We started attending a Montessori parent-toddler class when my son was 18 months old. He loved playing with the farm so much that I decided to set up something similar at home. At three years old he is still playing with it.  While our farm is slightly different, it is more of a barn, I think the idea is the same - the interaction with the animals. Young children are interested in their names and sounds. Older children are interested in family groups, feeding and caring for them.

Our farm resides in our playroom. It has had so much use that it was well worth the investment. We keep the farm on a mat which defines the work 'play' area. A basket is kept next to the farm to store the animals. 

We purchased our farm (just in case you wanted to know) from Honey Bee Toys. The animals are Schleich farm animals.