This week was peppered with long to-do lists, some frustration, LEGO covered floors and not a lot of progress. It was simply one of those weeks where I ran around in the hamster wheel and got nothing accomplished. I could have beaten myself up over it, or… I could say “to heck with it all… it’s time to play with the kids!” And that is EXACTLY what I did! (We received a John Deere Gear Force Mega Scoop Tractor from TOMY. The opinion and experiences are mine.)
We recently received a John Deere Gear Force Mega Scoop Tractor from TOMY. It is their latest toy line featuring farm and off-road fun for little preschoolers fascinated by anything that moves. It was no surprise that both Jansen (3) and Jonah (1) loved this play set.
Jansen is mesmerized by anything that moves, has wheels, motors or wings. This is in stark contrast to his older brothers who are fascinated with only living things – oh, and the extinct dinosaurs. Jonah loved this tractor as much as Jansen because he is into things that light up and move, and let’s not forget that he’s a baby brother, so he adores anything his older brother loves.
The John Deere set included a big tractor that lights up, makes sounds and has a posable scoop. There was also a farmer with bendable arms and legs, a dog, a wrench for the farmer and an oil can. Just enough pieces to get the children’s imaginations going, but not so many that the parents lose track of them – and THAT is a great selling point for me!
We are trying to reduce the amount of clutter and random toys in our house, but this set is a new fan-favorite and will stand the test of time.
So here I was, with a mommy-to-do list a mile long. But at the time there was nothing more pressing than to play tractor and farm with Jonah and Jansen. We went outside on the back patio, set up a few things for the tractor scoop to pick up and off we went. Jansen has an incredible imagination and sense of roles and drama. He quickly designated me to be fairy God Mother asked to cast a spell on the farmer and his tractor. I love how the imagination of a three year old knows no boundaries or limitations.
Before we knew it, the morning had passed and I had managed to turn this John Deere tractor set into a teaching opportunity about Denmark, the rural area where I grew up, what farmers do and how tractors work.
Without the Gear Force John Deere set, we would have let the morning slip by in a harried rush of dishes, laundry, phone calls and emails. Instead, I disconnected from the outside world and found the three of us engulfed in Jansen’s fantasy farm life.
Allow yourself to get swept up in your child’s imaginary world once in a while. You will be surprised at how much YOU learn about your child from those teaching moments: his thoughts, likes and fears. (Jansen apparently has a deep fear of people casting spells on our family!)
Check out this playset and the other Gear Force toys next time you are in Toys R Us or at a John Deere retailer. Let yourself get swept up up and away.