This post is part of a sponsored campaign for Schleich. I received compensation for my participation, but my review and opinions are my own.
In less than a month we will be celebrating National Sisters Day! In case you didn’t know it was a “thing,” it is, and it’s celebrated on August 6th. I try to get my girls to understand the value of having a sister, especially since I never experienced that bond myself. My girls have their moments where they get along great, and other moments where they can be each other’s enemy. There is no real predictor on what kind of day they will have together, but I make a daily attempt to bring them together as much as I can. I try to find a mutual interest between them, like their love for horses and farms, and start pretend play around that theme. I feel that pretend play is a way to understand a child’s thought process and get an idea for their actions. It’s also a great way to de-stress and have some fun!
When I saw the Schleich Horse Club Riding Center with Rider and Horses, I knew both girls would equally love it, and perhaps share it and play together. I was right, as we worked together to take all the pieces out, identify where they go, and put the horse stable together. Listening to my girls work together to accomplish setting up the stable was music to my ears. Would they be able to keep this up!? As we were putting the finishing touches on the Schleich horse stable, my girls volunteered information I never thought to ask them- like my oldest explaining how she always wanted to ride a horse and her little sister who already had a name picked out for her horse, if she ever gets one (she’s totally not, or at least not while we are living in NYC!) The stable took about 45 minutes to put together and each piece snapped into the next piece, required no tools and little effort. The directions were easy to follow, even my 7-year-old was able to help!
Once the stable was together, it was play time! I was impressed by the detail of each piece and how much thought went into this play set. It’s so beautifully designed with pretty colors and accessories that shows how Schleich pays attention to detail. My girls appreciated the little things- the flowers on the window sills, the apples to feed the horses, and the brush to keep their manes tame. Within the horse stalls there are baskets to place the horse feed, and stickers to customize the names of the horses within each stall.
The Schleich Horse Club Riding Center is a good-size toy, so it lives in the corner of the girls’ room where they will often gravitate to it and start playing. I love pretend play at their age, and feel it has so many developmental benefits. You can find out about this and other toys in the Schleich product line by visiting them on Facebook and Twitter.
A full list of everything included in the package, according to the manufacturer can be found below:
1 x riding centre, 12 x paddocks, 2 x flower boxes, 1 x Arabian mare, 1 x Arabian foal, 1 x leisure rider, 1 x leisure saddle, 1 x bridle, 1 x blanket, 1 x headstall, 1 x hay, 4 x hay feeder, 4 x drinking trough, 4 x saddle holder, 1 x beige massage brush, 1 x harness, 1 x hoof pick, 1 x grooming box, 1 x carrot, 1 x green apple, 1 x pitchfork, 1 x sticker