We have been amazed by three Playmobil toys that all went outside the scope of what we thought Playmobil was all about, each in a different way. The Bunnies' Treehouse, and some smaller figure sets that go with it, are the first. They are a family of anthropomorphic, civilized rabbits who live in a tree stump and have mastered the ability to make fire, dishes, clothing, and both indoor and outdoor furniture.

Warning: This is an "Easter" toy. It is most widely available in the spring, and was released in March 2009 to feed kids' Easter baskets. Additional warning: This toy rocks. Your kid has no idea that it is a seasonal toy and will not care, and it is available now. Don't be fooled by opportunistic off-season sellers who mark up the price, and buy it instead from a shop that is simply committed to keeping this totally awesome toy available year-round. Amazon.com is a great place to get the smaller sets, including a bunny riding a moped to school and another one learning to play rockin' tunes on the lyre, but the larger sets there have spit-take-inducing prices apparently aimed at protagonists in '80s comedies tasked with spending $30,000,000 in thirty days.

Z loves this toy set, which retails for $22-$24 - a bargain in our book for a playset with this many pieces that is well-made and has a theme that is cute without being cutesy. Z has spent an absurd amount of time playing with it. In fact, it is one of the few toys that doesn't get overrun with her army of Polly Pockets, which is just one of the many indicators of its narrative power over her.



In terms of this toy's execution, the pieces fit together easily and at five she can easily put together and break down any multi-part item she chooses (assembling the trees, for example, which have trunks, separate canopies, and blooms). She loves all the tiny pieces that fit together, and the incorporation of a ladder. The rabbits have little hook shaped hands so that they can hold all of the tools and hold on to the ladder as they climb up. The rabbits sleep in birds' nests, each to their own bed.


The set is also a great storytelling tool, as it comprises a clearly defined world that is easily grasped and imaginatively open. Z talks to herself all the time as she plays with it. The pot with the big spoon is fun too, and Z makes lots of soups in the pot for the rabbits. She also likes that the trees don't have to have the canopy of leaves on them. That way it can be summer or winter, which plays a role in the stories Z tells and her grandmother Karen tells with her. Karen reports that she herself likes the Bunnies' Treehouse "almost as much as Z does."

We'll re-recommend this toy in the spring if we remember, but if your child is ready for this toy there is no need to wait. It is one of the three remarkable things we've discovered by Playmobil this year. We'll cover the other two in posts interspersed with other reviews over the next couple of weeks.

You can always find more Playmobil inspiration in the Playmobil group photo pool on Flickr.

We can't pry this toy away from Z so we'll be keeping it. In accordance with our Keep No Stuff policy, we'll donate the retail value of this item (minus our tax burden) to charity.