Thank you International Playthings
for providing me with a product to review, free of charge
and for sponsoring this giveaway.
These are my own honest opinions.

All little girls love to pretend play. They seem to have an endless imagination when it comes to creating scenarios. Obviously, many ‘worlds’ are available but I have to say I have a soft spot for Calico Critters.

 Why? Because it offers some of the cutest miniature creatures and enticing environments. The Cloverleaf community is populated with over 20 different animal families including the Red Penda family, the Polar Bear family and the Hazelnut Chipmunk family. Most families have a father, a mother, a daughter and a son (in some cases, there is only one child). It’s also possible to add twins or triplets and grandparents in some families.

I really like that each family member has a name and a story. For example, Sandra Sandy Cat Sandra is a famous artist and loves making beautiful paintings of the sea. It gives more depth to each character and a starting point from which to begin the Calico Critters adventure.

These adorable families live in different dwellings: from the Cozy Cottage to the Luxury Townhome to the extravagent Cloverleaf Manor and more. There are also a few stores, a school and a variety of vehicles. There’s basically a whole world to explore and interact with! It also makes it fun to collect different homes and environments to create a more complete world.

I previously reviewed the Cozy Cottage and the Hopscotch Rabbit family and this time, I was lucky to receive the new Secret Island Playhouse and the Sandy Cat family.

The Secret Island Playhouse is a cute 2-storey playhouse built on top of rocks. Its main floor leads directly into the water and there’s another level underneath to go swimming and diving. It’s an interesting setup as with most waterfront homes I’ve seen, kids typically have to imagine the water, let alone underwater caves.

This playhouse includes a few accessories: a diving board, swim gear (mask and fins), fish, a vine swing and tree trunk table and stools and more. The set measures 12″ x 8.75″ x 15″. There’s plenty of room for critters to play and swin and enough accessories to spark little girls’ imagination. The only criticism I have is that the vine doesn’t stay put (I guess it’s meant to be movable) so as soon as a critter want to climb it or swing off of it, it falls off. I might have to secure it with a bit of rope to solve the issue.

As for the Sandy Cat family, just like all other critters family, my daughters think they are super cute and so do I. I really like the attention to detail that goes into each of their outfits. No two critters are the same! (But clothes are interchangeable between same-sized critters if you want). I also like the velvety texture of these figures. It’s a nice feature and I think it makes them more fun to manipulate.

Here is a little biography of each member found on the website:

‘Father, Simon is very athletic and plays all different kinds of sports. He teaches critter children how to swim during the week. Mother, Sandra is a famous artist and loves making beautiful paintings of the sea. Sister, Sabrina likes to be outside and stay active. Brother, Shane likes learning about new places and trying new things.’

Both my daughters love this Secret Island Playhouse. They play together with it and love to make the critters jump from the vine into the water and dive around the caves. As a parent, I love to watch them interact and imagine together. Calico Critters creates the perfect setting to encourage their imaginative and cooperative play.

Find Out More: Head over to Calico Critters to see for yourself the adorable selection of miniature creatures and their realistic universe. 

Connect: Calico Critters is connected! Don’t forget to like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter and Pinterest for all the latest news and promotions.

Giveaway: International Playthings is generously offering one of our lucky readers a Calico Critters family. The giveaway is open to the US and will end December 23rd. For your chance to win, enter the Giveaway Tools below. Good luck!

Rachel