The toddler-preschool set is delighted to be able to participate in pretend play with Playmobil, just like their big brothers and sisters. Thanks to playmobil 123, the little ones have their own vehicles, people and animals to ride, feed and visit. Take a trip to the large zoo with double fence enclosures to keep the zoo and farm animals contained. Designed for kids 1 1/2  and older, everything stands up and stays put–from fences to people–to eliminate little ones’ frustration and keep the story building. The zoo animals (zebra, giraffe, elephant and monkey) and farm friends (horse, sheep, donkey and bunny) have smooth chunky, realistic bodies for toddler hands to manipulate. Adding flexible items for storytelling like grass and flowers for feeding, drinking troughs, a tractor to pull a detachable wagon, a park bench for resting, trees for climbing and a tunnel to drive through or perch on top, this set has all the components for beginning imaginary play. Kids loved the tunnel, riding through it, and were able to easily manipulate the one-step figures who can stand or sit with one bend of their bodies. The zoo set sparked creative play that only a toddler could conjure up. Figures stood on the flat tree branches, rode in the wagon and slid down the sides of the tunnel. That’s the best endorsement for a toy–that kids invent and play differently with it each time!

Sherry Artemenko, MA-CCC, is a speech-language pathologist with more than 35 years experience and founder of Playonwords.com. The opinions expressed in this review are solely those of the author. “Playmobil Large Zoo” was provided for review by Playmobil.