Calico Critters Townhome: Should You Buy One?

Chalk it up to the Japanese and their propensity to create toy fads. In 1985 a company named Epoch Ltd.

in Japan, launched a line of collectible toy plush figures-from beavers to bunnies, hedgehogs and bears, mice and possums.

They named these diminutive woodland creatures the Sylvanian Families, because they were, well, sylvan, meaning "from the forest".

A Calico Critters Townhome was also made available to house these woodland creatures, and this adorable set-up ushered a pleasant kind of pretend play for kids everywhere, even kids at heart.

And just like that, the charming creatures from Japan became an instant hit worldwide, finding a place in every little girl's heart, most especially in Christmastime. In the 1990's a Calico Critters Townhouse set was the quintessential Christmas gift requested by little girls who quickly fell in love with their new furry companions.

But the Critters are far from being vintage; they have that enduring timeless charm.
Now those little girls are all grown up and probably have little daughters of their own who surely won't mind their very own Sylvanian Families collection.

Inside the Calico Critters Townhome Just like a doll house or even a real house, a Critters Townhome is a multi-level house with as many as five different rooms for the family members to frolic in.
There's a living room, a dining room, a bedroom, all furnished depending, of course, on how much stuff you want to install inside.

There's also a fifth divider for the household to produce a fifth space in this ever-expanding townhome, not to mention a fully-serviceable staircase for the Calico Critters.
Every Calico Critter household, be it a townhouse, a manoir, a cottage or a village house, is impeccably designed, and all the details taken care of.

The spiral staircase, the Bay windows and French doors, the balcony-all of them are rendered beautifully, so much so that you'll want to have a house like that for yourself.

The architecture is warm and refreshing and cozy, and that's only the beginning. The real fun lies in the infinite fun your kid will have playing with the Calico Critters and the rest of the Sylvanian families.
Pretend play, of course, encourages your kids to express their imagination and creativity as they think up of storylines for the various members of the Calico Critters townhouse.
And since it's no fun playing alone with these loveable friends, sharing is very much recommended (although, you might want to warn them about rough play). The website for the Critters says that prospective buyers have the option to buy the houses unfurnished as they tend to be cheaper, and choosing what goes inside later all depends on your child.

That's the nice thing about the Calico Critters: you can keep on adding stuff as you go along, not just the furnishings and equipments, but more buddies as well. So enough with Barbie and her impossible waist (or more specifically her impossible body proportion).

Give a better gift to your child.