Mar 11, 2014

Maple Landmark’s Schoolhouse Naturals Brand Farm Play Set Brings the Benefits of Play to Younger Children

At NY International Toy Fair, Maple Landmark Woodcraft debuted the new Schoolhouse Naturals™ Farm Play Set that finally offers children under three the opportunity to play!

Commenting on the debut, Barbara Rainville, Marketing Manager, said, “It’s not that other play sets are bad, it is just that they are labeled for 3+. The pieces can be small – creating a potential choking hazard – and are not easy to handle and stack for children’s little hands and developing motor skills. But play is essential to child development and waiting until a child is three to get these experiences doesn’t make sense. That’s why our new Farm Play Set fits the demand.”

The Schoolhouse Naturals line was developed in 2007 to meet the unique needs of children under three. Hardwood maple is used for durability; large, easy-to-handle pieces stack well for fine motor development; engraved designs and no finishes are perfect because everything still goes in the mouth making the Schoolhouse Naturals a fitting line for toddlers.

The American Academy of Pediatrics published a clinical report in 2011 on the value of play, stating that “play is essential to the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical well-being of children beginning in early childhood.”

The 21- piece Farm Play Set includes 11 barn blocks, 5 farm family people, 4 farm animals and a mini-monster tractor. All of the pieces are crafted from locally-harvested hardwood maple and have engraved graphics.

The barn blocks are 1″ thick for easy standing and stacking. Five blocks measure 2″ X 4″, two blocks are 2″ X 2″, two large triangles are 2″ X 3 ¾” and two small triangles are right triangles that measure 2″ X 2″. The unique graphics, on the front side of each block, include a cat, a rooster, a pig and a horse.

The five member farm family – mother, father, two boys and a girl have engraved details on both the front and the back. The mother and father measure 4 ½” tall and the children measure 3 ¾” tall. All are 1″ thick so they stand up easily with little hands. .

Schoolhouse Naturals Farm Play set comes with four animals – dog, pig, cow and horse. Each animal measures 1” thick and are about 3 ¼” tall. Simple engraved detailing on both sides of the animals leaves some to the child’s imagination.

Big wheels, simple construction and all-natural materials really make the mini monster tractor perfect for little farmer hands! The tractor is 3 ¾” long and 2 ¾” tall.

Besides encouraging the development of cognitive and motor skills and providing open-ended play value, the set also provides a cost value over purchasing the pieces individually.

For more information on Schoolhouse Naturals products or Maple Landmark please visit the website at www.maplelandmark.com