about Sylvanian Families
My daugher Ellie is a big Sylvanian fan and has written this information about Sylvanian Families.
Do you know very much about Sylvanian Families? Would you like to know some more? Well, I will be telling you everything you need to know about these cute little woodland animals right from when they started to this present time.
Sylvanian Families first started in Japan in 1985 and were created by a Japanese company called Epoch. After that, in 1987, they were released in the U.K. and Ireland by Tomy. In 1988, they were a big success around the world and won 'Toy of the Year' awards in 1987, 1988 and 1989. They are known as 'Calico Critters' in Canada and the U.S.A.
By the end of the 1990's, Sylvanian Families were discontinued in the U.K. and France but they were later re-released by Flair and are so popular again.
Sylvanians are small, slightly furry, woodland creatures. The adults of the families are normally around 9cm tall, the children, 7cm and the babies 4cm.
The first ever family was the Timbertop bear family who consisted of Mum and Dad, Taylor and Rose, grandparents, Gus and Fern, older brother and sister, Birch and Ivy, younger children, Bud and Daisy and the babies, Burl and Blossom. Most of the families today only have the Mum, Dad, younger brother and sister and two or three babies, however, you can still buy special anniversary sets which still have the older brother and sister and the grandparents included.
Sylvanians need a home, so instead of just families there is also a wide range of houses and buildings you can buy, from small cosy cottages to huge mansions, from café’s ands restaurants to schools and hotels.
The first house was the Country Cottage which was released in 1987 but the houses and buildings have changed quite alot since then. Some of my favourites are Oakwood Manor, Oak Hollow Treehouse, Beauty Salon (Japanese version) and St Johns School & Library.
The furniture was originally green with brass handles and you would get a wardrobe and dressing table and flowery settees and two armchairs. It has changed alot now and is more modern and you get lots of little bits in some of the furniture sets.
Also you can buy figure sets, for example, in 1993, there was a figure set that included a badger dressed as a policeman with a hat and a cute bike which he could ride on. Wedding figures were also around at that time. You could get a groom and a bride with a beautiful dress and veil. Now there are many more figure sets you can buy like the Village Postman Set and Ingrid’s Camping Set, or perhaps Ingrid’s sister’s set, Rowing Boat and Accessories which includes Yvette. Figures to these sets haven't been released as a whole family so if you want all the figures to make the family then you have to buy the sets individually.
Carry Cases are popular as well. They come in a small plastic case with a baby animal in and an object, for example, you can buy a cat on a swing, a badger on a see-saw, a beaver in a bath or a bear on a trike, etc.
There are similar products to Sylvanian Families like Forest Families and Maple Town which are made by different companies but can sometimes be mistaken for Sylvanin Families. There are differences in the ears, hands and eyes. Sylvanians are much cuter!
As I said, Sylvanian Families were first released in Japan in 1985. Now in Japan they have quite a few rare products which aren’t available in the U.K. If you are a mad Sylvanian fan and lucky enough to go to Japan, at the foot of Mt Fuji is a Sylvanian themed theme park!!! I have never been but I have seen pictures of the theme park and it even has some of the life sized Sylvanian houses!
A strange collection of Sylvanian Families is a range called Misty Forest which are available in Japan. They have unusual buildings, and very strange ‘fairies’.
I hope I have given you some new facts about these award winning toys. Thank you for reading.
Ellie