I requested this to review as a suitably seasonal review before Christmas, but then the joys of seasonal preparation caught up with me, and the review didn't get written, but I see that it's for sale from Amazon at the moment for a pretty good price (£16.99) so maybe this isn't such a bad time to buy it, and store it away for next year. I'm a huge fan of Playmobil, and as far as I'm concerned any time is a good time to buy it, although I admit this is rather more seasonal than most of their sets.

The Playmobil Nativity Manger contains all that you need to create the traditional manger scene (although if you like to add Kings/Wise Men as well, then you will need to also invest in the Wise Men set, which is sold separately), it contains: Mary, Joseph, a shepherd, an angel, an ox, an ass, a sheep and a lamb, as well as the all important Jesus and manger. The set is complemented by a cardboard stable scene, which is quite easy to assemble, although if you are buying this for young children it might not stand up to too much enthusiastic play. As so often with playmobil there are great details, such as the shepherds staff and Joseph's lantern. There is also a booklet telling the Christmas story, and this is a great way to encourage children to re-tell the story themselves.

I think Playmobil is one of the ultimate educational toys. It encourages collaborative social learning, and helps children to develop their social skills - either through playing with others, or through creating little scenes with the characters. This is a great way to extend their knowledge of an important Christian/cultural milestone and to help them play their way to greater knowledge and understanding.