One 2 Believe's Nativity Playset
Quite a few years ago, when my children were much younger – around the ages of 3-5, I began looking for a nativity playset that they could use themselves to reenact the biblical Christmas story. After searching the internet for a playset that was "kid friendly" yet fairly true to the biblical record, I finally settled on a set of nativity figures I found on eBay that were handmade silhouettes cut out from wood. My girls did play with them sometimes, when we got them out after Thanksgiving and kept them out for about 5-6 weeks, but because they didn’t have faces, sometimes it was difficult for them to figure out "who was who," and they didn’t appeal to the girls as much as all those little colorful toys that their friends and relatives bought them.
Recently, I received a package in the mail containing a children’s nativity playset for me to review. The girls were excited for me to open the box which was well constructed to store the 17 nativity playset pieces so they wouldn’t get damaged in the mail or on a store shelf.
This particular nativity set can be found at www.one2believe.com and is a part of their "Tales of Glory" figures and playsets for children.
My children did comment that the figures seemed very well constructed so that they would last. They also noticed that the figures’ faces seemed slightly cartoonish, but only to the point that they were all happy and excited that Jesus, the Son of God, had been born. Often, "Christian" toys are made to look fake or unrealistic. While these figures are definitely not going to win a contest as biblical lookalikes, they are acceptable and not horribly designed to copy some of the popular secular toys out there on the market these days.
If you go to their website (www.one2believe.com) and click on "Toy Store", then click on "Tales of Glory Figurine Sets", you will be able to click on the "Tales of Glory Nativity Set" and take a look for yourself at how these figurines were constructed. The photo of the Nativity Set is quite small, so click on the photo, and it will show you a much larger close-up photo that will help you decide whether this Nativity playset is a good fit for your family and gift giving, or not.
The Nativity Playset is designed to be played with by children ages 3 and older. These figures are made from PVC plastic, which is not designed to be put in the mouth and chewed on by younger (or older!) children. So, if you have children in your home who are still regularly placing objects in their mouths, this product may not be the best fit in your household. An additional note about The Nativity playset’s safety from their website:
"All Tales of Glory toys have been tested by an independent third party testing facility and comply with ASTM standards. All toys are free from harmful chemicals and are safe."
While my family personally hasn't had any difficulties with any of the figures breaking or coming apart, a few families (4 out of 125) who were also reviewing this product as part of the TOS CREW (The Old Schoolhouse magazine group of reviewers) found that the star on the Nativity stable came off easily, or that the palm tree branches’ cluster separated from the palm tree itself. I contacted One2Believe and asked them about the possibility of having broken or defective parts being replaced. Here is their reply:
"Thanks for the email. We definitely stand behind our product 100% and will replace individual damaged pieces. In the past, we have sent replacement parts for items that were broken during play or chewed up by the family dog! We want the toys to be played with A LOT and we know that things can break. If anyone needs a replacement part, they can email: Kristine@bhteddybear.com or call (888) 557-2327."
The Nativity playset contains 17 figures including baby Jesus in a manger, Joseph, Mary, the three kings, two angels, two shepherds, a male camel, male donkey, male sheep, female sheep, stable, tree, and a bale of hay. Children can make this story "come to life" with this playset, instead of settling down with secular toys that may or may not go with movies or television programs you want your children to be mimicking.
I can’t really think of any negatives about this Nativity playset. It is well constructed, appealing to children, and packaged in a box that if carefully opened, can be used to store the Nativity playset throughout those months up in the attic or basement if you choose to not have it accessible all months of the year. I wish we had this set a few years ago when both of our children were playing with little toys like this. However, we will enjoy bringing it out each autumn for the younger children who come over for visits.
The Nativity Playset costs $24.99. For a biblical playset that is well constructed and will have many years of use, I don’t think this is unreasonable for a 17-piece set.
Recently, I received a package in the mail containing a children’s nativity playset for me to review. The girls were excited for me to open the box which was well constructed to store the 17 nativity playset pieces so they wouldn’t get damaged in the mail or on a store shelf.
This particular nativity set can be found at www.one2believe.com and is a part of their "Tales of Glory" figures and playsets for children.
My children did comment that the figures seemed very well constructed so that they would last. They also noticed that the figures’ faces seemed slightly cartoonish, but only to the point that they were all happy and excited that Jesus, the Son of God, had been born. Often, "Christian" toys are made to look fake or unrealistic. While these figures are definitely not going to win a contest as biblical lookalikes, they are acceptable and not horribly designed to copy some of the popular secular toys out there on the market these days.
If you go to their website (www.one2believe.com) and click on "Toy Store", then click on "Tales of Glory Figurine Sets", you will be able to click on the "Tales of Glory Nativity Set" and take a look for yourself at how these figurines were constructed. The photo of the Nativity Set is quite small, so click on the photo, and it will show you a much larger close-up photo that will help you decide whether this Nativity playset is a good fit for your family and gift giving, or not.
The Nativity Playset is designed to be played with by children ages 3 and older. These figures are made from PVC plastic, which is not designed to be put in the mouth and chewed on by younger (or older!) children. So, if you have children in your home who are still regularly placing objects in their mouths, this product may not be the best fit in your household. An additional note about The Nativity playset’s safety from their website:
"All Tales of Glory toys have been tested by an independent third party testing facility and comply with ASTM standards. All toys are free from harmful chemicals and are safe."
While my family personally hasn't had any difficulties with any of the figures breaking or coming apart, a few families (4 out of 125) who were also reviewing this product as part of the TOS CREW (The Old Schoolhouse magazine group of reviewers) found that the star on the Nativity stable came off easily, or that the palm tree branches’ cluster separated from the palm tree itself. I contacted One2Believe and asked them about the possibility of having broken or defective parts being replaced. Here is their reply:
"Thanks for the email. We definitely stand behind our product 100% and will replace individual damaged pieces. In the past, we have sent replacement parts for items that were broken during play or chewed up by the family dog! We want the toys to be played with A LOT and we know that things can break. If anyone needs a replacement part, they can email: Kristine@bhteddybear.com or call (888) 557-2327."
The Nativity playset contains 17 figures including baby Jesus in a manger, Joseph, Mary, the three kings, two angels, two shepherds, a male camel, male donkey, male sheep, female sheep, stable, tree, and a bale of hay. Children can make this story "come to life" with this playset, instead of settling down with secular toys that may or may not go with movies or television programs you want your children to be mimicking.
I can’t really think of any negatives about this Nativity playset. It is well constructed, appealing to children, and packaged in a box that if carefully opened, can be used to store the Nativity playset throughout those months up in the attic or basement if you choose to not have it accessible all months of the year. I wish we had this set a few years ago when both of our children were playing with little toys like this. However, we will enjoy bringing it out each autumn for the younger children who come over for visits.
The Nativity Playset costs $24.99. For a biblical playset that is well constructed and will have many years of use, I don’t think this is unreasonable for a 17-piece set.
Disclosure: As a member of the TOS Crew, I was provided with a copy of this product for my family's use, in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was provided.