The hidden underwater world of Playmobil
What happens at the bottom of the sea is not really tangible for many of us. Playmobil brings out the beauty of the underwater world and even makes me dream as an adult.
I love snorkelling. However, as the first few metres from the beach are not outstanding and the swirling sand often blocks my view, I prefer to take the boat to a nice bay. But as soon as it comes to real diving, I back out. For this reason, the beauty of the underwater world has unfortunately remained hidden from me - until now.
Playmobil has brought out a new series that lets my daughter and I share in the richness of the sea and inspires us to dream. When we unpacked the items, we were both blown away and didn't know which detail of this Playmobil series to marvel at first. We set up all the sets together and succumbed to the fascination of the underwater world after just a few minutes.
Coral pavilion with illuminated dome
The largest set in the series consists of a coral pavilion that functions as a small marble run. The coloured balls, also known as glow beads, which my daughter can find everywhere in the underwater world, pass through a dome and make it glow. The resulting light not only illuminates the sea creatures' surroundings, but also makes my little one scream with delight.
Once through the dome, the beads circle in the funnel until they fall through the hole. At the end of the ball track, a collecting tray collects the beads. My daughter picks up the beads again and lets them down the marble run once more. Fish, corals, sea creatures and other extras are still lying next to it, waiting to bring the environment to life.
Night light pearl shell
The highlight of this set is a night light in the shape of a shell. It lights up the underwater world during the day and the children's room at night. Without looking at the accessories, my little one grabs the night light and presses on the white pearl in the shell. It lights up in a bright blue light. With the second click, the shell lights up the room in colour. After 15 minutes, the light spectacle is over and the light switches off automatically. For this reason, the night light is practical as a sleep aid, but is no good if your child needs a light all night long.
Seahorse carriage
In the smallest set, two seahorses pull a graceful carriage with a mermaid through the underwater world. But that doesn't quite suit my daughter. She removes the two seahorses and quickly converts the carriage into a pram. The little mermaid from the "Coral Pavilion" set is given her sister's name and is chauffeured around in the pram. My little one loses herself in role play.
Sea king with shark carriage and mermaid with snail gondola
In addition to the seahorse carriage, you can enhance your underwater world with a shark carriage or snail gondola. In the shark carriage, the king of the ocean glides through the water and holds the sceptre firmly in his hand. He is responsible for ensuring that his people collect enough glowing pearls for the coral pavilion. The underwater world does not sink into darkness thanks to the illuminated ball track.
The mermaid is also always on the lookout for glowing pearls. She lets herself drift from the snail gondola. When she needs a break or protection, she simply folds down the orange roof. Although I personally think these two sets have been beautifully realised, they don't seem to interest my daughter for the time being. She's still stuck in pram role play.
Pearl collector with ray and beauty parlour with pearl box
Two rays accompany the mermaid and her companion in their search for glowing pearls. They can store three pearls in the basket and carry them home. The big ray can carry one pearl directly in its mouth. Interest is not aroused with this set either, this only changes with the beauty parlour.
In this salon, a mermaid gets ready for the ball in the coral pavilion. She has various accessories such as hairpieces, jewellery, a bag and make-up accessories at her disposal. My little girl grabs the 2-centimetre hairbrush and starts brushing a mermaid. "Mummy, that's you and this is Daddy," she says in between. I stifle my smile and watch as she loses herself in the next role play. When she discovers the large pink shell with space for five beads, she turns back to the marble run and lets a few balls down the track.
Conclusion on the underwater world series
I am fascinated by the variety of colours and the level of detail in the sets. Some of the small pieces are just half a centimetre in size and get lost in my hand. I don't even know how to hold them so that they don't slip out of my hand. Brushes, lipstick, mascara, brushes, necklaces, make-up sponges, bags and shells can all be found in miniature form. Really cute. Some fish can open their mouths and move their tail fins.
There is so much to marvel at and discover that it hardly gets boring. The products are beautifully finished in terms of quality and colour, very detailed and great fun to play with.
My 3-year-old daughter says:
Daughter: Wow, Mummy, that's beautiful! Me: What do you think is the most beautiful thing? Daughter: This and this and this and this (points to different items).
Me: No, which of these is the most beautiful?
Daughter: This and this and this and this (points to other items).
Me: So everything?
Daughter: Yes!
The manufacturer recommends the products from the age of four. However, my older daughter (3) can already play with them very well. We have to keep the items away from the little one (1), otherwise there is a risk of choking. And if you don't want to lose any pieces, I recommend packing everything away properly before hoovering.
The pictures show items from several sets. If you have the money, I recommend starting with the coral pavilion and buying one or two additional sets. This will make the underwater world more realistic. However, you can also start with one set and buy more as a gift. You will find detailed information about the exact contents of the set with each product.
I am also always on the lookout for beads for babies and toddlers. If you follow my profile, you will receive my latest articles by email. <p
I’m the cook, cleaner, police officer, nurse, entertainer, motivator, author, storyteller, coach, organiser, chauffeur, lawyer and judge. To put it simply, I’m a mum to a daughter and not just a (Content) Manager at the office but also at home.
