Learning Resources Design & Drill Bolt Buddies Barn, Farm Toy Playset with Farmer, STEM Construction Toys for Preschoolers, Construction Toy Gift for 3+ Boys and Girls, Kids Gift Ages 3 4 5+

I love this product. It is a really great teacher for fine motor skills and inspires creative play. My 3 year old loves holding a real electric screwdriver (pressing the button under strict parental supervision) so this is the perfect toy for him.The first thing you note as soon as you open the product (and I advise you to cut the sellotape carefully for this reason rather than ripping the box open), is that the inside of the box folds out to become an extended play mat for the farm to sit on. Made of cardboard, this makes for a great green credential with no excess packaging. Whilst it is black and white, it does allow for some colour to be added by pen etc.The only downside to the product is you have to provide your own batteries for the screwdriver to work which is my pet hate with children's toys. However, it is quick to get them in and away you go. Given the whole point of the activity is to be able to put the farm together to play with - it minimises the assembly time which is always a positive.There are 24 screws that come with the set which allows for plenty of controlled and safe entertainment. My three year old would be happy with just the one animal on top judging by the number of times he has moved the one in and out today. Just for the record, there are five animals but a number of other accessories like corn plants and flowers and of course, the farmer himself. The farm house itself is a nice vibrant red and the drill board a sensible green. The set is very practical, easy to use and educational.I like that there's a link to the company’s site which has worksheets like pattern-matching with the screw colours, giving rise to a host of other educational activities.Overall, a great product and it will give hours of fun learning for my child - at least until those batteries need replacing.

I think this is really cool, it’s a compact playhouse with a barn theme and lots of interchangeable component parts to encourage freeform creativity and keep young kids occupied (3-5 age range is ideal for this I think).The barn itself doesn’t require any assembly but all the stickers to bring it to life come on a sheet and need to be sorted before play (this is part of the excitement though). You also get an assortment of cute characters which themselves can be mixed and matched so there’s better scope for creative play.An electric screwdriver (a “boltdriver” if you will) is included but if you get caught short without the batteries needed, the bolts are all large enough to be able to twist them into position by hand (some children may well prefer this tactile option over using the drill); regardless, it's wonderful for developing fine motor skills and quite rewarding for young children to be able to interact in this way.I think it's great; a very accessible construction toy with a high degree of playability that encourages skill development, interactivity and learning. As a side note, we also have the plane from this range which I think is a bit more basic from a construction point-of-view compared to this barn house which comes with lots more parts and feels more open-ended and customisable. The two toys can be played together in any case; both have the same style and fit the farm yard theme.B o n u s : don’t throw the box away! It unfolds into a landscape for additional play.N o t e : Electric bolt driver requires 2x AA batteries and a tiny screwdriver to open the base plate (neither are included).

It seems that this design and drill series of educational toys is highly successful and certainly a hit with me and my daughter!I reviewed another such toy recently and got this on to review too. Again, they seem to have done it! The toy is quite straightforward to build, with clear instructions and colour coding. This one has the added benefit of a farmer and hen figures to accompany the tractor and which can be attached to it!My daughter loved using the supplied screwdriver to assemble the tractor and also liked switching places between the farmer and the hen! So, I have a tractor being driven by a hen that is carrying a farmer! But it’s all in nurturing the little one’s imagination, so why go with the flow?!?!Two very small things that, however, the company could address:1) the base of the screwdriver can easily be detached from the screwdriver and even though I tried hard to put it back in, it does not just stay in the slot;2) the hat and hair of the farmer can be detached from the body; I guess they are interchangeable with some other figures in other series. Again, the company should have paid more attention to ensuing a tighter/better fit even after many such uses; it feels that now I cannot touch the farmer on his head as things will come off!Overall, however, a smashing educational toy!