun began when we started to furnish the building inside and out.
(Click on any image to enlarge)
I was so impressed by the detail put into this building set. At the same time, I was nervous at all the tiny parts that could be lost. You would really need to be careful about misplacing any of the small accessories because they could be choking hazards for a small child or a pet.
It is clear that a lot of thought was put into every part of this toy. Each section seems like a story waiting to be told.
Once built, this set can be taken apart, but I do not believe it is meant to be. We leave ours out and keep the small parts in a box away from the twins. All three of our children love to play with this PLAYMOBIL set and I love listening to them act out the stories that develop in their heads.
I do want to point out that this set comes with tiny little casts for the animals to wear, thus the "wild life care" theme. It also comes with decals that are bandages, but we opted not to use those. I was hesitant to use stickers on anything that was not meant to be permanent.
Our 6yr old said that his favorite part of the set are the two figures. I cannot say that I blame him. The figures can hold so many things, including a walkie talkie, a flashlight, a pistol, rifles, maps, a cup of coffee, and more. I think this toy is perfect for a 6 year old. I do not think a 4 year old child would be able to actively take part in the building process, but he or she would enjoy playing with the set after it has been built.
Can you guess what my favorite accessory is? . . . Why the tiny little laptop, of course!
You can purchase this and other PLAYMOBIL toys on PlaymobilUSA.com and from other major toy retailers, such as Toys R Us, Amazon.com, and Target. This particular set retails for $69.99, but there are smaller sets from the African Wild Life series that are priced starting at under $10.
Thank you to PLAYMOBIL for sending us this sample toy free of charge to base this review upon.