Counting and Sorting Farm by Manhattan Toy

Each of the soft pens have a number painted on it and the same number of soft stuffed farm critters inside: 4 cows, 3 pigs, 2 sheep, and 1 chicken. The pens for the cows, sheep, and pigs all have doors that can be opened and closed, while the chicken sits securely in the little nest on top of the stack. Strengths: The animals are really cute and when the doors of the pens are open, you can see what animal is supposed to go inside, so the sorting/counting aspect of the toy is really simple. Because the animals and pens are made from a soft cotton-like fabric (the pens are made of cardboard and covered with the fabric) it's easy to do some spot cleaning when the toy gets dirty.Weaknesses: I like the soft sided construction of each of the pens the animals go in to, but they don't stack well and it's difficult to get then to stay on top of one another. This has proven to be very frustrating for some of the younger children I work with so the toy is often abandoned quickly. Price: $18 - 20. Where to Buy: Manhattan toys can usually be found is specialty toy shops as well as through a variety of on-line retailers.