Miffy Wooden Farm Playset

*** Don't miss out on my Miffy giveaway here ***

When I was offered the chance to review this wooden Miffy Farm Playset, I got stupidly excited and couldn't first work out why. Then it hit me ! It totally reminds me of the chunky wooden puzzles I used to have at infant school back in the 1970's ! To this day, I don't know why they were always so top-heavy on the orange and green colours - maybe they work better on wood or something ?! -but this Miffy playset uses the same retro colours. Talk about a blast from the past !

The great thing about mums and dads getting so excited about their kids' toys is that it leads to some real quality time playing with the kids. And trust me - they can tell the difference between you playing with them because you think it's one of your mummy-duties and playing because you're getting some genuine personal enjoyment out of it !

As the manufacturer says : "Exclusive from Holland, this Miffy Wooden Farm Playset offers great play value and is a classic toy for any nursery. The set includes 19 pieces, comprising a robust farmhouse to build, plus 3 Miffy characters and a range of Dick Bruna's iconic animal figures." As you can see in the picture, it's a bit reminiscent of Noah's Ark because you get two of each animal (pigs, cows, sheep, chickens, even two trees !)

16-month-old Pierre loved picking up the animals and moving them around, then having a quick chew on them (I checked - they may be wooden but there are no splinters), then copying me making the various animal noises ! His big sisters may be aged 9 and 5 but they still had fun playing along too - oh, who am I to speak ? So did I and I'm 38 !!

But we're not the only ones ! Prima Baby & Pregnancy magazine named it as a 'Top Buy this Christmas' and it also pops up in (amongst others) Good to Know's top Christmas gifts guide.

I love it for several reasons. It's great to get back to the old-fashioned wooden toys which, as well as being more environmentally-friendly, are also much more robust. The play set offers up endless possibilities for creative role play and appeals to all ages. The barn is perfect for keeping all the little pieces together so they don't get lost and for tidying away quickly, as well as in a fun way ("Let's put all the animals to bed now" seems to be much more successful than "OK, time to tidy up" !). And the playset is just the right size for playing with on the dining room table, so I don't have to kneel down on the floor to play with the kids every time (yes, I know, I'm showing my age !).

star rating : 5/5

RRP : £19.99

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Giveaway #35 - Four Miffy Gift Sets containing Miffy plush and ceramic money box - closing date :16/12/2010

John Crane Little Cottage

Chunky Wooden Safari Puzzle

Kids' Rooms - Children's Furniture and Accessories

Lulabird Funky Kids' Wooden Wall Art & Clocks