Alex Little Hands Talk of the Farm

What a piece of junk. The construction of the truck and the mat is indeed durable but don't be fooled by the description "effortless interactive toy"...like I was...you have to drive back and forth over the notes that make it 'interactive' and press hard. My two year old can't press hard enough to make it play. And the 'music' that the truck plays is about 4 repeated notes, incessant repetition that will send you over the edge in just minutes. My son even says "no" and turns it off himself.

If Santa had kept the packaging, this would already be on its way back to where it came from.

The Talk of the Farm play mat set is cute. The design is simple a sturdy, flat, colorful mat (big enough for a little one to get down on for play, but not so big it takes over a room) that's designed to look like a farm, with various enclosures for the cheerful-looking animals. With its farm-animal theme and little red pickup truck, it looked like a great idea for my 18 month old son, who loves trucks and animals equally. So far, it's been a fairly popular choice among the toys he plays with daily, though he doesn't really play with it in its intended way at this point. Kids are *supposed* to drive the included truck over the mat, stopping at designated spots (marked by musical notes) to hear the "talk of the farm" soundbites about the farm, its animals, and suggestions on what part of the farm to visit next. He'll turn on the truck (which plays a simple, upbeat melody as it rolls along) and dance as he pushes it across every surface in our home EXCEPT the mat. He'll get down on the mat and point to the various animals and make their sounds. He'll even add his own animals to the mat, putting a toy cow on top of the cow pasture, for example. But he has no interest in placing the truck on the "right" spots on the mat and hearing what the mat has to say. At this point, I don't know if it's because he hasn't really connected the talking with the location of the truck, or if he simply prefers his own thoughts and sounds to what the mat has recorded. In either case, he's happy to play with the parts, and that's really all that matters. All in all, this was a good purchase, especially at a discounted price I wouldn't have paid MSRP for this one, but for what I spent, my little guy's getting a good return.

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My son who is 15 months adores this toy! He's still too young to grasp the concept of the games that it teaches(Find the pig, etc.) but its kept him busy for the past two days straight! I agree that the sensors are small but in all honestly its a great toy, for a reasonable price. It seems sturdy also, and we've had no problems with batteries draining, or the sounds from the truck sticking. I definitely give this toy 5 stars, and I was disappointed to see the poor reviews when I came back to purchase another for a friends son.

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I scoped out educational toys at a local teachers' store, and found this priced at around $40. I was glad to find it on Amazon for much less, and I expected that my 2-year-old would enjoy it. It was a Christmas gift, and while other toys got more attention at the beginning, this one eventually got plenty too. Both my 2 and 4 year old sons like the peppy tune the truck makes. They also enjoy following the instructions given by the toy , and finding the various areas of the farm/play mat. (i.e. "Let's find the sheep meadow. Can you baa like a sheep?") It's a toy I enjoy playing with--with them! We discuss all the work a farmer has to do, and the different animals.

All in all, a creative idea, good quality materials, and pleasant. Well worth the price paid, and I'd buy it again as a gift for toddlers/preschoolers we know.

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I bought this for my 2 year old, but he has no idea what to do with it. It i really an adorable toy but youhave to know what a cow and a sheep are and he does not. The truck drives around on the mat and @ certain points, it will talk and tell you to find another part of the mat that talks. He did not get it but an older child would. Definately worth the $8 I spent on it though. He will get it eventually and love it!

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