Why We Love Calico Critters

Before Molly received her first Calico Critters set, I had never even heard of them before.  Perhaps it was because I was still used to being a Mom to mostly boys.  However, since she was hooked after that very first set, we came to know Calico Critters very well.  While her days of playing with Calico Critters have mostly ended, we still love the sets and the years of enjoyment she got out of them.

If you have any little girls (or boys who might be apt to enjoy them as well) on your Christmas shopping list this year, I really can’t recommend these toys enough!  Let me share about why they’re one of our favorite toys for kids, even if the price tag on them seems a little high.  Trust me – they’re worth it.

Note: These wouldn’t be good for very young children, as many of the sets contain small pieces.  Please make note of the age suggestions on the toys before purchasing.  Oh, and during the post, you can click through on any of the pictures to see the sets on Amazon.

Five Reasons We Love Calico Critters Toys

Calico Critters Work for a Range of Ages

Molly received her first set when she was somewhere around a young preschool age – maybe three.  She instantly loved the set, and I knew we would need to add to her collection.  She played for long periods of time with it at that age, and then continued to regularly play with the sets for around the next five years.  There aren’t a whole lot of other toys she has owned that have kept her interest over such a long period of time.

Calico Critters are Well Made

As I said, Molly played with these pretty solidly for about five years.  In all of those years and all of the sets that she managed to amass between Christmases and birthdays, we never had a piece break or any clothing rip.

Don’t foolishly think that she was extra gentle with these toys.  They got tossed into plastic bins, left where people stepped on them, and were played with by any of her friends that came over.  Our Calico Critters have been well used, and still look great.

Calico Critters are Awesomely Detailed

This fact is one of my personal favorite things about Calico Critters.  The attention to detail is just amazing, especially for small toys.  One of my favorites is a toilet that she has.  It looks so much like a real toilet, complete with having an actual hole inside, two lids that both open and close, and all of the shapes outside to make it look like a real toilet.  I like opening and shutting the lids.  You know, it’s the little things that amuse me.

It’s not just the toilet though.  All of the pieces have that kind of attention to detail.

Calico Critters are Fun to Have a Large or Small Collection of

Molly loved it once we started adding to her collection of houses, animals, and sets, but she also loved it when all she had was an animal set and one small school.  If the cost holds you back, especially thinking about adding to the collection, just know that it’s just as enjoyable to play with a small collection.

Calico Critters Seem Like They Will Hold Up for the Future

Of course, I can’t promise this yet, because we only got our first sets around six years ago.  But, considering that most of the things still look like new, even after extensive play, I have a good feeling that these will be the toys that I will pull out of storage one day for my grandkids and say, “Your Mommy used to love these!”  Not only does that make them a good investment, but there’s just something special about that, isn’t there?  I loved when Molly used to play with my Barbie dolls.  So, I suspect she will feel the same way about her Calico Critters in the future.

Do you have any Calico Critters at your house?  What are your kids favorite toys that you think will last for the future?

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. They don’t change the price you pay, but they do help support this site.  We really do love Calico Critters though, so I’m excited to share about them.  Thanks!

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