What is it about little people? No, I don’t mean children, or midgets. I mean the Fisher Price Little People toys.
My daughter of 16 months is obsessed with them. Where other toys spend most of their time in the toy box, Little People receive maximum airtime. Just as a quick comparison, blocks get about 10 seconds playtime. Balls score a whopping 3 minutes. Farm animals might make it to 5 minutes so long as they fall dramatically from the top of the couch to the floor with sound effects. But then there’s Little People. My daughter plays with them for hours every single day. Yes, dolly might get her bib put on and off a few times in between but then it’s back to the Little People.
Little People are lined up on window sills, thrown in and out of boxes, stuck in my daughter’s mouth, found loitering in my shoes and discovered in my husband’s esky upon his arrival at work. They are sat in miniature matching chairs and stuffed in jars. They are carried from one end of the house to the other and sat on the kitchen bench, awaiting their opportunity to be played with again immediately after lunch.
Just what is the remarkable attraction of these little plastic figures? I haven’t been able to figure it out. But I do remember my niece, who is now 9 years of age, playing with the same pint-sized people day in, day out. Maybe it’s their size and shape? Their rounded, 6cm tall frames are perfect for little hands and they’re extremely versatile. Whatever it is, Little People are fascinating to toddlers. But a word of warning to parents shake out your boots before your foot makes painful contact with a miniature stowaway.