Playmobil is a brand of children's toys that began some 35 years ago in Germany. The Playmobil system is based around small plastic figures, commonly known as Klickies, that stand about three inches tall and interact with accessories and playsets from a range of themes.

The sets come in a variety of sizes, form small one figure sets to huge playsets that come with three or more figures and a bucket load of accessories. While there are dozens of Playmobil toys on the market at the moment we take a look at the best for Christmas this year.

The top of the list would have to be the Ancient Egyptian Pyramid (Set 4246). It's a multilevel playset that opens up so kids can play inside and there are heaps of hidden spaces and accessories to make this a toy that will entertain kids and also educate them about Egyptian history.

The set comes with four figures including a grave robber (the poor fellow) who is obviously the target for all the traps the set includes. The pyramid also comes with a sarcophagus and numerous other bits of treasure. There are smaller accessory sets to accompany the pyramid so you can extend play gradually over a few birthdays.

Another large set that is sure to please kids is the Playmobil Wildlife Care Station (Set 4826). Like the pyramid, this is the centrepiece of a larger collection of sets so there is room for growth if you r kids enjoy this one. The Wildlife Care station is a theme set in the African Savannah and comes with a two storey wooden building with offices upstairs and animal pens downstairs.

The set comes with baby animals (zebra, rhino, giraffe, leopard and monkey), two ranger figures, enclosure and a plethora of accessories to help care for the animals. As mentioned there are other sets in this series, both large and small, and they offer additional play areas and animals.

The Playmobil Pony Ranch Horse Farm (set 4190) is another favourite especially for kids who love horses. The set comes with comes with three figures, two horses, a pony, kiosk and heaps of accessories including a fenced area for riding and a fully equipped stables.

It's an amazingly appealing and detailed toy and kids can enact just about any horse-related story with the amount of thought gone into its design. As with most of the larger Playmobil sets this is the centrepiece for a larger collection and if it proves successful in your home there is room for expansion with other similarly themed sets.

Playmobil has so many more toys to offer kids this Christmas and with their commitment to quality (and the fact their toys aren't manufactured in China) you can ensure kids be enjoying them for years.