Originally posted at Closing Time on September 24, 2010
Every time we go to a store that carries Schleich products, M and E are captivated by the animal figurines. When we received our box of Schleich animals to review for the TOS Homeschool Crew, it was like Christmas!
As the Schleich website states, their animal figures are “a true reflection of nature on a smaller scale.” Their products are divided into three main categories:
World of Nature
World of History
World of Fantasy
For the purpose of this review, we received eight beautiful animal figurines from the World of Nature line. The hand painted detail and the quality of each piece is truly excellent.
It was easy to incorporate these animals into our homeschool activities. We sat down on the couch with the animals and my laptop, and we did a search for each animal. The girls and I enjoyed looking at photos of the actual animals and reading about each one, while also looking at the corresponding Schleich figurine. There is no doubt about it. Schleich animals look like the real thing!
I asked the girls to help me write this review by telling you what they learned:
Przewalski’s Horse:
M – They have a beard and they have a good coat so they can stay warm when it’s winter. They have black around their ears. They are fat. They live in China.
E – It has mane, but it doesn’t go on it’s forehead like other horses. These horses are not broncos, and it has a stripe on it’s back that goes all the way on to its bottom. It eats wild grass. Most horses eat grass.
Dartmoor Pony:
M- They have tough feet that are good for rough ground, and they’re good for kids to ride. Grownups can ride on them too. They live in England. They are very gentle, and they are obedient.
E – They have a mane, not like a lion. Their hair is on their forehead and on their eye. Sometimes they have horseshoes. They have short legs, and their tail is sometimes flinging around. They are not like a bronco.
Okapi:
M -They live in Africa. They don’t have long necks like giraffes. They are very similar to giraffes. They are cousins to giraffes. They are very hard to see. There are short trees around where they live so that’s why they don’t need a long neck like a giraffe. Giraffes are my favorite kind of animal.
E – They live in the rain forest. They have horns on them. If they hear someone walking there, they run away. They live lonely. They have stripes on their legs, and they are short. They have long tongues.
Donkey:
M – There are a lot of donkeys in the world. There are more donkeys than some other animals. They are used for carrying heavy loads. They can help themselves if they are attacked by other animals by kicking their feet at them or biting.
E – They pull wagons and they have lots of donkeys in the world. Their ears are bigger than horses’ ears. Their ears are bigger than people’s ears, boys and girls. Donkeys can kick and bite.
Gnu:
M – Wildebeests take turns guarding by day and night. They run away from their enemies. They kick their feet just like donkeys. They are good at keeping their babies safe. They have hair sticking down from their neck.
E – They are also called wildebeest. They can run fast. Crocodiles and hyenas and lions eat them. Other wildebeests get the little ones to keep them safe in the herd. They have horns on their heads, and their tail is flinging around.
Swabian Hall Piglet:
M – People hardly ever eat this kind of pig now because they have so much fat. They are from Germany.
E – They are black and white.
Asian Elephant Calf:
M – The Asian Elephant and the African Elephant are very different because their ears are different sizes. The Asian elephant has smaller ears than the African elephant. Their feet are good for moving things.
E – They have big trunks. They use them to cover themselves with mud or dust or water.
I was impressed with the amount of information they retained, and what they learned was reflected in their play afterward. Having such realistic animals to look at, learn about, and then play with is a great way to reinforce what they are learning!
M and E love playing with their new Schleich animals!! You just never know what the animals might be doing. Yesterday, Strawberry Shortcake and Lemon Meringue went into the wild to find the animals and take them to the zoo. The Przewalsk’s Horse and Dartmoor Pony both found a wonderful home along with several My Little Ponies.
Both girls are a little sad that the elephant calf and piglet do not have mommies, so I suspect a trip to a Schleich retailer may be in our future!
Visit the Schleich website to see all that they have to offer, and to find a Schleich retailer near you!
Please visit the TOS Homeschool Crew Blog to read more reviews of Schleich and their products.
Disclosure: I received these Schleich products free of charge as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew for the purpose of this review. All opinions expressed are my own (and those of my children), and no other compensation was received.
