Fun for all ages: a Port-o-let
One of the cool finds in Cologne was the Lego® store. Not that this is anything special for Europe, but there were a few Lego lovers in our group.
It’s sorta sad though, when you see the product lineup for the toymaker of late. Sports, Bionicle, the Orient Express (huh?), licensed things like Star Wars, Spiderman and Harry Potter. With all these new specialized pieces, some of the fun seems to be taken out. And what the flarn happened to Technics? It’s like areodynamic and bleh. Oh, and lest I forget, they now have a line called Clikit – customizable fashion accessories for girls… Hmmmm.
If I want to build a castle, I want to build it brick by brick. Not have some dumb wall piece with built-in arch and screen printed faux texture resembling stones.
Anyways, aside from Lego, I was happy to find this Playmobil® set at the Frankfurt airport. Every kid needs a plastic scale replica of a toilet, especially if it comes with a bearded construction worker in a flannel shirt.
Sure Playmobil is somewhat like the new “no need to build” Lego, but it is at least generic and allows children to use their imaginations to build stories. There are no licensed tie-ins with hot summer movies. It’s basic stuff. Like pirates, vikings, cowboys, cityfolk and farmers. I never thought of it, but you could assemble the cast of the Village People with Playmobil figures.