The Nuremberg Spielzeugmuseum is considered be among the best Toy Museums in the world. This makes sense, since Nuremberg has been a hub of toy making since the Middle Ages. HUNDREDS of toy makers had their workshops along the cobblestoned streets and ways. Not only that, Nuremberg is the home of the first mass produced toys… and the first Tin…
Category: Games and Toys
Countdown to Christmas With a Playmobil Advent Calendar
When my kids were young, their Oma gave them a Playmobil Advent Calendar. This had to be the exciting HIT of the Season. Imagine, every day, a box containing a little Playmobil part would be opened (they took turns… ) and the piece would be added to the scene that was developing on the side table in the family…
Start a Family Tradition- Ravensburger Christmas Puzzles
Every year we bring out a new Ravensburger Christmas Puzzle to work on during the days and nights leading up to Christmas. A table is set up, and the pieces are sorted (edge verses middle)… and off we go. Ravensburger …the German company based in Ravensburg… makes high quality puzzles with beautiful Christmas images. They hold up well to lots…
Playmobil for Easter- Fill the Easter Basket with Bunnies & Eggs that Last!
Playmobil 4450 Bunny Spring Workshop When filling Easter Baskets for kids, it’s nice to include something that they can enjoy playing with for a long time. Why not add a set from Playmobil for Easter? I’ve written before about my love for the high quality Playmobil toys that encourage children to use their imagination–>Playmobil Toys. Not only are they well made, and…
Traditional German Games Kids and their Omas like to Play!
While I was growing up, my family played a LOT of traditional German Games. Games like Mensch Ärgere Dich Nicht, Mühle, Schwarzer Peter and Quartet. My Oma was part of a Doppelkopf group, and Dad loved Skat. We would play Stadt Land Fluß in the car to pass the time. Today, Board Games are undergoing a Renaissance of sorts. Newer,…
Haba For Easter- German Toys and Games for the Easter Basket!
HABA Animal Upon Animal – Classic Wooden Stacking Game Fun for the Whole Family (Made in Germany) While I never say no to a nice Chocolate Bunny, I love tucking things into the Easter Basket that last a little longer. A stuffed toy, book or game last a lot longer than colored eggs… and will keep the kids happy and…
History of German Nutcrackers- Get a Nutcracker for Your Home!
I love how the History of German Nutcrackers is tied up in a Fairy Tale…. Once upon a time, a farmer offered a reward for anyone who could help him easily open the Walnuts from his tree. A Carpenter said he should saw them open. A Soldier told him he should SHOOT the nuts (I can’t imagine what he thought…
What is a Monchhichi?? It’s a LOVE MONKEY!
You will recognize these toys if you were a child of the 70s and early 80s. I had one as a child, as did my sister, but I have always wondered what is a Monchhichi? Obviously, they are stuffed animals, but where did they come from? And how did they become so popular? These little Love Monkeys swept across the country,…
What is Playmobil? 50 Years of German Toys for the Imagination
In 2017 a little Playmobil Martin Luther, complete with quill and German Bible became the fastest selling Playmobil toy in the history of Brandstätter Toys. 34,000 of these “little Luthers” sold in under 72 hours! Created to honor the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation in 2017, the sales figures astonished everyone in the company known for its imaginative toy sets, and…
German Fairy Tale Wall Art -Colorful Wandfiguren for Children
See what I found while clearing out the closet? Like many German kids in the 1970s, my room was decorated with colorful wooden Fairy Tail wall art, Wandfigur, that depicted some of my favorite Fairy Tales. Made by companies like Mertens Kunst and Ravi Kunst, these bright and cheery wall hangings have become collectible today. Designs all came from fairy…