Showcase: Farm Aid

By Karyn M. Peterson -- Playthings, 4/2/2008 3:52:00 PM

This week’s Product Showcase features farm-themed toys from Alex, Learning Resources, Mattel, Mega Brands and Random Line.


Alex
With String a Farm ($12.95), one of two new sets for ages 3 and up, kids can string together all the familiar elements of farm life—cow, pig, sheep, horse, chickens, tractor, barn and more. Set includes 12 chunky wooden beads, wooden needle, cotton lacing string and a silo-shaped wooden stopper to keep everything in place. The vehicle-themed String & Beep is also available. 
Alex, Northvale, N.J.
www.alextoys.com


Learning Resources
The 36-inch Number Fun F arm Electronic Talking Play Mat ($36.95) for ages 3 to 6 features four learning games with animal sounds as well as a music mode that plays 10 different children’s songs. Kids can practice following directions as they learn numbers, counting, greater and lesser amounts and patterning. Requires 4 AA batteries, sold separately.
Learning Resources, Vernon Hills, N.J.
www.learningresources.com


Mattel
Snorta ($15.99), the hilarious, tongue-tying party game for ages 8 and up, is being reintroduced this summer after its recent acquisition from Out of the Box Publishing. To play, each person choose the sound of a typical farm animal. Then, as players quickly flip over animal cards, they must be the first to blurt out the sounds chosen by the other players. 
Mattel, El Segundo, Calif.
www.mattel.com


Mega Brands
The cleverly designed, 49-piece Word World Barn playset ($29.99) for ages 3 and up includes A to Z alphabet blocks, two WordFriends characters for kids to build, a Word World DVD and a storage bucket, the top of which doubles as a farm scene. It offers lots of different play patterns, as preschoolers can learn new words, build the farm and role-play with the characters. 
Mega Brands, Livingston, N.J.
www.megabrands.com


Random Line
The new Squiggle Barnyard activity pad ($4.99), one of four new Nature offerings in the company’s On-The-Go series, debuts this year just in time for the summer travel season. To play, kids spin the wheel and then draw a new animal from the pre-printed squiggly line. Ocean, Outdoors and Safari sets are also new this spring; each pad includes 100 unique squiggles.
Randomline, Morris Plains, N.J.
www.randomline.com