First Playmobil for a toddler: Junior or 1.2.3?

What is Playmobil Junior?

Playmobil describes Junior as made for the youngest Playmobil fans. For the Junior Animal Boarding House with feeder (71690), Playmobil's site states:

• age 1 and up, and elsewhere on the same page 1 to 4 years;
• made of more than 90% bio-based plastic, ISCC PLUS certified;
• suited to small hands and a toddler's first discoveries.

According to Playmobil that set contains a man, a girl and a pony, a dog, a cat and a rabbit. Playmobil splits Junior into three groups: ordinary play sets with vehicles and animals, Junior & Disney with well-known Disney characters, and Junior Aqua and Junior & Tinti with water and bath toys.

Junior or 1.2.3?

Before Junior, Playmobil already had a toddler range: Playmobil 1.2.3. Sets from that range are still on sale, such as the dog train (70406), the farmer with tractor and trailer (6964) and the children's carousel (71324). Junior is the newer range: the first Junior sets came out in 2024.

For your child it makes little difference: both ranges are meant for toddlers. With a 1.2.3 set, always check the age on the box, and with Junior look at the material if that matters to you: Playmobil names the bio-based plastic for Junior.

Vehicles and jobs

Many toddlers want to drive, push and load. Junior has, among others, the fire engine with ladder (71683), the push-and-grab rubbish truck (71774), the cement mixer (72083) and the workman with sorting garage (71686). The last one's name says you can fill the garage and sort shapes.

Animals and the farm

For children who love animals there is the Animal Boarding House with feeder (71690), with four animals. The organic market stall with forklift (71691) combines a stall with a vehicle. For a farm there is the farm adventure with tractor, trailer and animals (71656).

Disney and bath time

Junior & Disney has sets with well-known characters, such as Belle's play tower with melody (71458), Vaiana's catamaran (71459) and Minnie Mouse's fruit sorting cart (71770). A set with a melody needs batteries; whether they are included is listed with the product.

For the bath or a paddling pool Playmobil makes Junior Aqua and Junior & Tinti, which it calls water and bath toys for indoors and outdoors. Examples are the waterfall tank with slide (71775), the swimming cup with water fun and the colourful submarine (71440). The swimming cup's product name says age 1 and up.

From Junior to ordinary Playmobil

Around 4, many children move on to ordinary Playmobil sets, which Playmobil usually marks from age 4. Those sets have small parts and carry the warning that they are not suitable for children under 3. Junior figures and ordinary figures differ in size, so each forms its own world.

To see which sets suit which age, read our guide play sets by age. For a present, the guide play sets as gifts helps.

How to choose

• Child of 1 or 2: a Junior set with a big vehicle or animals, or Junior Aqua bath toys.
• Disney fan: a Junior & Disney set.
• Already have a 1.2.3 set: another set from that range or a Junior set; check the age on the box.
• Nearly 4: also look at ordinary Playmobil sets.

All sets are under Playmobil Junior.