LEGO and Playmobil are both very well-known brands that focus on a similar market but with a different approach to the toys that they create.
So, you might wonder, is LEGO better than Playmobil? LEGO is better than Playmobil as a toy for builders. Because LEGO is built from blocks that are easy to combine, you have more freedom to create new objects or combine different sets. Playmobil, on the other hand, has more realistic details on its toys, which helps imaginative play.
Let’s have a look now at the answer a bit more in detail and also check in which areas are each toy better.
In which areas is LEGO better than Playmobil?
As I briefly mentioned before, LEGO is a better toy for builders. Because most of it is built with bricks, you can build anything you want from it. The sky (or your imagination) is the limit in this case. But it is not only the objects that are built out of reusable pieces. The minifigs can also be easily transformed and reused.
This brings us to another area where LEGO is better than Playmobil, reusability. Because almost everything is built from standard modules, pieces can be reused even after you are tired of playing a specific set. With Playmobil, on the other hand, you are pretty much stuck with the theme of the set so once you are tired of playing that, you will need to buy a new set.
Another area where LEGO is better than Playmobil is the character of the minifigs themselves. LEGO minifigs have very different facial expressions, some of them hilarious. Also, the legs and arms can be easily moved, so more movements and postures can be done with LEGO minifigs. As far as Playmobil minifigures are concerned, they all have this half-smile. The idea is that you can then infuse whichever character you want into the minifigs. Last, but not least, their mobility is very limited, so not many postures can be created with the Playmobil.
What skills does LEGO enhance most?
With all these areas where LEGO is better than Playmobil, the following are the skills that will be most developed by playing with LEGO:
- Motor skills
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Creativity
- Problem-solving
- Planning
- Persistence
- Self-esteem
Let’s have a look at each of them and explain why playing LEGO helps develop these skills.
Why does LEGO enhance motor skills?
From a very young age, kids need to start developing their motor skills in order to become more coordinated. The brick constructions of LEGO help with that. By having to attach and detach pieces, children will become more coordinated. This skill is mostly developed at earlier ages.
Why does LEGO enhance teamwork?
You can play LEGO alone, but you can also play LEGO with friends. If you are building something a bit complex, having your friends around can be a big help, but can also help you develop teamwork. By working together towards the same goal (building a specific set or scene), children learn to cooperate effectively.
Why does LEGO enhance communication?
Together with teamwork, there is communication. When playing with others, children need to express their ideas, views, or concerns in order to move forward. By playing LEGO, children can learn to express themselves more clearly. Also, with something as tangible as LEGO, children will know when they have managed to express their ideas. The result will speak for itself.
Why does LEGO enhance creativity?
Because of the modular systems and the endless possible combinations, LEGO is an amazing toy to enhance creativity. It teaches children and adults alike that, out of simple blocks, something beautiful and complex can be created. The endless combination also teaches children that, in certain things, there is not only one possible path. Actually, many paths can lead to very different but still amazing results.
Why does LEGO enhance problem-solving?
Especially with more complex sets, LEGO teaches children to solve problems, the problem being mostly how to create a set. But it is not only that. Because of the number of pieces, children might be challenged with the loss of one piece. By tinkering and adapting, they can find an alternative solution with a slightly different piece that does the job as well.
Why does LEGO enhance planning?
Some complex sets require some thinking ahead in order to build them. Otherwise, you can end up with not the perfect result because you did not think it through. Also, storing the pieces requires some planning ahead. If you don’t, it will be much more time consuming and frustrating to find the pieces the next time you want to play.
Why does LEGO enhance persistence?
As long as the LEGO set is difficult enough for the children to be slightly challenging, the process will teach persistence. By keeping at it and making an effort, children will understand that they can finalize tasks and get impressive results that they can be proud of. All in all, they will learn that, with hard work, great things can happen.
Why does LEGO enhance self-esteem?
By solving complex problems, children become proud of their accomplishments and believe that they can tackle any problem that gets in front of them. That will increase their self-esteem and help them when tackling bigger problems later in life.
Now that we have seen why is LEGO better than Playmobil and which skills are enhanced by playing LEGO, it is time to look at the other side of the coin.
In which areas is Playmobil better than LEGO?
But there are also areas where Playmobil beats LEGO. For example, Playmobil elements tend to have more realistic details. Because it is less thought for reuse and more about the specific set, Playmobil has an added level of realism that LEGO lacks.
And, even though the figures can move less, their structure and color resemble much more that of humans. As a result, it is much easier to put real-life experiences into play with Playmobil. You can easily make certain figures be someone from your real life or make yourself part of the scene or story you are creating. This is called imaginative play and can be really helpful in the social development of a child. Let’s have a look at the skills that can be enhanced thanks to this.
What skills does Playmobil enhance most?
As I just mentioned, Playmobil is great for imaginative play. Because the figures resemble much more those of humans, children have an easier time relating to these figures and putting real-life situations and feelings into them. These are the skills that Playmobil enhance the most:
- Language
- Logic
- Memory
- Social Awareness
- Role-Playing
- Development of storytelling
- Taking turns
- Conflict Resolution
Why does Playmobil enhance language?
By creating stories that resemble real life, children will improve their language when playing with Playmobil. No matter whether they play alone or together, playing will help them sharpen their language skills.
Why does Playmobil enhance logic?
When creating real-life stories, children will learn to construct the events in a logical manner so each event is built onto the previous one.
Why does Playmobil enhance memory?
Children will often recreate past events while playing with Playmobil. By doing this, the memories become better fixed in their brains.
Why does Playmobil enhance social awareness?
Playing with Playmobil and creating real-life stories helps children see different statuses and layers in society. This makes them more conscious about the social life that goes around them.
Why does Playmobil enhance role-playing?
Children love role-playing when playing with their Playmobil. By role-playing, children understand how different roles in society have different duties and different rights.
Why does Playmobil enhance the importance of taking turns?
If children play Playmobil with friends, they will understand the importance of taking turns to achieve a good flow in the story.
Why does Playmobil enhance conflict resolution?
Through imaginative play, children can understand how conflicts are created and how they can be solved. Sometimes, they will recreate recent events and test how different answers would have resulted in a different end to the story, which makes them aware of the importance of conflict resolution.
Summary
And with this, we have arrived at the end of this post. As we have explained, LEGO is better than Playmobil for builders. It helps enhance creativity, motor skills, problem-solving, and persistence more than Playmobil does.
On the other hand, Playmobil is better for imaginative play and to create real-life situations. Thanks to this, Playmobil helps enhance language, social awareness, and conflict resolution more than LEGO does.
If you enjoyed this article, be sure to check “Is LEGO better than Mega Blocks?”, where we compare LEGO to Mega Blocks.
Learn More
If you are interested, here is a link to the entire Lego section found on Amazon.