Animal lovers, farm goers, and kids everywhere will love play with My Little Farm. It’s a charming four paneled felt board that can be laid flat for play, or assembled into a three-dimensional barn. With 32 magic stick felt pieces, this toy promotes lots of conversation and language!
Developed by a speech-language pathologist, My Little Farm was created with language learning in mind. Each felt piece was intentionally chosen to teach children new words and basic concepts. Children can explore shapes in the barn (and make comparisons of shapes in their own environment), for instance the sun is a circle, the window is a triangle, the picture is a square, etc. They begin to understand and use other basic concepts related to size (big bucket, small bucket) and attributes (e.g. colors, full/empty, many/few, clean/dirty).
Many of the felt pieces show action. Animals are splashing in mud, swimming in ponds, and hopping away. Farmers are digging and spreading seeds. These pieces became “story starters,” as children labeled actions but then continued the conversation. These storytelling skills are essential to a child’s language development and can predict future literacy success later on in their academic years. When children gain the opportunity to tell stories during play, they show strong abilities in comprehension and expression of their ideas. These skills build the foundation for language and future academic success.
The insert inside the box provides an excellent guide for parents, teachers, and caregivers. It shares helpful tips and ideas for reinforcing different areas of language. This includes receptive language, such as following directions, processing, and visual attention; as well as expressive language, such as describing, comparing, and responding to questions.
My Little Farm is easy to transport toy (folds into the carrying case box) and a great toy for cooperative play, promoting language skills and narrative development.
Available at Smart Felt Toys and Amazon
