“Anywhere’s a playground….”

My son is at an age where pretend play prevails.  When I’m in the kitchen preparing a meal or nursing my daughter, I giggle at his conversations with “Thomas,”  Light Queen (aka Lightning McQueen), and Hal (the moose).  He’s an imaginative, inquisitive little boy who loves to play (as he should!).  Things that “move” are his favorites (i.e. cars, trains), but he also enjoys playing in his kitchen and with his farm set.

Schleich, “a leader in imaginative play and known for their hand-painted, stunningly realistic animal figures,”introduced new “baby animals” this year.   The company’s gorgeous figurines are designed in Germany (and you know how much I adore European-designed products!) but are available here in the US.

This is my first experience with Schleich and I was highly impressed with the quality of each piece, given the price ($2.99 to $6.99 each).  The company offers figurines in a variety of genres including Farm Life, Wild Life, Prehistoric Animals, World of Knights, world of American Indians, Bayala, and the Smurfs.  We chose the following from Wild Life:

King Penguin

Penguin chicks

Kangaroo

Kangaroo joey

Hedgehog pups

The first thing I noticed about the figurines was how detailed they are.  They are painted intricately and include a variety of textures to appear as true to life as possible.

Children (including my son), have a love for babies (my son is always trying to “help” our baby girl by rocking her, giving her a pacifier, etc.).  I like the introduction of this new line of “babies” to help children learn concepts such as family.  A visit to the site is like a history lesson!  If you were to go on the company website, you’ll notice that each animal includes a description and fun facts.

Beyond the educational value of these figurines (because to call them toys doesn’t seem fitting), they’re fun and allow children to play creatively.  The only thing I would suggest is perhaps the option to purchase “sets.”

Schleich products are available for purchase at Toys R Us and Target.

Be sure to check out my Easter Egg Hunt for your chance at winning on of your own.

I did not receive compensation for this post.  Product samples were received to facilitate this review/giveaway.