Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Root Vue Farm is a child's toy designed to educate kids on one of the wonders of nature. It is planting device that allows children a chance to watch vegetables grow and see what they look like below the surface of the ground. When I purchased Root Vue Farm, I intended it to be a good educational lesson and in some ways, it does offer some educational value. It succeeds at getting kids to think more about plants and from a different perspective than usual. Kids and adults are all accustomed to looking at plants above the ground, but not below the surface where the edible parts of many vegetables are found. In this regard, Root Vue Farm is a good addition to a child's toy chest and it seemed like a good purchase. The problems with Root Vue Farm, however, become evident when you put it together and plant the seeds. Taking it from the box, the first thing I didn't like was the construction. It is very cheaply made, using styrofoam to form the box that holds the soil and seeds. There is an acrylic viewing window, which is fine, but I couldn't believe the manufacturer made the main part of the toy from styrofoam. The use of plastic would have been better, but it appears the manufacturer was trying to cut costs in any way possible. Next, we added the seeds and soil, watered it down, and waited for the seeds to grow. The first problem we encountered was with mold. The excessive moisture leads to mold growth and since the farm is made from styrofoam, you cannot easily keep it clean. At least with a plastic box, the mold could be wiped off. But you cannot clean this very easily and it stinks. Waiting for the seeds to sprout also proved frustrating. The seeds do sprout in a matter of days, but they did not reach the point where the vegetables could be viewed through the viewing window. I also noticed weed- like growth on the top of the soil. I don't know where it came from, but there it was, covering the top of the soil. Educational toys are great and the concept of growing vegetables and observing their growth progress and root network still has some appeal. I may look for another toy with the same concept and better construction, but I will not bother with Root Vue Farm again. Nasty mold growth, styrofoam, and other annoyances make this an educational experience to forget.