Toy Stories

The story of the toys in Toy Story

This story is about the toys that belong to Andy set in a world where toys come alive. Naturally Sherriff Woody takes the lead because he is, after all, Andy’s favourite cowboy pull-string doll and star of the television programme titled Woody’s Roundup.

A favourite as Woody may be, what’s not to love about Buzz Lightyear, a modern-day space ranger action figure who quite literally drops in and joins what was a peaceful little band of Andy’s toys. The problem though, if you can call it a problem, is that Buzz really does believe he is a space ranger and not a toy. After all he has the space suit, fancy space gadgets and a matching laser weapon! He is extremely loyal which gives his favourite catchphrase “to infinity and beyond” a double meaning.

Mr Potato Head is frank and outspoken and demonstrates more than once that he too is a leader. The best “bits” about Potato Head though is definately the fact that he can still move all his bits as well as function even when if they are not attached to his little potato body! There are even spares!

Mr Potato Head’s good friend, Hamm, is a witty piggy bank. He is also more” worldy” than the others in that it seems Hamm has the most knowledge of the world outside of Andy’s room.

Dog is man’s best friend so it’s no surprise then that Slinky dog, a metal slinky dachshund, is loyal to the core, especially to Woody, who is presumably his most favoured friend of all of Andy’s toys. “Golly bob-howdy!” is something that slinky likes to say quite often.

The excitable, green plastic Tyrannosaurus rex with a sensitive soul is known simply as Rex. Poor Rex however suffers from anxiety and poor self-esteem and is concerned that he is not fearsome enough. To further add to his list of woes and worries is his dislike for conflict.

Bo Peep is Woody's loyal friend too but she is also his girlfriend. Bo Peep is a gentle and kind lady whom actually originates as a detachable piece of a bedside lamp from Woody's sister's bedroom. This rather boring piece of her background is however where the "boring" ends and the gentleness and kindness begins. 

Bo Peep is not the only girl on the block. Jessie is a cowgirl doll that co-stars in the television series with Woody but she is Buzz Lightyear's gal.  

Forky and Duke Caboom are the newbies. Forky is a spork (spoon-fork) who does not believe he is a toy and hates to come to life. Duke is an affable daredevil toy with a motorbike with low self-esteem because he has come to believe that he let down his previous owner for being unable to do the stunts that his commercial ads had promised.

Together the toy friends have faced many a foe and undertaken adventure, gained couraged and lost fears, made friends and entertained parents and kids alike since 1995!

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Playmobil: Then & Now

There really is no surprise that Playmobil toys have been a firm family favourite since their inception in 1974 when German inventor Hans Beck created the first 3 characters for the Brandstätter company. (As a matter of interest, these guys were also responsible for the Hula Hoop!)

The original figures were a construction worker, a knight, and a native American. What should be interesting to parents is that the figures had no names. The Playmobil company wanted kids to use their imagination and stimulate their creativity by inventing their own characters whilst playing. The figures and play sets are perfect for imaginary play with parts and movement for realism but not without the space for ingenuity and a story to be crafted around them.

Today there are over 5 700 characters that come in a number of sets across various “themes”. Themes are toy lines of Playmobil that often feature the same characters but varying story lines. Themes such as Knights, Summer Fun, Ghostbusters, Sports & Action, City Life, Family Fun and Antarctic are just the tip of the iceberg. (Pun intended)

As with any cleverly crafted toy set, these too require some assembly but they come with clear and concise instructions to make it easy for children, or parents if you will, to construct.

Fun fact: In 2017 two young brothers from Scotland turned imagination and creativity into adventure! They quite literally launched a Playmobil toy pirate ship on the high seas. It contained a message that asked anyone who found the boat to help it back on course. The ship travelled to Denmark and Sweden and was later carried to the South Atlantic by a ship where it was set to sail again.

August 2019 marks the release of the first Playmobil movie “Robbers, Thieves & Rebels” so be sure to take the kids. It is set to be a goody!

Check out our Playmobil Movie collection after release or shop other Playmobil sets and themes here.

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Hairdorables

All these adorable characters have their own personalities and stories. Let's get to know them...

Noah is a hair styling vlogger with a Youtube channel all about her eleven friends with big hair. The vlog flaunts all their funky hair colours and styles.

Noah's best friend is Harmony. Harmony is a diverse and very talented singer and musician. She loves all things musical including songwriting. Her favourite colour is dark blue so remember this when you do her hair!

Bella is a dancer whose favourite colour is pink. She likes ballet the most and LOVES performing on stage.

Dee Dee is positively sweet! We say this because she is super positive and loves to bake cakes and she even invented a specialty creation called Lala-pop. Her favourite colour is pericarp pink.

Willow has a passion for fashion and she channels her passion towards helping others, like her friends, express themselves. Willow is big on sharing images and she likes to remind everyone that "style is a state of mind". Her favourite colour is mint green.

Skylar hails from Hawaii originally and has taken a shine to travel blogging. It goes without saying then that she's into adventure and discovering new places.

Neila's hobbies include star gazing and all things galactic! It is no wonder then that her favourite colour is blue. She has her very own telescope and her one wish is to one day visit Mars. (Talk about reaching for the stars!) 

Kali is the techie and her videos are usually about the latest cool gadgets. She is super smart and her passions are coding, science and technology. Purple is her colour of choice and she loves to remind everyone that "there is an application for this".

Kat and her puppy Jilly are inseparable. She has a special place in her heart for animals and when she can, Kat takes care of her neigbour's pets and volunteers at the animal shelter. Her favourite of all the colours in yellow.

Salle is the creative one among the friends. She loves to draw and paint, sketch and sculpt. It is therefore no surprise that a blank canvas (white) is her favourite "colour".

Rayne is the sunshine girl who prefers being outdoors. One of her best-loved activities is roller blading along the beach and just generally soaking up the sun. She appreciates all the colours of the rainbow as can be expected from a nature-lover such as Rayne.

Brit is a team player! She plays just about every sport under the sun and delights in every minute she spends with her team mates. Brit hates bullying and loves pink. 

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Secret Life of Pets

Max is Katie’s only puppy and pet (not anymore) and looks a bit like a Jack Russel. He is extremely protective of Katie which makes him appear to be quite jealous but he is really quite sweet. Hi favourite things are his ball, his friend Gidget, sausages and obviously, Katie.

Duke is a rescue which resembles no known species of dog. He is big and bossy and drives Max nuts, or least he did. Generally clumsy, sloppy, inconsiderate but supportive. Duke also really likes his new owner Katie and he shares Max’s love for sausages.  On his list of least favourite things you will find cars and cats!

Gidget is a female Pomeranian which strongly resembles a puff ball and is often even called such. However, looks are deceiving as Gidget is tough and determined and easily beats up members of the Flushed Pets gang! Her likes include Max and television. She has a few enemies though, namely the FP gang and Ozone.

Chloe is a rather clumsy and very obese tabby cat with a reputation for being extremely lazy. What she loves most is herself and of course, food! Having said this though, Chloe is a loyal friend when needed so she should not be judged entirely on her appearance. 

Snowball is an abandoned pet rabbit, original bad guy and leader of the Flushed Pets gang.Do not be fooled by the white, cute and cuddly appearance of this ex-pet. He is insanely cute but also insane as a result of the trauma of being abandoned. Snowball is your typical "bully" but even the toughest bullies are mushy inside!

Sweetpea is a parrot who likes hanging out with the pets, even the one who tried to eat him one, Chloe! As with any bird, his passion is for flying.

Mel is a Pug with squirrel issues and a severe dislike for long stairs as you can imagine! He loves his owner and peanut butter. 

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