Best Sylvanian Families sets to fill your home with cute critters

Otherwise referred to as Calico Critters by our friends over in the US, Sylvanian Families is a particular brand of children’s figurines which encapsulate a sense of pastoral wonder.

Created in 1985 by Japanese company Epoch, the original name for the adorable miniature creatures was ‘Pleasant Friends of the Forest Epoch System Collection Animal Toy Sylvanian Families’, and the figurines were crafted from porcelain, while the furniture and accessories were made from wood.

Thankfully, practical adjustments were made to the materials following their launch in North America. The very long name was also subsequently changed to simply ‘Sylvanian Families’ – which derives from the Roman god