Christmas cookies? Yes, please!
Playmobil has been releasing holiday advent calendar playsets for more than two decades, and this year’s new calendar is packed with sweet surprises. Designed for kids ages 4 and up, Playmobil’s Christmas Baking Advent Calendar has a new, baking-inspired surprise each of the days leading up to Christmas! The calendar features 24 different doors for kids to open, each with toys inside to help piece together a holiday baking scene that will be complete after day 24. The completed scene displays a family baking yummy treats and building snowmen as they wait to see if Santa Claus will arrive in his sleigh (spoiler alert — he does!).
With 92 pieces overall (some of the doors have more than one item behind them), the calendar includes three mini figures of people, a figure of Santa Claus, Santa’s reindeer and sleigh, cookie trays, baking utensils, a snowman, and even real cookie cutters that kids can use in their own baking adventures!
Kids should be sure to apply a little extra pressure when pressing the doors in, since they sometimes tend to get stuck. Once the door is opened, kids can use the tab on the door to open it back up. The set also includes a cardboard backdrop of a cozy kitchen, displayed against a snowy Christmas night. The backdrop is used as the setting for the pieces, so kids can place the figures directly on it after they open the door each day. Over time, the setting will fill with a full holiday scene. There is also a detailed instruction guide that shows how to put the final scene together, but don’t let kids see — the manual also includes a guide showing which items come behind each door!
The Playmobil figures in the calendar are poseable and can stand up on their own, and the baking tray pieces and other accessories even fit perfectly into the figures’ hands. While some items in the calendar need to be put together (like the tables and ovens), the kid-friendly pieces are easy to construct. One of the most fun surprises comes on day 21, when kids can use small, decorated cardboard pieces to fold together mini Christmas presents. Kids can also construct their own snowman figure, and dress up the boy that builds the snowman. Kids are sure to feel accomplished when the whole scene is complete, since they gradually piece it together.
While the scene makes for a lovely holiday decoration, it isn’t just for show: The figures, accessories, and background are also a play set. Through imaginative play, kids can create their own holiday scenes and scenarios by playing with the figures and accessories.
Playmobil’s Christmas Baking Advent Calendar costs $29.99, which is an affordable deal for all the pieces inside. This advent calendar is sure to become a sweet holiday tradition. Kids can save the pieces for future years, when they can recreate the scene a different way or bring out the set for holiday-themed play. And when kids are finished constructing and playing with the toy, they may even feel inspired to whip up their own holiday treats!
