The past six months have been a furious and frenetic time in the world of Playmobil. You know, the cheerfully uniform toy line — the German doppelganger to Fisher-Price — known for its play sets featuring scenes of uncommon practicality and accessories as specific as baggage handlers. All decked out in solid colors, every straight-backed character sports the same grin and helmet hair.

First, a National Review editor facetiously floated a rumor in December that Rod Blagojevich was the “human model” for Playmobil; in January, Playmobil inventor Hans Beck died at age 79; a month later, The New York Times ran a story that parents were upset with the toy company’s airport security set (too authoritarian); later that same day, at the American International Toy Fair in New York, the Playmobil Horse Farm was awarded Girl Toy of the Year by a consumer group.

We can hardly wait to see what summer will bring, and so, inspired, we searched for the strangest Playmobil toys out there. To our delight, narrowing it down to five was hard. And, these are actual Playmobil toys, for actual children. The small kind.

Coal ($4.99) The most lonesome toy ever. A great argument for never selling accessories separately.

Construction crew office ($15.99) For the precocious child eager to play “The Sopranos,” Season 5.

Girl with baby goats ($3.99) Not as great as it sounds.

Asphalt cutter ($17.99) Like those from a real Public Works Department, can be used to pretend to fix roads.

Police-themed Advent calendar ($16.99) For the family that looks forward to celebrating our beloved police state.