The animals and the farm
Texts of play with the toy
- Play like realityhere on the farm
- We set everything up as a whole farm and then get playing.
- Ploughing, harrowing, sowing, fetching the corn in, spreading manure, crop spraying
- Perfect field control, planning the running of the farm, etc., co-ordinated with looking after the farm itself, the development of both animals and crops. The children try to imitate all the noises correctly as they play.
Supplementary toys
Cars, LEGO/DUPLO products, castle/station/fort, Playmobil, aeroplanes, worthless items, train/railway track
About the toy
The toy’s function is to simulate the running of a farm, regardless of whether it is small or large. The texts quoted are all from boys or their parents who live on a farm, even though children who don’t live on farms also have these toys. For children living on a farm, the toy is the closest they can come to a copy of their parents’ work and production.
As with all forms of traditional toys which are obvious copies (and especially for farm toys), the case relations are clear for both the toys themselves and for play with them.
Play with the toys is usually easy to understand and free of conflict as both text and context are legitimate due to the obviousness of the toys.
The persons-at-play experience the logical and psychological possibilities of the toys especially strongly. Dialogues with parents about “the right ways to do things” are naturally metaphysical.
Farmers’ children’s opportunities for immediate experiences of work processes which can then be reproduced in play are specific expressions of reference to a specific group.
For farmers’ children, there is a close correlation between play and realistic actions which also demonstrates a directional perspective for life cycle and lifestyle.
What occurs in play with farm toys is recognition and existential understanding of the idea of modern farming’s complicated work processes, education in self-reliance and practical sense and mastery/control over implements. The toys are consensual and are often seen in connection with a background of the immediate surroundings, local environment and Nature.