On The Farm - a round-up of farm-related toys and games

Make hay while the sun shines

Four retailers across the UK who are big fans of farm-themed toys tell TnP what they sell and why they love all things rural-related, from vehicles to games and puzzles

As parents of small children heave a sigh of relief as outdoor attractions such as open farms and animal parks open their doors again, interest in that perennial favourite - the farm-themed toy - is bound to increase. And with the media attention that popular TV series such as Our Yorkshire Farm and Our Farming Life attract, along with kids’ shows such as CBeebies’ Down on the Farm, even towndwelling kids could form a serious tractor habit!

From animals and vehicles to themed playsets and puzzles, these unisex toys are a brilliant way to give kids a bit of knowledge about farming and the countryside, while also encouraging imaginative play and roleplay.

Julia Lowe spotted a gap in the market 13 years ago when her children Emily, Oliver and Harry (then aged seven, four and one) expressed a keen interest in farm toys. Coming from a farming background and with experience in the web industry, she set out to create Farm Toys Online as a site where, as she says, “parents like me could go to for well-made farm and horse toys”.

As an established ecommerce retailer, the business has not had to ramp up digital activity in response to the challenges of Covid-19. In fact, Julia saw toy sale levels near that of Christmas going into lockdown, as parents prepared for their children to be at home.

Julia aims to source products that are “more realistic than most farm toys, but not as complicated and expensive as the exact replica models on the market. Our unbeatable range of farm toys includes toy versions of anything you might fi nd on a farm or in a stable - even down to batterypowered wind turbines”.

More than 1,200 toys are listed on the website, and Julia works with around 35 suppliers, which are a mix of small UK and larger international companies. Key brands include Siku, Bruder, Breyer and Schleich.

“We fi nd the brands that do best on Farm Toys Online are the ones willing to work collaboratively with us to reach mutually benefi cial revenue goals,” she says. “For example, as a result of working closely with Siku last year, we were able to grow our sales of Siku toys by a whopping 58%.”

So what new products have impressed her so far this year? She “absolutely loves” John Deere-Opoly: a farm-themed twist on Monopoly featuring John Deere tractors.

Her best sellers year-round are tractors, remote-control tractors and ride-on tractors. But she notes that demand is seasonal for some items, especially tractor attachments. For example, sales of snow ploughs go up in the winter and hay balers increase in the summer. Jayne Rees, owner of Eve’s Toy Shop at Llandeilo in Wales, is based in the middle of a farming community “where regular customers can disappear - only to emerge weeks

Our range of farm toys “

includes toy versions of anything you might fi nd on a farm or in a stable - even down to batterypowered wind turbines

Themed window display by Cachao Toys in London

later, tired and exhausted due to the lambing season”. So for her, “‘On The Farm’ and all that goes with that is a particularly good seller at the shop”.

She explains: “Springtime, when the lambs are born, can be a busy time for us as a community with holidaymakers renting local farm B&Bs (around half term) for their children to experience life on the farm. This is especially lovely when the lambs are in the fi elds and brightly coloured tractors trudge through the town - something boys in particular love.

“With that in mind, we have a whole section in the shop dedicated to ‘On The Farm’ with animals from Lanka Kade, Schleich and Haba; wooden tractors and farms by Le Toy Van; and books and jigsaw puzzles by Usborne, Nosy Crow, Jura toys and Djeco. It’s an all-year-round seller for us, so we pretty much cover and love all things farm-related!”

City dweller Jennie Hogg, owner of Cachao Toys in north London’s Muswell Hill, is several miles from the countryside but she stocks a mix of Schleich animals; Jellycat farm animals, fruits and vegetables; and farm-themed games. For her, “farmrelated toys and games tie in nicely with Easter and make a great spring window display theme - so I make a thing of them, and they sell.”

Julia Lowe, owner of Farm Toys Online

Mickey Mouse brings farmyard fun

FLAIR

0208 643 0320 www.fl airgp.co.uk

New to the Flair Just Play portfolio for A/W21, which is sure to be a farmthemed favourite among young children, is the Mickey collection, which lets kids take the on-screen farm fun from Disney into the playroom.

Promising lots of fun on the farm is the Mickey Mouse Farm Fun Playset. This toy set features two-sided play, a swinging bell, a working pulley system to reel-up hay bales, and a chicken that lays eggs. Huge amounts of fun and very modestly priced, this playset will be front of mind with Flair’s TV and digital marketing plan.

Continuing the farm theme, and benefi ting from TV support, is the E-I-Oh Mickey Mouse Feature Plush, which sees Mickey wearing a farmer outfi t, singing the ‘Old McDonald’ song and performing his chicken dance! This fun toy even plays a game: “What’s that animal sound?”

Kids can also add to their farm fun with the Mickey Mouse Farm Fun Tractor. Little ones will be able to move the truck to watch the animals bob up and down. This is all in addition to some new roleplay lines and the great value Singing Fun Plush.

Inspired by the countryside

RAVENSBURGER

01869 363 830 www.ravensburger.com

Ravensburger has a broad offering of countryside and farm-themed puzzles, both existing and new, from puzzles ideal for young children to 100-piece puzzles for adults. Farm animals, farming, and the great British countryside are very popular topics for puzzles for all ages.

With a strong emphasis on the Department of Education’s offi cial standard covering learning and development for children aged 0-5 years old, Ravensburger’s most popular design - My First Puzzles’ On the Farm 2-,3-,4-, 5-piece product is aimed at kids from 18 months and focuses on the understanding of children’s own environment, animals, and the world. The puzzles feature images of a pink pig, a black and white cow, a brown chicken, and white fl uffy sheep, all shown with brightly coloured farm backgrounds. Each puzzle is carefully designed to ensure children get plenty of visual clues to aid them assemble the pieces, helping to build their confi dence and encourage them to move onto other titles and larger piece counts.

For adults, in the Happy Days range the 500-piece No.3 Countryside Nostalgia puzzles are four bright and cheerful nostalgic designs showing classic countryside scenes by Yorkshire-based artist Trevor Mitchell. Scenes show Sunday Service, The Steam Mill, The Country Show and Farm Services. This is a fabulous product for countryside lovers, or for those who perhaps can’t get to rural areas but want a countryside fi x.

New for A/W21 from Ravensburger will be licensed XXL 100-piece and 1,000-piece John Deere puzzles. The John Deere Big Wheels XXL 100-piece is a product suitable for older children who are farming enthusiasts, while the 1,000-piece John Deere Then & Now is a nostalgic scene featuring farm equipment old and new.

Making a reappearance to the range for A/W21 is We Wish Moo a Merry Christmas 500-piece puzzle.

Baaaaa-ck in time with a classic

BASIC FUN!

0118 925 3270 www.BasicFun.com

It’s off to the farm with Basic Fun’s Fisher-Price Classics See ‘n Say The Farmer Says. This retro toy delivers the fun of the farm at the tug of a cord! Packing plenty of nostalgic appeal, See ‘n Say The Farmer Says was originally introduced in 1965 and according to Basic Fun! it was the fi rst talking toy that allowed children to pick the exact phrase they want to hear by pointing the arrow to an animal and pulling the string. The present-day version looks just like the original and works in the same way, meaning parents and grandparents can share one of their childhood favourites with their own kids and grandkids.

The circular toy has pictures of 12 animals on it including a sheep, dog, duck, frog, horse, rooster, pig, cow, bird, cat, and turkey. The arrow in the centre has an image of a farmer and a pig on it. Children simply point the arrow to an animal, pull the string, watch the arrow spin, and listen to that animal’s sound. Suitable for toddlers and preschoolers aged 18-months-plus, this educational, interactive toy comes in fun, retro-style open box packaging to ensure it stands out on the shelf.