Little People Animal Sounds Farm: Just the Ticket for Your Pint-Sized Pig Farmer
Written: Sep 02 '01
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Pros: Engaging sounds and music, interchangeable parts, fun farm theme
Cons: Expensive, bulky
The Bottom Line: If your kids like Little People characters and farm animals, then this is an obvious choice for them.
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| Dr_Steph's Full Review: Little People Animal Sounds Farm |
My youngest son was an early talker. However, the subject of his precocious verbalizations was a bit atypical. Instead of the usual "Dada" or "Mama", my son started his vocabulary with animal names. "Gorilla" was his first word (weird, huh?), followed by "doggin" (for our neighbor's dog) and "snake."
In contrast, he didn't say the very simple names of farm animals right away, choosing instead to imitate their sounds. His favorite farm sound was "oink" for a pig, followed closely with "moo" for cow. Seeing (and hearing) the huge "sows and cows" at the local fair last fall pretty much solidified his fascination with these animals. Therefore, when he spied the Fisher Price Little People Animal Sounds Farm on the shelf at Target from up in his shopping cart perch and started "oinking" and "mooing", I knew what he was getting for Christmas.
Often battery-operated "noisy" toys can be more of a nuisance than they are worth. Take, for example, the Fisher Price Teach & Go Train. This cute Sesame Street train loses all of its charm (for adults, especially) when the obnoxiously loud music and voices start up.
Nagging fears about bellowing cows and squealing pigs pestered me as I was taking the Little People Animal Sounds Farm to the check-out stand. I knew my son would love the farm animals and the Little People theme but I wasn't sure if I could bear the noise pollution it would inevitably create. As it turns out, it really hasn't been a problem.
Old McDonald Had a Farm…Assembly Required
The Little People Animal Sounds Farm comes neatly folded into a compact barn, measuring 14" by 9" at the base and up to 11" high at the peak of the barn roof. The base is green to simulate grass, the barn itself is red and the white roof makes a nice carrying handle.
When you first take it out of the box, it does require what Fisher-Price calls a "one-time assembly." One time? They obviously don't know my kids. They can disassemble the sturdiest of toys.
Assembly involves attaching the base extension to the rest of the barn set. It snaps easily into place (and comes off easily, too, by the way). Next, the fence is assembled and the tabs are snapped into the slots in the base extension. This is part IS a one-time operation. No one in our family, including my hurky hubby, can pull out the fence. Finally, the garden roller is snapped into the T-shaped tab on the base extension. When it's all assembled and opened up, the farm forms a sort of "U" shape with two open sections of the barn and the base extension.
Oh yes, you also have to install three AA batteries (not included) to the underside battery compartment, fastened securely with Phillips head screw.
Once it is all set up, a set of decals with animal faces needs to be applied. Take my advice and put these on BEFORE you give the toy to your child. My kids thought they were stickers and were quite perturbed when I wouldn't let them put them on their tummies and knees.
Roll Call
In addition to the barn itself, the Little People Animal Sounds Farm comes with a variety of animals and other pieces:
~ Animals: Sheep, horse, chicken, cow, and pig
~ Little People (err…Person): Farmer Jed (complete with farm hat, red bandana and boots)
~ Interchangeable Pieces: A spinning windmill, rooster weathervane, and scarecrow all have circular bases and can fit in either the space on the base extension or on one of two places on the barn roof. The rooster makes clicking sounds when turned around. Why a clicking sound? It would be much more fun if the rooster went "cock-a-doodle do."
~ More Stuff: Finally, there is a two wheel wagon that hooks on to the back of the horse and plastic hollow sack of oats that fits inside of it.
Finally Time to Play Farmer!
OK, now you know the set and all of the players. So what can you do with the Little People Animal Sounds Farm? Nothing, silly! This toy is for your CHILD, not you. (However, you can try sneaking a little play time at night after the kids go to bed. Just be careful 'cause the animal sounds tend to wake up the little darlings.)
Like all of the Little People toys, this farm lends itself well to imaginative play. Each of the animals has a "place" in the barn just for them that makes the associated animal sound when pressed or opened. From left to right, there is a patch of ground for the sheep ("baa"), a stall for the horse ("neigh"), a check/egg flipping nest for the chicken ("cluck, cluck"), a stall for the cows ("moo"), and a sty for the pigs ("oink"). However, you can move the animals around anywhere you want and make the pig say "moo" or whatever (reminds me of a great book I need to review one of these days).
Personally, I have a hard time telling the horse stall from the cow stall. The horses on the decal look just like cows to me. The horse shoe and saddle in the stall do give you clues, though. Thank goodness.
The big door in the barn opens and closes. In front of the door is a section of floor that, when pressed, plays the tune to "Old McDonald."
Jed is standard Little People size and shape and is therefore interchangeable with our other Little People. Sometimes he gets a break from farm work and gets to drive our Little People Bulldozer, Dump Truck, Fire Engine, or School Bus instead.
What Does Our Little Farmer Think of This Toy?
When we first set this up at Christmas, my son (then 18 months) and his 3 year old sister played with it constantly, it seemed. The animal sounds and music were major attractions for both of them. The Old McDonald tune is popular with my music-loving kids but the part they like the most about this toy is the "ejecta-bed." Farmer Jed's bed is in the barn loft. You can turn a dial on the front of the barn and flip the bed up, catapulting the poor farmer out the window and onto the "grass" below. They have contests to see who can launch Jed and the assorted animals farther. My five year old always wins this contest. To its credit, the bed (and Jed) have held up remarkably well to this rough treatment.
Lately, the farm does not get as much attention as it use to. Part of the reason for that is my husband is always stashing it under the bed in the sons' room. It is a big toy and therefore adds significantly to the clutter in our home. However, I pulled it out to write this review a couple of weeks ago (I'm a slow writer) and the kids are enjoying it again, kind of like a second honeymoon.
Dr_Steph's Recommendation
If your kids like Little People characters and farm animals, then this is an obvious choice for them. The animal sounds are very realistic (and not too obnoxious) and the pieces are extremely durable. It does take up a chunk of real estate in the living room or bedroom so be prepared for that. However, it also folds up easily into a more compact package and all the assorted parts fit inside, including the base extension.
Oh yes, I almost forgot. Our farm also came with a free Little People video ("Discovering People") that both of the younger kids continue to enjoy. It has Aaron Neville singing the Little People song - very cool!
The retail price of $35 is a bit steep for this toy, in my opinion. However, I think it goes on sale frequently. We found ours before Christmas at Target last year for $18.99. I suggest waiting for a similar sale before purchasing this toy.
If you want to see on on-line "action clip" of the Fisher Price Little People Animal Sounds Farm, check out the following link:
http://www.fisher-price.com/us/littlepeople/products/product.asp?id=628
And on that note, I bid you adieu (or is it a-moo?)
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 18.99
Type of Toy: Playscene
Age Range of Child: 12 to 36 Months
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