My daughter loves Playmobil, in particular the sets focused on animals. She has the Animal Clinic and the Greenhouse set as well as a few horse accessory sets. We also have the Police Headquarters set, so from time to time you’ll see a wounded animal behind bars, or a policeman on the vet’s examining table. The variety available of imaginary situations available from Playmobil offers endless amounts of entertainment and role playing for kids (and, come on let's face it, a few of us adults don't mind getting in on the fun too!).

Probably one of the things about Playmobil that children find so absorbing is the amount of detail in each set – usually right down to computer terminals and phones on desks, or sacks of seed for the Greenhouse set, not to mention the boxes of individual flowers with individual petals! Of course, it also means all those little pieces can disappear faster than the instructions for putting the sets together.

Some great new Playmobil sets have just arrived at Mastermind including:

• the Egyptian Tomb with Treasure set, where your little nomads can set up a hut, complete with camels, dogs and a fenced in area and a well, and find a hidden treasure behind the wall!
  
• If your daughter is in that “wedding phase” where she’s constantly humming the Wedding March, or holding towels around her head walking slowly across the kitchen, there’s the new Church set which should allow her to live out her fantasy. It comes with a Bride, Groom, Minister, and even the rings. There are even bells to celebrate the end of the ceremony.
• The Suburban House is the latest of Playmobil’s line of dwellings. The second storey has a Juliet balcony, a bedroom and washroom, while the main floor consists of the kitchen and living room. The set includes the house, family of four, outdoor furniture and barbeque. There are lots of opportunities to expand the set in addition to adding furniture you can add a car, conservatory, wading pool, etc.