I remember sitting on a guest bed in my grandparents’ home on a sultry summer day. Laid out before me on the mattress was, what seemed to my childhood perception, a vast menagerie of glossy, ceramic animals. Tiny little creatures that arrived at my grandparents home by way of the tea box. Their finely painted features made them irresistible to small children and utterly collectible.
When I recall those hazy afternoons the painted features appear less than delicately applied, particularly when I compare my childhood memories with the present reality of my daughter’s plastic Schleich animal figurines. The adult animals are much larger than the tiny critters I longed to possess, but their offspring and the smaller animals are tiny enough to evoke and call up my long lost ceramic friends.
Originally founded in Germany in 1935 to produce protective clothing and safety glances, they made the transition to plastic toys in the ‘50s. I think their true calling was realized with the introduction of their detailed, realistic animal figurines in the ‘80s. Each plastic animal is carefully designed with children in mind.
They feel good in the hand, are stable on their feet, and are so authentic that they seem to be micro-counterparts to their living models. My children are now able to engage with animals they wouldn’t normally encounter up close and personal; repeating their examinations of posture, markings, and even footpads whenever their fancy arises.
Even better, many of the animals are available in family sets. Father, mother and offspring – how can any child resist pulling together family groupings? My own children like to pull out their growing collection and set all of the ‘babies’ together, ‘mommies’ to one side, ‘daddies’ on the other. Animals on parade is another common theme, and all manner of imaginative storylines are enacted with their wide cast of characters.
Our family adores natural playthings, only allowing a limited number of plastic toys into our home. That being said, we seek out Schleich’s animal figurines for birthdays and other gift-giving occasions. It’s almost embarrassing to admit, but these toys are so charming I might purchase them for, ahem, display and collection purposes myself.
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