Category: Stocking Fillers

Disclaimer – We received these products free of charge for the purpose of this review and all thoughts and opinions are our own

November’s here and if you haven’t started your Christmas shopping, don’t worry as we’re here to give you a helping hand. For anyone with a tractor fan in your house (young or old) there’s no shortage of great options from Britains and John Deere Kids by Tomy.  

These farm sets and tractors are more than just toys, they teach children about responsibility, problem solving and creativity. Just like on a real farm children will learn how things work and develop a sense of timing and purpose. Give a child a farm set and before long they’ll be feeding animals, baling hay and fixing fences and learning the basics without even knowing they’re learning! The beauty of these toys is that they run on good old fashioned imagination, with no batteries required!

The Britains brand has been a family favourite for many years. Growing up on a farm I remember spending countless hours playing with our Britains tractors. We would spread our farm across multiple rooms (much to my Mum’s dismay), recreating the jobs my Dad was doing on the farm. Now I get to watch my own son carry on the tradition, “working “ the land with his tractors just like his granddad used to do.

Britains 1:32 die-cast replica models are perfect for children aged 3+ and are great for farm role play and development. The well made tractors are suitable for indoor and outdoor play, although keeping them indoors is best if you’d prefer to avoid mud being brought inside! I especially like the Metallic Olive Green Valtra Playset which includes a stunning Valtra tractor, two cows, a calf, a dog, a bale lifter, feeder and two bales. With big tread tyres, a detachable driver’s cab and a working steering wheel this tractor can handle uneven ground and with a front and rear hitch you can attach other 1:32 scale models to get all your farming jobs done.

And these Britains tractors aren’t just for children, they’re quite collectable, especially with the farming community. My family have them proudly displayed on desks or bookshelves acting as mini reminders of the full sized tractors we grew up or in some cases – long to own! For those of us from farming families these toys are a nostalgic link to the past, bringing a piece of agricultural heritage into our homes.

RRP £39.95

John Deere’s a familiar name when it comes to tractors and they now have a fantastic range of children’s toys  If you’ve got a young one interested in farming or tractors then they will be thrilled to bits with the John Deere Kids Fun on the Farm Playset. This 20 piece set includes everything they need to create their own miniature farm and has four different vehicles – a John Deere combine, gator and two tractors  along with three trailers, four animals, two farmers, four fences and three accessories. With all these items children can enjoy hitching up trailers, loading animals and moving hay bales just like a real farmer would.

For added realism the combine’s head rotates as it is pushed along and the grain moves back and forth in the hopper. One of the tractors has a lifting bonnet while the other has a loader for moving bales providing hours of farming fun for little ones. The set is also compatible with other 1^st Farming Fun sets making it easy to expand their farm as they grow.

RRP £42.95 Suitable for ages 12 months +

So if you’re thinking of what to get this year, or any time, really, look no further. A proper tractor toy or a farm set is the gift that keeps on giving. It’s a bit of education, a load of fun and it doesn’t matter if it’s a three-year-old or a fifty-three-year-old – you’ll see a smile just the same.

For the full range of Britains and John Deere Kids products take a look at the Tomy UK website.