Shirley Darwin carefully draws the plants and flowers her husband brings home each day. Her sketches are so detailed that once it took her over a week to draw a simple buttercup. But thankfully Geoff always thinks his wife’s illustrations are worth waiting for. Step into a world of imagination and wonder with Sylvanian Families, where furry friends and whimsical adventures await. Discover all the captivating characters, from the lovable rabbit family to the cute rabbit siblings. Each Sylvanian Family member has a unique story, bringing joy and laughter to playtime. Let us tell you about our range, waiting for you to collect... Sylvanian Families Houses to Explore Get ready for a delightful journey through the world of Sylvania with the family cruising car, sunshine nursery bus, and picnic van. Whether you're going on a family outing, enjoying a sunny drive, or going on a camping escapade, these Sylvanian Families vehicles will take each figure on the most exciting ventures. Sylvanian Families Playsets to Collect

Whether your little one is a fan of the fluffy tails or the tiny paws, these precious collectibles will bring joy to playtime. From fuzzy animal families like goats, sheep, rabbits, and hedgehogs to other adorable woodland creatures, the Sylvanian Families figures are guaranteed to melt hearts. Sylvanian Families Vehicles to Go on Adventures Katie Darwin is almost as active as her brother. As one of the best gymnasts in Sylvania she spends her days swinging on bars, balancing on beams and somersaulting over the floor. In our collection you'll find the Sylvanian Families Country Tree School playset - a charming educational setting for your Sylvanian characters. It features a tree-shaped school building with classrooms, a slide, a swing, and other fun accessories. Children can let their imaginations run wild as they role-play different school scenarios, from attending classes to playing on the playground. There's also the Sylvanian Families Baby Mermaid Castle playset – little ones can dive into a magical underwater world with a beautifully decorated castle featuring rooms, a slide, and other aquatic-themed accessories! Endless Possibilities for Play Now teenagers, they have entrusted their empire to their sister Orla, nine, and it has become her No 1 obsession. These days, you may walk into the bathroom and discover up to 20 little animals gathered round the sink and balanced by the bath – apparently they are at a waterpark. You may go to close a window only to see outside, on the sill, a bunch of bunnies on a camping trip. Returning a book to the shelf, you might be met by a small bear who has moved into the space and set up a shoe shop.Sylvanian Families have been updated with a modern twist. You can get your hands on a convertible car, an adventure treasure ship, or even a sky ride adventure! There really is something for everyone, and each toy fits together to make the Sylvanian Village. You can add houses, shops, cars, and schools and move in more families when you’ve got the space!

The Sylvanian miniatures we all know and love were created in 1985 by a Japanese company and have grown in popularity ever since, even having several animated adaptations made to delight children across the globe! Cedric, Yardley, Ralph, and Saffron are a very happy Sylvanian family. Cedric is good at carpentry, Yardley loves a laugh and can usually be heard chatting to other Sylvanians, Ralph loves to climb trees and Saffron is obsessed with her namesake, the colour yellow! My parents let us use all the upstairs space – our room, the landing, even their bedroom – and we’d play for hours. Eventually the whole lot ended up in their loft and I went to find it pretty much as soon as I had Catherine. It has lasted really well.”

Sound Parties Bear – £310

The Monkey Family consists of Geoff who is the nature expert in Sylvania! He’s a famous botanist and loves spending time in the forest. Shirley is Geoff’s wife and is also a keen artist, her sketches are extremely detailed! Their children, Simion and Katie, are energetic and love playing sports! Sylvanian Families was launched in 1985 when the Japanese toy company Epoch (better known for video games) came across a new technical process for simulating animal fur. From this sprung tiny anthropomorphic creatures that bred in absurdly neat family sets (mum and dad, son and daughter) and lived a 1950s pastoral existence. Sylvanian mums wear floral pinnies and love to bake. The dads opt for braces or dungarees and work hard in rural occupations. Television The ‘Television’ section contains all of our articles related to the small screen. We have a very wide range of content – there’s a strong 80s focus with trivia on EastEnders and Grange Hill, but you can also find articles on popular contemporary TV programmes such as Breaking Bad and The Sopranos. If you fancy something a bit more niche then don’t worry – we’ve also got plenty of content on cult hits such as Twin Peaks, The X-Files and Quantum Leap. Happy hunting!

My older sister and I had a whole Sylvanian empire across the top floor of our house,” she says. “We had the bakery, the windmill, but most of the families were in a big doll’s house and boxes we made with dividers and off-cuts of carpets. We made their food and they even had their own currency from modelling clay. Each family kept their money in little yellow pots from Kinder egg toy containers. Their ever-expanding infrastructure seems quintessentially English – the Morris Minor, the canal boat and the red telephone box, Sylvania’s only nod to technology. The names are English, too – Hugh Grunt, the brother pig, Emma Dale, the lamb, Beatrix Spotter, the mummy meerkat. Yet, Epoch says Sylvania could be anytime, anywhere – the word sylvan, from which it’s derived, means “of the forest or woods”. Girl fans heavily outnumber boys, according to Epoch, and the peak playing age for Sylvanians is five to seven – though I think that’s too young to appreciate the intricate detail and fiddly accessories. At the picnic, Abby Walton and Charlotte Jolly, both 11 and down from Chinnor, Oxfordshire, are among the oldest children.Guardian reader Susan Croft sent us this photograph: her daughter Freya made Guardian Saturday sections for her Sylvanians and their doll’s house. Jacc Batch, possibly the world’s largest collector, at the Sylvanian Families 30th birthday picnic. Photograph: David Bebber/Guardian