Cheerful chaos in the farmyard, and all of it packs away.

Ignace the donkey, Simon the pig, Rosalie the cow, Yvon the sheep, Paulette the hen and Gaspard the duck live here, with a farmer driving his tractor around keeping everything in order. Each of them has their own place in the yard, so working out what goes where becomes a genuine problem to solve rather than just a tidy-up.

This is the age where pretend play properly takes off. Children stop simply handling objects and start inventing what happens to them, and a farm full of named characters is about the best material you can give them for that. It doubles as first-words practice: farm animals and their noises are among the earliest sounds children produce.

The whole thing closes with a handle, so it travels intact. Entirely soft, 100% polyester. Machine washable at 30 degrees on a gentle cycle.

Lilliputiens is a Belgian brand, founded in 1995 and designed by a team largely made up of parents working alongside early-childhood specialists. Tested to EN71 and ASTM standards and screened for AZO dyes, cadmium and phthalates.

A WHOLE FARM THAT PACKS AWAY - Animals, a farmer and a tractor, all of which come out and go back in. The farm closes up with a handle, so it travels without shedding pieces across a car.

EVERY ANIMAL HAS ITS PLACE - Ignace the donkey, Simon the pig, Rosalie the cow, Yvon the sheep, Paulette the hen and Gaspard the duck each have their own spot in the yard. Working out what goes where is real problem solving.

FIRST WORDS AND FIRST SOUNDS - Farm animals are among the earliest words a child produces. Having a whole farm to name and moo at gives you a daily reason to practise them.

WHERE PRETEND PLAY TAKES OFF - At eighteen months children begin inventing scenarios rather than just handling objects. A farm with characters and a tractor is one of the best possible starting points.

SOFT AND FULLY WASHABLE - 100% polyester with no hard parts, so it can be thrown, sat on and taken to bed. Machine washable at 30 degrees on a gentle cycle.

18 months and above

100% polyester fabric

MY FIRST FARM