Review: Life on the Farm

Q: why did the cow run frantically across the road?
A: So she wouldn't get creamed

Q: How do you tell a cow is exceptional?
A: It's out standing in its field

Q: What are a cows favorite subjects in school?
A: Moosic, psycowolgy, cowculus

You shouldn't tell jokes about cows. Nobody likes a cattle-tale

I'm not sure what it is about cows that makes them so udderly funny! Perhaps it is because they are such simple creatures whose main job is to graze, moo, and provide for our tables. At the mention of cows and farms, we often think of a time in American history when family farms dotted the rural Midwest. However, have you ever wondered what it would be like to run a family farm in the present day? Now you can, with Life on the Farm.

Keith Gohl, a midwest 3rd-generation dairy farmer in Minnesota, came up with the idea of Life on the Farm after a fun evening of trying to explain the ups and downs of farm life to his city cousins. Players get to step away from their fast-driven city life and experience the adventures of milking cows, fixing tractors and tilling the land.

Each player starts with $10,ooo and no cows. As players move along the cow path, they acquire cattle and experience events that happen on any real-life farm. Players may have to pay neighbors to help them gather escaped cows because a hunter cuts the fence, at $10 per cow. A cow may be hit by a car, removing one from the herd. Not all the squares result in loses. Heifers mature, adding cows to your herd and there is opportunity to purchase more cows each time you land on Cattle Auction. When player makes a round the board, they collect "Milk Money" for each cow.

There are both Expense and Income Card spaces, adding more fun and surprises to the game. Income cards involve events that bring cash to the farm, such as collecting an inheritance from a late uncle, selling bushels of corn, or receiving a cow from another play for past help. Expense Cards have money going out the barn door and involve paying taxes, vet bills, and filling fuel barrels.

The first to retire with 60 cows and the original starting money wins the game. Winning sounds easy, until your herd starts growing. Just like real farm life, the larger the herd the quicker you earn - and lose - money.

Life on the Farm was a hit with my whole family. Throughout the whole game we were all counting our cash and cows. Who knew one could be so competitive over cows? Those with larger herds would be feeling pretty good about the farm when the "Milk Money"was collected, only to grumble when a vet bill arrived through an Expense Card.

Don't be fooled by Income Cards as they don't always mean profit. While most Income Cards will pad your farm pockets, one card results in a loss because your are forced to slaughter your cows for less than you paid for them. When I asked Ev Johnson, one of the creators of Life on the Farm, the reasoning behind the card, she replied:

As in real life, when a farmer is forced to slaughter a cow, and receives income as a result, that farmer has to report the amount received as income. Doesn’t make too much sense does it? But that is the way it works and so that is the way it is played in our game.

While I like that the game really does reflect true life on the farm, I have to say that this card brought out the mad cow competitiveness as being unfair. It was a certain male adult family member that declared the card be changed to collect more for a slaughter than a purchase. I proposed a government subsidy be added to the card to offset the loss! What was really neat about the discussion is that our kids learned a little about business and real life. My oldest even asked for more "business type" games.

I love that this game was easy to play, enjoyed by every family member, and taught a bit about a life style that is unfamiliar to this suburbia family.

Probably the only downfall to the game is it can be rather long. A short version suggested only 30 cows and $5000 to win. My family probably played for 1 1/2 hours and no one had reached 60 cows, so we move to the short version. The winning criteria is completely "tweakable" without changing the rest of the game. Name your winning cow herd and dollar amount for the time you have to play.

Life on the Farm is a prime choice as a Moo-y Christmas gift. Both city folk and country bumpkins are sure to find it moo-velous and udder-ly fabulous. Life on the Farm can be purchased for $25 at the WeRFun website. It is lalso available at Kmart, where a current sale promotion on toys runs through Nov 25!

Visit the TOS Homeschool Crew's blog to read more reviews on this product and others.

Disclaimer: This review was provided as a result in my participation in The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Crew, a team of 100+ homeschooling parents. While the product was provided at no expense to me in order to provide this review, I have not received any other compensation. Furthermore, receipt of the product does not guarantee a positive review. I strive to give a balanced overview of each product, detailing my opinion of both pros and cons and how the product worked for my family. What works for one family may not work for another. I encourage you to read reviews of other Crew members and research sufficiently to determine if any product will be a benefit to your homeschool.

Review: Schleich Action Figures

"I want the cat!”
“NO! I want the cat. It's so cute!”
“I called it first!”
“Did not!”
“OK, you can have the cat, but I get the horse and the elephant.”
“Come on! I like the elephant toooooooo.”
“But you have the crocodile!”
“I let you have the donkey. Give. me. the. elephant!”

No, this conversation was not an exchange between preschoolers nor some bizarre exotic animal trade between adults. This conversation was just a snippet of the negotiations that took place between my regressed 9 and 12-year-old when the Schleich box arrived at my house. Thankfully they worked out the division of toy animals without tears. Barely.

What was so special about these toy animals that brought out the gimmes of kids this age? If you don't know, obviously you have not seen the gorgeous figurines by Schleich. I was about ready to snatch the and run with the elephant myself.


Schleich has been around for over 75 years and has been manufacturing quality figurines since the 1950s. I was sent a collection of animals from both the Farm Life and Wild Life animal series. I'm not a stranger to this company; my son has admired figurines from their knight line carried by our local specialty toy shop for a couple of years. My daughter oohed and awed over the fairy figurines in the catalog sent with our package, once the animal negotiations were completed. In addition to figurines, they also have some wonderful playsets and accessories, such as a castle, barn, and stable. All in all, there are over 500 figurines and accessories from the following categories:

Farm Life Wild Life Forest Animals Trees & Plants Human Figures Pets Dinosaurs Dog

Sea Animals Prehistoric Animals Replica Saurus World of Knights World of Elves World of American Frontier Smurfs

Schleich doesn't produce just your average plastic play thing. Schleich action figures are of very high quality and very detailed, living up to their philosophy of responsibility to parents and children.

"The design of our products is as realistic and naturalistic as possible. This enables children to experience the large variety of nature - from domestic animals on a farm to wild animals in the jungle.

When deciding on licensing products such as comic figurines we pay careful attention to their character and the message they carry. Educational aspects play a more important part than possible sales potential."

Each item is hand-painted and has a nice feel in the hand. Even my kids noticed the fine craftsmanship. These figurines neither look cheap nor feel cheap.

Schleich action figures will hold up to some enthusiastic playing, yet are impressive enough to inspire the start of a collection. The detail of the figurines brings up the level of educational value of these toys. They would be excellent to add interest to a unit study of a particular animal, as a 3d version to hold and study. The American Frontier series could be used as an extension of history studies by allowing children to act out what they've learned or as part of a diorama or display for friends and family. My daughter used some of the figurines as a model for drawing. Since Schleich takes such care to make figures as realistic as possible, they worked as a great study for a budding artist.

Of course, not everything has to be pure educational value. These toys are perfect for good 'ole fashion play. Whether you child has a menagerie of pets to tend or is called to battle a dragon as a knight, these figurines will likely strike up some imaginative play in no time. With Resurrection Sunday coming up, I may considered purchasing a few to put in baskets. Another cat might be a good choice in an effort to keep the peace!


The figures I received range in cost from $2.49 - 6.49. They can be purchased in a variety specialty toy stores or direct from Schleich online. Visit the Schleich site to view the various figurines available, search for a supplier near you, set up a wish list or have fun in the playground with games featuring the figurines.

What did others from the TOS Crew have to say about Schleich? Click here to find out!

A Review of Tales of Glory Noah's Ark Set by One2Believe

One of my all-time favorite Bible stories is that of Noah's Ark. When I was younger, the thought of pairs of animals – lions, elephants, bears and giraffes with long necks hanging out windows- all floating on a boat during a world-wide flood was just plain fun. Now, as an adult strongly in the Young Earth and Creationist camp, I find the details of a world-wide flood absolutely fascinating. What a better way to share this Bible story and the details surrounding it with young children than through toys?

One2Believe has a variety of Bible-teaching toys to use with children at home or church. In October, I reviewed a nativity set by this company. Up for review this time is a Noah's Ark set. Included in this set are pairs of elephants, sheep, donkeys, camels, ostriches, lions, and monkeys with an ark large enough to contain them all. Noah, of course, is included to tend to all the animals.
When the box arrived, my 9-year-old was begging to pry it open. I encouraged him to complete his schoolwork, but alas, he had become fixated. During his next break, he happily took me up on my offer to bust out the ark. My 12-year-old daughter joined in to create the animal parade up the ramp and on to the deck. Giggles surfaced once they realized the return of the smiling camel and bug-eyed donkey from the nativity set. Both of my kids are outside of the target age for this product, but they enjoyed it as a playful diversion from their school work that day.

I next took the ark to our class day with our local homeschool support group. My first tester was a little 4-year-old boy appropriately named Noah, who was to happy to play while he waited for his older siblings in class. After I showed him how to open the ark, which is a bit tricky, he quickly became engaged in playing with the animals. The ramp to the ark was a bit difficult for his little hands, but it just gave the animals more adventure getting to the deck! The 3" pieces seemed to be the optimum size, just large enough to fit in small hands easily. After Noah's turn, a group of girls in the 5-8 age range asked if they could take the ark to play in the other room. It disappeared for a couple hours before being returned with a thank you for the opportunity to play with it. Overall, the play set seemed to have earned kid-approval.

This certainly is a comical set with animated animals, some of which aren't your typical passengers in other ark sets I've seen. While I originally felt that the plastic ark was a bit too flimsy, I realized that the fact that the ark can float adds considerable play value. A heavier construction may result in a sinking ship; a capsized ark would be no fun in the tub. For younger kids who are prone to mouthing smaller items, you may want to set Noah's removable staff aside. Speaking of Noah, he's the only on the ark that is missing a mate and is the sole human on this voyage. One mom suggested that Mrs. Noah was below deck taking care of the animals. Knowing how things work at my house, that sounds reasonable to me! Perhaps she was successful in enlisting the help of her sons and wives too.

Overall, this set is an excellent way to introduce the stories of the Bible through play. It will storm the raging waters of the bathtub, serve as a teaching tool at Sunday School or home and engage the imagination to better understand the truths of the Bible.

Visit One2Believe to purchase the Noah's Ark set, which retails for $29.99, and other products from the Tales of Glory line of Biblically- based toys.

Did this toy float or sink with the other TOS Crew members? Read more reviews at the Official TOS Crew Blog.

One2Believe Nativity Set

Normally, I'm resistant to early displays of Christmas, which are
usually more a display of commercialism than the true meaning of
Christmas. What's with the 8ft snowmen that start donning the shelves
of retail stores in July? However, I had a welcome taste of Christmas
in October upon the arrival of my next review item, a nativity set
from One2Believe.

Gone are the days of the no-touch nativities. Made of durable PVC
plastic, this adorable nativity set is made to be loved and enjoyed by
children over the years. In addition to a sturdy stable, figures
included are: Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, a manger, three wise men, two
angels, two shepherds, two sheep, a camel, a donkey, a palm tree and a
bale of hay.

I showed this set to both adults and kids and found the results to be
quite entertaining. "It's too Anglo-Saxon," was the first adult
comment received. "Poor Mary!" exclaimed the women when they saw the
proportion of Baby Jesus to Mary. Proportions were further discussed
when it was noted that the donkey was awfully small to be lugging a
very pregnant young woman to Bethlehem. No wonder adults don't play
with toys – they are too busy being analytical rather than engaging
their imagination. The only issue the adults noted that would actually
affect playability was the fact that Joseph was a little wobbly on his
feet. Wouldn't you be if your wife just gave birth to the Messiah?!
Perhaps this set is more realistic than these adults thought. Next,
let's bring the intended recipients of this toy, the children.

Now, my kids are ages 9 and 11, both at least half way to adulthood.
As a result, they had some of the same adult comments. However, the
analysis was quickly ditched for giggles over the smiling camel and
the donkey whose eyes were popping out. I think the donkey is just as
amazed as Joseph. And then it happened - my half-adults started
playing. They played nearly 20 minutes until it was time to rush out
the door for church. The next day we had seven young guests, ages
8-13, in our home. I had set out the nativity to see what attention
it would get. When the kids spotted this comical nativity set, it was
soon put into action.



Obviously the adults don't know anything. This
set is a child-pleaser! I can only imagine how it would light up the
faces of even younger children.

One2Believe has made a nativity that will last years and years. It
can be displayed for little hands to use during free play or used in a
more structured setting as a visual aid for teaching the Christmas
story. It would be a wonderful choice for a gift for the little
people in your life as well as a donation to any church nursery or
Sunday school room. You can make your purchase at One2Believe
for $24.99. Be sure to check out their other Biblical sets and
characters. Let the adults keep their fragile display sets and give
this welcoming set to kids of all ages to keep the true meaning of
Christmas alive.