Farm animals are a universal source of books, songs, stories, and toys for kids. Parents and kids can giggle together making animal noises or making up stories about the residents of the farm.
The best farm toys for toddlers can be hard to spot sometimes. The popularity of this type of toy means there are thousands of farm toys available, so let’s look at how to narrow your choices.
- Easy storage
- Handle for easy transport
- Easy to keep clean
- Lightweight with plush design
- Animals make sounds when squeezed
- Animal toys are difficult to lose
- Useful for a variety of activities
- Gender neutral
- Promotes counting skills
- Animals are cartoon-like & realistic
- Human figures promote role play
- The set comes on a painted base
- Includes animal figures
- Large pieces are safe for young kids
- Compatible with entire duplo range
- Available in sets of 4 or 8
- Suitable for 9 months & older
- Can be used in wading pool
- Includes animals & person figure
- Figure can move at the waist & head
- Made of bright, attractive colors
- The head of the combine rotates
- Trailers can be detached & swapped
- Includes 4 animals & feed blocks
- Used to create scenes on the fridge
- Have a large magnets
- Comes with wooden storage case
- Teaches about animals & healthy diet
- Has 34 building pieces
- Includes 5 farm animals
The Best Toddler Farm Toys of 2023
Here is our selection of what we consider to be the 15 best farm toys for toddlers.
Melissa & Doug Fold & Go Barn
Great For Easy Clean Up
This traditional style farmyard barn from Melissa and Doug is a wooden building with seven plastic farm animals waiting inside.
All seven animals are in proportion to the barn and are in a realistic, non-cartoon like style.
The barn is hinged, opening up for play, and the set also has a folding wooden fence and a wooden ladder.
Pros
- Everything can be placed inside the barn for storage.
- Handle for easy transport.
- Easy to keep clean.
- This barn is made from wood, which is good for parents who aren’t fans of plastic.
Cons
- More animals would provide more play opportunities.
Our Ratings
Plush Creations Farm Animals For Toddlers
For Fans Of Stuffed Animals
This adorable and lightweight plush red barn has four super-soft farm stuffed animals waiting inside.
When you press the button at the front of each animal or give it a hug, it will say its name and let you know what noise it makes.
The barn is 7x7x9 inches and each plush animal is 5 inches tall.
Pros
- The plush design means it is lightweight and easy for toddlers to carry.
- Animals make their sounds when you squeeze them.
- Since these animals are bigger than the ones in some sets, they are more difficult to lose.
Cons
- Put them in the washer, and you’ll destroy the speaking module inside.
Our Ratings
Alex Little Hands Farm Finger
Promotes Fine Motor Skills
The Alex brand Farm Finger was a firm favorite in our home.
The set is comprised of 24 stackable finger crayons with farm and domesticated animal faces, all of which are made of safe and non-toxic and have a hole drilled through their center.
Toddlers can practice fine motor skills by using their fingers stacked with crayons to color their art pieces or by playing with the pieces independently.
Pros
- Useful for a wide variety of activities.
- Gender neutral art set.
- Also promotes counting skills.
Cons
- The animals are painted in non-traditional colors.
Our Ratings
Le Toy Van Wooden Farm Series
For Traditional Toy Fans
For toddlers at the upper end of the age range, there is the Le Toy Van wooden farm series.
These sets include a simple barn, a tractor, a farmyard, and add-on animal packs which enable you to extend your farm.
The large wooden animals have felt and cotton accents, such as tails and ears which give them a more cuddly appearance.
Pros
- The animals are halfway between cartoon-like and realistic.
- The human figures promote role play.
- The farmyard set comes on a painted base.
Cons
- Takes up a lot of space for play and storage.
- It won’t work for every budget.
Our Ratings
LEGO Duplo My First Farm
Brilliant Building Blocks
Duplo combines the dexterity and fine motor promotion properties of Lego, in a larger format that is safe for toddlers.
The bricks allow your child to create their own free-form farm, or they can use the printed blocks, trough, animals, and opening doors and windows to copy the farm on the box.
Pros
- Includes two figures, a sheep, a chicken, and a cow.
- The large pieces are safe for young kids who want to play with Legos like their older siblings do.
- Compatible with the entire Duplo range.
Cons
- You don’t seem to get a lot of pieces for your money.
Our Ratings
Munchkin Squirtin’ Bath Toys Barnyard Friends
Bath-time Fun
This simple set of water squirting toys allows your farm animal fan to enjoy themselves in the tub.
The squirters are small enough for a toddler to hold but large enough to be safe, and it takes only a little pressure to fill and empty these barnyard favorites.
They float in the water so your toddler won’t feel the need to explore the depths of the bathtub to find their toys.
Pros
- Available in sets of four or eight.
- Suitable for 9 months and older.
- Can also be used in a wading pool or in bowls of water.
Cons
- As with all bath toys, you must be careful of mold forming inside.
Our Ratings
PlayMobil My Take-Along Farm
Expandable Fun
The “1-2-3” series is the junior version of Playmobil, and their My Take-Along Farm provides hours of farm-focused fun.
There is a shape sorter within the farmhouse. The set is made so all the pieces fit inside the house.
The whole set can be easily carried by your little one.
Pros
- It includes animals, chairs and a table, a person figure, and much more.
- The figure can move at the waist and turn its head.
- It’s made of bright, attractive primary colors.
Cons
- Some reviewers said it was smaller than they expected.
Our Ratings
Tomy John Deere Fun on The Farm
Functioning Farm Vehicles
This is a vehicle-centric farm set for kids who like their tractors and farm machinery.
The set has a gator and trailer, a combine harvester, and two tractors. They feature moving parts so there is plenty of scope for imaginative play.
There are also four fence pieces and two farmers included in the set.
Pros
- The head of the combine rotates.
- Trailers can be detached and swapped between vehicles.
- Four animals and feed blocks included.
Cons
- The farmers don’t stand in the tractors the best.
Our Ratings
Melissa & Doug Set Of Farm Magnets
Multi-purpose Magnets
These large wooden magnets have a variety of farm animals, and scenes painted on them. The magnets can be used with or without a metal surface, making them a versatile farm toy for toddlers.
If your toddler loves playing with magnetic toys on your refrigerator, this might be a good product for them.
There are 14 animals, a barn, a silo, a bale of hay, a tree, and more.
Pros
- They can be used to create scenes on the fridge.
- They have a large magnet across the entire backside of the pieces, so there are no small magnetic pieces your toddler could choke on.
- Comes with a wooden storage case.
Cons
- The picture is on paper, stuck onto the magnet, so over time, your child might peel them off.
Our Ratings
LeapFrog LeapBuilders Food Fun Family Farm
Interactive Learning
This is a 50-piece set that can be used with or without the electronic “Smart Star.”
Place one of 15 double-sided blocks into the Smart Star and hear animal sounds or one of over 110 phrases and questions connected to farm animals, what they eat, and healthy food grown on the farm.
Pros
- Teaches about animals and a healthy diet.
- It has 34 building pieces with which to create a farm.
- Five farm animals are included.
Cons
- Requires 3 AAA batteries for a full range of activities.
Our Ratings
Melissa & Doug Latches Barn Toy
Promotes Dexterity
The Latches barn has a variety of doors and windows around the perimeter, each of which is secured by a different style of brass-colored latch.
The latches are designed to promote fine motor skills and physical dexterity by encouraging your child to open them up to retrieve the animals.
Pros
- Includes four 3-inch tall farm animals.
- Beautifully painted both inside and out with cute farm scenes.
- Latches are not actual brass, so they don’t contain lead.
Cons
- The surface of the animals can be damaged.
Our Ratings
Learning Resources Farm Animal Counters
Numeracy Support
This is a pot of 60 farm animals for creating scenes, imaginative play, counting, grouping, classification, and sorting.
There are six of each animal — hen, rooster, sheep, ram, cow, pig, horse, goat, dog, and donkey.
The animals are realistically painted and some, such as the hens, are on a small base to ensure they stand up easily.
Pros
- Male and female animals provide additional learning opportunities.
- Since there are so many animals, you can use them to teach your child counting.
- With duplicates of each animal, your child won’t have trouble sharing during playdates.
Cons
- Some buyers consider the animals too small, but for the age range of 3 years and older, they are adequately sized.
Our Ratings
Bump and Go Bubble Blowing Farm Tractor
Bubble Blower
This pick is a big, bright, battery-operated tractor with lights, sounds, and bubble blowing action.
Turn the tractor on and it will run along the floor or garden, flashing its lights and blowing bubbles out of the tractor’s stack.
When the tractor hits a wall or other obstacle, it will bounce off, turn around, and run in another direction.
Pros
- Includes a trailer in which the bottle of bubble solution can sit.
- Comes with a funnel for easy, clean filling.
- It plays catchy music.
Cons
- Cannot turn the music off while the tractor is blowing bubbles — your child may love that, but you may not.
Our Ratings
Learning Resources Hide-N-Go Moo
Find And Feel
This unique farm toy for toddlers consists of a rounded barn and eight chunky farm animals.
The animals are stored in the barn, which has a roof made of rubber flaps.
Your child puts their hand into the barn and tries to guess which animal they are removing or find a specific animal by touch alone.
Pros
- Two of each animal allows for sorting and matching games.
- Also suitable for imaginative play.
- To make it trickier, each type of animal comes in two different sizes.
Cons
- Only having four different animals means children can quickly become familiar by touch, removing the challenge.
Our Ratings
Learning Resources Peekaboo Farm
Multiple Learning Opportunities
The Learning Resources Peekaboo farm is comprised of five boxy barns, each of which is a different color.
The barns are numbered from 1 through to 5. When you lift the roof off of a barn, a cute little farm animal is revealed.
When removed from their barns, the animals can also be used as finger puppets.
Pros
- Can be used for color, number, and animal recognition.
- Soft, pastel-colored animals.
- You can use the boxes for a fun game of Guess Where the Animal Is.
Cons
- It would have been better if it had a storage case.
Our Ratings
Why Do Kids Need Toys?
Toys are much more than a way to keep our children amused. When our kids’ play, they are developing:
- Motor skills: When you provide your child with toys that require dexterity and concentration, you are helping them to develop their fine motor skills. Toys that encourage a child to lift, jump, run, and make larger movements will aid balance, coordination, and help improve gross motor skills (1).
- Problem-solving skills: Important skills such as handling frustration, and problem-solving can be strengthened when you provide your child with toys such as shape sorters or kids puzzles.
- Imaginative play: Imaginative play allows your child to practice interacting, and try out their social skills within a safe environment. This can help them cope with real-life emotions and events (2).
- Sensory processing skills: By providing your child with toys in a variety of colors, shapes, and textures, you will stimulate their senses. Your child’s growing brain will learn to integrate and effectively interpret a wide range of inputs.
- Language skills: Children learn to connect words to objects when they are playing, and they also discover how to put together more complex strings of sounds and words.
How to Choose the Best Farm Toys for Toddlers
When you begin to look for this type of toy, you’ll find everything from stuffed animals and shape sorters to puzzles and puppets. So, what should you look for in toddler farm toys?
Material
The best farm animal toys are the ones that you know are safe. Look for toys that are made from easy-to-clean materials.
For soft toys, this means choosing items you can throw in the washer. And for plastics, it means toys you can put in the dishwasher or the sink.
Since 1995, toys made in or imported to the U.S. must meet the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) standards. But it’s a good idea to ensure your child’s toys are labeled as such (3).
Durability
Toddlers can be extremely hard on their toys. Kids of this age may absentmindedly chew on their playthings or throw them. So, be sure to give your child toys for their age range because they’ll be as toddler-proof as possible.
Appearance
Bright colors, smiling faces, and cartoon styles are all popular at this stage of development. By ensuring the toys are appealing, your child is more likely to enjoy playing with them.
Educational Value
Many toys are labeled as educational, but almost anything your child plays with can be educational at this age.
Kid’s Preference
When you buy toys according to your child’s preferences, you are maximizing the possibility they will enjoy them. You’re also demonstrating to your child that their opinions are important to you.
Age-Appropriate
Age-appropriate toys are safer and more enjoyable for your child. You’ll worry a lot less knowing their toys are safe.
Flexible Toys For Toddlers
Farm toys are a popular option for toddlers across the country and they can be found at a price point to match any budget.
It doesn’t matter whether your little one likes vehicles or animals, soft toys, or puzzles, bath toys, or bubble blowers, you can find an appropriate farm toy to amuse and educate your toddler.
