Kid Gifts - Playmobil

The company that makes Playmobil toys started out in 1876 as a lock and metal fitting company. By the 1930s, the company, newly named Geobra (for Georg Brandstätter, the then owner), evolved into the manufacturing of items for toy shops, such as cash registers, telephones, and other sheet metal items.

The company’s current owner, Horst Brandstätter, came on board in the 1950s and it was the start of a new era for the company; he focused on producing items with plastic which was his favorite material.

Horst created the first Playmobil prototype item after realizing that plastic could be molded into just about anything and he perfected the technique during the short-lived hula hoop craze in the late 1950s. This first prototype Playmobil toy was a closed racing car, created in a single production step. The company quickly expanded after that and a new production plant and warehouse was opened in Dietenhofen, Germany, just outside Zirndorf.

The oil crisis in the early 1970s saw a dramatic rise in the cost of plastic and it was felt by Geobra. Horst, knowing he needed to do something drastic to keep the company afloat, focused on a project he had been working on with Hans Beck, his lead R&D guy. The project was to create small moveable figurines with accessories at a good price … and Playmobil was born.

Playmobil was introduced in 1974 in Nuremberg, at the international Toy Fair, but it wasn’t received with the excitement they had hoped for.

Hurst did not giveup, and with an aggressive marketing strategy he was able to get Playmobil toys onto toy store shelves in Germany where they became a huge hit, and they’ve been top sellers ever since.

Playmobil toys are very gender neutral; little girls and boys alike love to play with them. There are many different themes, from nautical expedition to Romans and Egyptians and real life themes like Life in the City, Hospital, Animal Clinic, African Wildlife and lot more.

Amazon carries a huge selection of Playmobil toys at great prices and often with free shipping when you spend at least twenty-five dollars - check out all the Playmobil on the right, which is just a small selection of what Amazon has.

Kids can experience first-hand the world of Playmobil at one of its several Playmobil Fun Parks.  These Fun Parks have a variety of different play areas with knights, pirates, farms, police, fire rescue, hospital, dollhouses, circus tents and more, together with all of the accompanying accessories and buildings that the kids can play with. 

The only Playmobil Fun Park in the United States is in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida; with a 20,000 square foot play area.  The best part?  The entrance fee.  It’s $1.  That’s right – one dollar!  The catch?  Well, really there is not catch, except that on the way out, you pass through their Playmobil shop.  Now you don’t have to pass through it to get out, but will your kids let you skip it?  I think not!  So if you’re like me, you can’t leave without buying a little – or a lot – for your kids!  My kids now have an unbelievable, and ridiculous, amount of Playmobil toys!  The upside to that, however, is that their daddy doesn’t mind playing with them and their Playmobil toys because they have lots of “boy” ones, like police officers and knights – much more enjoyable for him than playing with Barbies!

There’s a Playmobil FunStore in Woodbridge, New Jersey which is mostly just a store with only a couple of play areas.  The other Playmobil Fun Parks are located in Zirndorf (Germany), Paris, Malta, and Athens.

If you’re looking for a great gift for your child or someone else’s, check out Playmobil and it’s sure to be a hit.  Stock up now – it’s a great Christmas or birthday gift idea for kids!