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My son is 2.5 (exactly 2.5 this Saturday!) and my mom is getting him a Calico Critters set for Christmas (the lakeside lodge gift set). I had a similar toy as a child- Sylvanian Family- It had a house and little animal figures. I saved it for years and it is still at my mom's house. My son loves playing with it when he visits there. He also loves Polly Pockets! I think his imaginative/pretend play is also on the advanced side, so I think he will get a lot of use out of this toy.

DD got some when she was about 2.5 (the nursery / daycare treehouse and babies along with a family of bunnies). It has actually really helped with her imaginative play and she loved them even at that age! Now that she is 3 she really enjoys acting things out with the animals, and she LOVES looking at the little booklet of all the other sets.

@deerylou: I've actually never heard of the Woodzees! We have Calico Critters (they were a gift)

I think CC are adorable!! I want to get LO (3) a set and think she'll really enjoy it, but I just KNOW the pieces will get lost bc she likes to mix toys with other ones and lil bro gets into everything..... I don't necessarily want to make it a "special" toy that is kept/stored separate, though... Still on the fence.

I saw they were selling a set at Costco for less than $30, including a house and a bunny family!

I think an advanced 2.5 year old would do fine as far as the imaginative play goes!

DD loves her Sylvanian Families! They're still called that here in Europe, but they're exactly the same as Calico Critters. She got her first set just before her 3rd birthday and it's been a huge hit since. I'm surprised by how well she handles all the tiny pieces. She especially loves all the little food items - I also enjoy playing restaurant with her

I've found that keeping all the pieces inside a bead organizer works really well.

@deerylou: you could still go with the woodzeez ones! Just know you'll have to throw parts away. We lost two tails, a leg to the table (useless now) and bad wear on the fur. And my LO isn't rough with her things! But if you are unsure then you could definitely go the cheaper route and add in the Calico brand later. Toys r us often has sales on them, so keep an eye out.

@deerylou: DD started playing with her Bunny Calico Critters set ever since she turned 2. I got her the starter cottage as a birthday gift. I get miniature food items from Hobby Lobby with the coupons and it's so adorable to see her play pretend with them. She's 2.5 now and does not try to put them in her mouth. I think 2-2.5 is a good age to start.