Growing Up on the Fisher Price Farm
Written: Dec 29 '03 (Updated Jan 24 '04)
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Pros: Cute animals, brief (and quiet) sounds, great play features!
Cons: Too big for little ones to schlep up and down stairs.
The Bottom Line: An update of a Fisher Price Classic.
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| JediKermit's Full Review: Little People Animal Sounds Farm |
I’m a city boy. Always have been. But I grew up with a farm. I’ll bet a lot of you did. It was the Fisher Price Little People Farm, and it was one of the most popular playsets they ever made, with good reason. It came with little farmer figures, a cow, pig, horse, chicken, fences, and a silo to store it all in—and best of all (for me) the barn door “mooed” when you opened it! I can still remember playing with that toy for hours on end. How wonderful then, as a father, to be able to provide a similar experience for my own little son, with the Fisher Price Little People Animal Sounds Farm!
This descendant of the farm I grew up with has more features than that wooden box I loved so much…but it’s still a simple enough toy that a young child (my son is 20 months) is able to play with it, and sophisticated enough that it will grow with them. And hopefully, given Fisher Price’s standards of quality, our other children will be able to play with this toy and all of the great animals that come with it.
First, the farm itself: it’s bigger than I expected it to be, spacious enough to store all of the pieces of the playset that come with it. The building and accompanying base are approximately 18 inches long, and ten inches wide when folded together, but opens up to nearly three feet across! The building itself is sturdy red plastic with a white shingled and corrugated roof, and it all rests on a verdant green base. Although at first glance it lacks the detail of my “old school” farm, Fisher Price has molded into the plastic a number of little surprises, if you look close enough. Among these are pea pods and flowers in the garden, horseshoe prints in the stall, wood grain on the barn walls, a saddle hanging by the stable, a ladder leading upstairs to the loft, and all sorts of little critters lurking around the farm: mice, birds, and a cat are all hidden in the corners of the buildings.
The farm comes packed with features—I’m not even sure I’ve found them all yet. First, each animal has its own living space, with a large button or door that makes that animal’s sound when moved. The sheep lives outside, when its button is pushed, you hear “BAA!” The horse’s door “neighs,” the chicken’s nest “clucks”, the pig pen “oinks” and the cow’s door “moos.” More on the animals in a moment. I like the sounds more than I thought I would, for two reasons: first, the buttons that activate the noise are large enough and sensitive enough for little hands. Miles has other toys that have these features, and can’t work them himself, and they’re more frustrating than fun. The other reason is that they’re blessedly quiet and brief—they don’t go on for thirty seconds like some of his other toys, and they won’t wake up Mom when she’s sleeping. Trust me: you don’t want to do that.
There are three removable piece which can be placed at three different points on the playset interchangeably: a windmill that really spins, a rooster weather vane, and a scarecrow. All three rotate freely in place on either of the roofs, or out in the garden, and the Little People or animals can perch in their spots as well. The barn includes a loft where the farmer sleeps (his bed tilts up so he can hop out of bed and get to work bright and early)(maybe Mom does need that!), and also includes a workbench with his tools. The rest of the barn is divided up into spots for the hay cart, the cow, chicken, and horse.
The cart attaches to the horse and comes with a solid bale of hay that is removable; there are also two sections of fence with are movable but attach securely enough that you won’t lose them.
The Little People (and animals) that accompany the set are up to Fisher Price standards of quality and cuteness…all of them chubby-cheeked and solid plastic, but soft enough that little ones won’t hurt themselves (or you) with a misplaced cow. My one gripe about them is that there’s only one farmer figure for such a big farm…I assume the goal is for you to buy some of the add-on packs that are available. Being suckers for Fisher Price, we of course did. The add-on packs include Baby Farm Animals (this is the set we bought) a Farmer’s Market, Tractor, Two Little Farmers In a Tube, and a Stable. All are good additions to the farm, and maybe they’ll be able to pitch in with the chores too.
Granted, my son has only had this set since Thursday, but I know him and I know Fisher Price, and they’re going to have a long and very fun relationship. As we’ve been playing with it I’ve been remembering my own childhood, and how wonderful it was. You certainly don’t need to get this toy to be a good parent, or to have happy children. But it’s a great way to get down on the floor and play with your kids and maybe make some memories of your own.
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FISHER PRICE LITTLE PEOPLE
Noah’s Ark http://www.epinions.com/content_101612949124
Noah’s Animals 1 http://www.epinions.com/content_101614718596
Noah’s Animals 2 http://www.epinions.com/content_101620354692
Animal Sounds Farm http://www.epinions.com/content_123446333060
Discovering Animals at the Farm http://www.epinions.com/content_123536641668
Baby Farm Animals http://www.epinions.com/content_123574980228
Christmas Village http://www.epinions.com/content_123255688836
Floaty Boat http://www.epinions.com/content_127188766340
World Travelers http://www.epinions.com/content_127192108676
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 27.00
Type of Toy: Playscene
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Epinions.com ID:
JediKermit
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 in Movies, Kids & Family, Books |
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Member: Quinn
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Reviews written: 2199
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About Me:
Books, Movies, and Toys. Is there more to life?
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