I have a confession to make. Over the Christmas holiday period… which seemed to go on and on and on for us… I made the executive decision to hire a babysitter for the children. Ok, that isn’t 100% true, it wasn’t so much a babysitter… more a virtual nanny – the iPad and iPhones. Yep, I said it – I threw the kids some screens to save my sanity.
Those things are seriously like crack for kids aren’t they?! Holy cow, once they pop they can’t stop. But it was hot and disgusting outside and things were probably going to turn ugly if I didn’t let them at those phones. So I decided to throw caution to the wind and just let them go. 6 weeks later when it was time to wean them it wasn’t pretty my friends. I decided to just let them go cold turkey. No rehab, nothing. There were tears, from the 4 year old, for a few days but he has forgotten all about them now.
Anyway, why am I banging on about this? Well Clancy was obsessed with “Farming Simulator”. Now, I have no idea what huge attraction is about this app is but he was OBSESSED with a capital O. And I tell you what – he really did seem to learn quite a bit about farming. He couldn’t get enough of it and I think this was the only thing he played the whole time. Pretty sure he could have been playing something much worse. All he was doing was sewing a crop, harvesting, milking cows etc. He just loved it. So when a package arrived in the mail from George the Farmer I reckon Clancy nearly wet his pants with excitement.
Mail day is exciting at the best of times but when a package like this arrives for farm obsessed kids things get real. And what a package it was. There was a gorgeous 100% cotton t-shirt, 2 fantastic story books, a CD, some seeds to plant and a lovely letter.
Of course Clancy thinks he is it and a bit in his new farmer t-shirt, especially now that he is a fully qualified farmer thanks to Farming Simulator!!!!
George the Farmer aims to teach children about farming and agriculture. He travels around the countryside educating kids and spreading the word about where our food and fibre comes from. Such an important message too, especially for kids who live in the city and think milk comes from a carton. Clancy absolutely loves the books they sent – George the Farmer Plants a Wheat Crop and George the Farmer Shears a Sheep. Great pictures and a fun story.
I don’t know a country kid who doesn’t love a good green and gold tractor, George really nails it. They also have an educational app. The kids and I are heading off on a road trip to NSW in a couple of weeks and I will definitely be downloading this one for the car trip. I will be saying “bugger it” again and tossing those screens to them faster than you can say farming simulator. There will be some audio books thrown in too, but a 3 day car trip with just me and 3 kids calls for back up I think. Don’t judge me!
If you have kids aged 1-8 I reckon they will love George the Farmer. They have a great website and the books are the business. They would make great presents and I know I am always stuck for gift ideas when it comes to kids.
So thanks Simone and Ben, Clancy is just loving himself sick in his new t-shirt and new farming books.
Spread the word and lets help educate kids – oh, and don’t forget to thank a farmer for your next meal… or cotton t-shirt!
My girls are going to go crazy for this. Thanks Chards!
Have you tried the ABC for Kids Play app? It’s craft without the clean up. Hallelujah!
A xx
Will have to download it for the baby. 🙂
Clancy does look super cute in his t-shirt!
What a great app for kids, most city kids have no idea where their food comes from and it would be great for them to learn about how other kids live and what actually happens in the country.
Absolutely Mish!!!
Omg how cute is your little man Clancy? He’s so adorable! Love his name too, my maiden name is Clancy. My little boy (who started school last week!!) is addicted to the ipad. I have to ration it. Sometimes it gets ugly lol.
Oh god, it gets SO ugly Margaret, all you have to do is let them have 2 minutes on it and it is all over red rover… the tanties that follow when you try to then take it away… not pretty. I am hearing you. Anyway, none of them have had any iProducts since school went back and they don’t even think about it now.
Cheers, Miss Chardy! What a kind post. I really appreciate hearing great feedback like this. It’s exciting when kids love and choose to play games and read books about agriculture. They obviously resonate with country kids but city kids can find them equally intriguing too. Thanks for your support! 🙂
Thanks so much for thinking of us and sending that lovely package, Clancy is so in love with all things farming at the moment so they went down an absolute treat. Keep up the great work GTF.
My city boys love green & gold tractors too! And don’t worry I think a huge percentage of the population (both country & city) used virtual nannys over the school holidays. Going to make sure my “nanny” gets George the Farmer on her now 🙂
Ha ha ha ha, so glad I wasn’t the only one then!! 🙂
Love George the Farmer! He has his own instragram too!
My nephew comes to stay and is astounded that Aunty doesn’t have games on her phone or laptop…… but I do have a Wii so that gets a workout! (but then I have to watch him play it!! What’s more boring than video games? Watching a 7 year old play video games…..lucky he’s cute!)
Oh so boring… “watch this Mum, watch this Mum” – ummm no thanks!!! Not interested.
Good on George for educating kids (and probably many adults) about the source of our food. Yes, let’s all be thankful for farmers, and show our thanks by buying only Australian grown food and being mindful about all our purchases eg refusing to buy cheap milk from large supermarket chains who rip off the Australian dairy farmer…grrrrrr. Last month I was very excited to buy a jumper made with Goondiwindi cotton! These things are a rare find sadly.
Danielle reading about the excitement of the mail arrival took me back to my childhood in country north Queensland. Whilst we weren’t remote like you, the nearest large department store was quite some distance away. Mum used to order our clothes from the McDonnell & East catalogue, and it was so exciting when the parcel arrived. I swear that’s probably why I love buying things online these days!
Thanks for your lovely comment Jo! It is indeed hard to find Australian cotton to work with in Australia! It’s really sad. In fact 94% of Australian cotton is exported. Our t-shirts are proudly made with Australian cotton and made in Australia (Queensland) too! We’re very proud of that. Have a great day, mate!
Beautiful T-shirt George! I’ll keep an eye out for adult sizes and wording – perhaps ‘I Support Our Farmers’, or what would be so apt for me is ‘I’m a would-be farmer’!
Best wishes,
Jo
You’re not the first to ask for the adult range, mate! Great suggestions! We’ll keep it in mind for the future 🙂
Oh Jo, well said! And yes – mail day is just so exciting esp if you have been partaking in online shopping, ha ha ha.
Does George the farmer grow spuds- if he doesn’t you are welcome to send Clancy down to visit his cousin on the Berrigan Spud farm cheers Doyles from the Doyles
Right – how soon do you want him? John he would be so be so excited to visit you. He is so obsessed with farming at the moment, talks about “tedders” and “wind rowers” what ever the hell they are. ha ha ha. I thought he was trying to say “Header” and he kept saying “no Mum – Tedder!” ha ha ha. Hope you guys are going well down there. xx
What a lucky boy, and i won’t judge you at all, because not only do mums have to work out what keeps you sane (and safe when driving with kids too i might add), but i have also delighted in giving screens to the kids on long car trips lol! Also, if you take advantage when you can when they are young and provide them with educational ones they can as you say, actually teaching them things. He really does look so thrilled with his gear though, little darlin.
Very true. Thanks Miss Twinings!!!
Oliver loves this app, it’s quite ingenious I say – and I too have had that babysitter frequent my house, especially over the holidays!
Ha ha ha ha – so glad I am not alone with the virtual babysitter. 🙂
Thanks for your comment Emily! Stay tuned for the next app update coming soon. Fingers crossed in about four weeks – and there’s more interactivity with this one that the littlies should enjoy (like shearing sheep! 🙂 Thanks for your support, mate.
Don’t judge my aunt let her boys play a simian one when they were younger even in their teens and boarding at ag school as they’re on a farm so ag was great for them 😀 Though the eldest girl is at an all girls boarding I’m not sure what the all girls school will think when my aunts youngest daughter who happens to be my god-daughter too gets there I think they won’t know what’s hit them! It’s a great life for kids my sis and I loved the station and exploration camp and the cousins love the farm. When given the option of the city or station for holidays my sis and I invariably went for the station ! To this day if possible I avoid the city my sis reckons I’m a nightmare to take to town I don’t like to admit it but she’s right sigh!😉