Whether you’ve seen the Calico Critters Drama TikToks or have had these critters in your toy chest for several years, these miniature toys have captured the imaginations and hearts of children and collectors around the world.

The Sylvanian Families, also known as Calico Critters, were created by the Japanese gaming company Epoch in 1985. These adorable little animal figurines come in different families, such as rabbits, cats, dogs, and even bears. Each family has realistic animal features like fur, whiskers, and tails, and a back story that depicts the personality of these characters.

Calico Critters live in Sylvania, a fictional country based on 1950s Great Britain. Most of the families are all rural middle-class, and own successful family businesses. If the critters don’t own a business, then they work blue or white-collar jobs (like doctors, teachers, artists, or bus drivers).

The Calico Critters came out in 1985 under the name Sylvanian Families. In 1993, the toy was rebranded and released in the United States as Calico Critters. When the first line of Calico Critters Families was released in Japan, the set included a house, 11 furniture pieces, and nine animal families.

By now, you might be wondering why Sylvanian Families changed their names to Calico Critters. Sylvanian Families was the original name of the product line when it was introduced in Japan in 1985. TOMY brought these critters to North America, but had to stop using the name “Sylvanian Families” in the 1990s due to legal issues.

There is no official count of how many of these critters are out there. However, the Calico Critters website confirms that there are 30 families with four characters each: a mom, a dad, and then a boy and a girl. There are also 30 sets that feature individual figures, couples, or triplets.

There have been around 185 families listed, according to the Sylvanian Families Wiki, but the Lady Lollipop Sylvanian Families Figure Collection has 230 families listed. Despite these high numbers, only 30 families are currently available online.

Right now, there are 30 different families available on the official website, with a short bio about the family. There is the Bear Family, Fennec Fox Family, Goat Family, Hedgehog Family, the Highbranch Giraffe Family, Husky Family, Kangaroo Family, Koala Family, Marshmallow Mouse, Penguin Family, Reindeer Family, Pookie Panda Family, Sheep Family, Toy Poodle Family, and Walnut Squirrel Family.

The Hopscotch family, also known as the Chocolate Rabbit Family, is the most popular Calico Critters family. This might be because they are the main characters on the “Calico Critters” television show and YouTube channel.

There are many cute accessories that you can purchase for your critters’ homes. There are a lot of Calico Critters furniture sets, like a living room set, a deluxe kitchen set, and a baby nursery set.

The company releases limited edition critters or sets that are only available for a short time or until they are sold out. These are special editions that can include unique characters, play sets, or entire families.

In 2023, over 3.2 million of these adorable animal figures and sets were recalled after two children choked to death. According to PBSR, the animal figures sold with bottles and pacifier accessories were recalled after a 2-year-old boy in New Mexico and a 9-month-old child in Japan died due to the small objects.

There are a few places where you can buy these families. While you can buy Calico Critters from their online store, you can check out the store locator to find a physical store near you. You can also find these critters on Amazon, eBay, as well as retailers like Walmart, Barnes & Noble, and Learning Express.

You might have noticed that Calico Critters can be fairly expensive compared to other toys out there. These toys are made with high-quality materials with amazing attention to detail for how little these animals are. The detailed outfits and accessories are built to last and withstand playtime.