When I think of the name
Breyer, my mind goes directly to visions of
collectible horses. Even though the traditional
Breyer horses are technically
toy horses, I do not think I could ever bring myself to allow my children to play with them. That is why I was thrilled to learn about the
Breyer Stablemates Collection. Although these horses and playsets are very detailed, this line is made for children ages 4 and up.
I was extremely happy to introduce the my children to the world of Breyer horses with the
Stablemates Deluxe Animal Hospital Playset. I chose this set because my children are animal-lovers and were likely to find this toy to be engaging. It comes with other animal figures in addition to horses, such as a dog, a cat, and a goat.
The animal hospital requires much assembly. Although it would take an adult about 20 minutes to assemble, if you have a young child who is receiving this toy on Christmas morning, you might consider assembling it ahead of time. If you have a child who is 6 or older, he or she might enjoy assembling the playset together. The construction mostly just uses slots and tabs already molded into the plastic pieces.
The illustrated instructions are fairly easy for an adult to follow. There are hardly any written instructions, so you would need to deduce which piece goes where by visually matching up the pieces referred to in the image to the pieces that are in front of you.
The finished product was quite impressive. This playset contained no decals. Everything was already printed on the walls and the signs.
(Click on any photo to enlarge)
Most of the rooms were easily accessible for small hands. The Emergency Room has a hinged roof for even easier access.
For realism, all the doors and gates opened and closed, including the double sliding stable door.
Here is one of the Breyer horses that comes with a removable blanket. The details on each animal are very well done considering the Stablemates products are much more affordable than the traditional Breyer products.
One thing my children thought this set should have is at least one human figure. They improvised by using other figures from similarly scaled toys, so it all worked out in the end. This toy has provided my children hours of battery-free enjoyment. It is very different from other doll houses and play sets they have ever owned, so it sparked a whole new set of imaginative play scenarios.
Thank you to Shopatron for sending us a complimentary sample product to base this review upon and for providing a second product for our contest prize.
What you can win:One lucky reader will receive
one Breyer product of their choice (up to a $50 value). Collectors Corner and Special Value products are excluded.
Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.
How to Gain Entries:
Browse the selection of Breyer Horses offered on Shopatron. Then leave a comment telling me what your favorite item is. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest. Extra Entries:
1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.
2)For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.
3) For 10 extra entries, sign up to receive the Hoofbeats Newsletter. Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments telling me you did. All entries will be verified.
7) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.
8)
Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.
9)
10) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.
(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)
Random Drawing:
This contest will be closed on Monday, November 8th, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.
Good luck in the drawing!
When I think of the name Breyer, my mind goes directly to visions of collectible horses. Even though the traditional Breyer horses are technically toy horses, I do not think I could ever bring myself to allow my children to play with them. That is why I was thrilled to learn about the Breyer Stablemates Collection. Although these horses and playsets are very detailed, this line is made for children ages 4 and up.
