Have your DC got a toy farm and /or a zoo and if so would you reccomend it?

[thomcat]

I want to get the girs a toy farm, and possibly a zoo as well but not sure which one to go for as there seem to be so many out there.

Any reccomendations?

My twin boys had the most gorgeous wooden farm. Think it was the wooden Papo stone yard one. I was sooo disappointed as they played with it about twice. I've even put real straw in it to try and lure them in. They're nearly 4 now so wondering if that's it or if they'll play with it later. My daughter is 21/2 so haven't given up on her she does seem quite interested in the animals.

ELC seem to have a new one with a magnetic pulley which looks good. Our toddler group has a lovely chad valley one that's very popular.

We have the Duplo Zoo that was quite popular but it's expensive and quite babyish. I don't know how old your girls are but Playmobil do a farm and zoo which looks lovely and would probably last interest wise a lot longer. Lovely detail.

Ohh thanks for that.
they are 5.5 and 19 months and I have 1 on he way as well.
I like wooden toys but would rather the animals look as realistic as possible so wooden might not be ideal aye.

We've got the playmobile one which ds took the tractor to bed with him and proudly showed anyone who visited.

Not wood but we have dogs and one in particular loves to chew!

DS has two farms - both plastic. One is from John Lewis that acts as a carry case as well. It opens up and has animals and tractor etc. The other one is from fisher price and has things that can open up with sounds etc - this also comes with animals etc. DS loves both of them and plays with them all the time.

my ds has the fisher price little people farm which he loves ... and the little people alphabet zoo - he is animal mad though!

We have a mad hotchpotch of realistic looking zoo and farm animals (like ELC do), and Duplo animals, and the odd Playmobil creature and various Toys of Shame animals (like Clifford the Big Red Dog) and oddments like a Pingu that was the lid on a igloo shaped bottle of bubble bath...and we make massive "zoos" out of Lego and shoe boxes and propped up books where tigers are in with hedgehogs and killer whales are in with ducks...both my boys (even the big old 10 year old) will still play quite happily like this.

So you don't even need to get a set - a mad old hotchpotch will do, but yes definitely a toy with longevity - go for it.

Our local independent toy shop does some fantastically realistic animals (and an amazing range) but I can't remember the brand name - I think they might be German. Expensive though.

we have a playmobile ark and the animal are great but it is aged 4+ and ds1 3.6 has just got into it. Bits to small for your younger one(s)

Dd has the playmobil ark (it was cheaper than the zoo) which she got when she was 2, just removed the tiny pieces before she was allowed to play with it and she loves it but she seems to have a thing for play mobil. She also has a large collection of random plastic animals which are the most played with toys she has. Ottakers used to have a lot of them and even toys r us have a good selection.

god get one that goes into small pices to put away.

we were given this beast

and it is a pita.

wooden, makes great amo for hurling at brother, making dents in walls and even better still makes great fun trying to find all the pieces and keeping together ready for next "I want to be the farmer", "No, you a cow", "but it's my turn", aim fire.....duck, no it's a cow,pig, ouch that was a tractor....

Ds2 (3.5) has the ELC one with realistic looking animals, a farmer and his wife, and various tractors etc and even a vet and her truck (not ELC). He loves it and plays with it regularly. He is a child who plays with this kind imaginitive toy anyway though.

Dd and ds1 wouldn't have played with these the same way, so just depends what sort of things your children like to play with, but if they are interested, then it's a lovely toy.

Agree with Project that is the very one we've got-gorgeous but lives on top of their wardrobe. Probably the reason why it isn't played with that often. But isn't it gorgeous!!!!!

I would have loved it when I was little-kids of today tut, just don't know how lucky they are.

The German animals that come with it are lovely too. Actually might drag it off the wardrobe tomorrow and play with it myself!!!!!

why on top of the wardrobe..?

because it is huuuuuge and cumbersome?

Would probably take up about a quarter of the boys floor space if it was on the floor-it's that cumbersome.

Thanks for this.

Love the Letterbox one but space an issue for us so might have to go for one that I can put away and they can easily drag out when they choose to.
Will look up the ELC, Playmobile, Fisher Price and Chad Valley ones!
Thanks all.

DD has a Brittains farm and animals. Zoo animals as well that live on the farm!

It was mine when I was a little girl and have passed it on.

They still make very similar ones though. There is a wooden farmyard "base", then a wooden barn, pigsty, stables, etc.

ELC one totally comes apart and takes up little space apart from the boards to set it up on.