Playmobil: Ski Lodge

Today, we’re saying goodbye (maybe?) to winter and looking back at last month’s Winter Olympics with the Family Fun Ski Lodge. Even before we opened the box on this one, we knew we had a winner. FIVE figures included? And for the first time, the gender ratio is weighted toward females? Am I seeing things?

The Ski Lodge is a new addition to the Family Fun line and the centerpiece of a few winter-related sets. Related smaller sets include a Winter SUV, Winter Sports Trio, Snowmobile, Snowball Fight, Ski Lesson, and a Female Biathlete.

Specs:

Product Number: 9280
Number of Pieces: 146 pieces
Number of figures: 3 adults (2 female, 1 male); 2 kids (1 female, 1 male); 1 snowman
Assembly instructions

Ease of Build:

On a scale of 1-5, the ski lodge comes in at about a 3. Like most Playmobil buildings, it’s got a lot of little pieces that snap together. Nothing terribly difficult about this one; just a bunch of pieces to keep track of.

Coolest Features:

The figures. I mean, come on, five figures is a lot to include in a single set, and it’s something I’ve commented on before. Too often, these sets cheap out and only include one or two people. Plus, THREE females is SUCH a welcome inclusion.
The snowman. He’s just adorable.
The snow and icicles. It’s the finishing touches that make this really feel like you’re on the slopes.
The bar and tap. Is it coffee? Is it beer? It’s whatever you want it to be.
The fireplace. It looks so warm and cozy, I want to curl up in front of it.
The sleeping bags. Instead of plastic beds that just resemble sleeping bags, the set includes two fabric sleeping bags that the figures can fit inside.
The toilet. Because when you’re 6 years old, there’s nothing funnier.

Playability:

Lots. My kids have been playing with it nonstop. It’s a unique addition to their collection, which – with a little imagination – works really well with so many other themes. The Ski Lodge is up the mountain near the slopes (i.e., on a table), while the Camping Lodge is down at the base of the mountain near a lake (i.e., on the floor).

Kid Verdict:

Two enthusiastic thumbs up. The figures and snowman made this set a winner right out of the box, and once it was assembled, their rating just went up from there. They love it and thought it was the perfect toy to break out on a recent snow day from school.

Plus, I need to thank Playmobil for finally doing something about the gender ratio. If you’ve read any of the previous Playmobil Playroom articles, you know this is something I’ve commented on many times before. So many of the sets seem to include female figures as an afterthought, or they’re only there to fulfill a service role. In this set, the sole adult male is actually shown as the employee of the ski lodge.

Here’s hoping this is a new precedent. I know this a relatively minor battle, but kids do see themselves in their toys. We’d love to see a more equitable breakdown of figures in these sets.