Uncle Milton Uncle Milton Giant Ant Farm by Uncle Milton

Editorial Review

Some people buy Uncle Milton's ant farms out of nostalgia, having been ant farmers themselves as kids. Others are charmed by the odd perspective created as the ants build outsize tunnels beneath a replica of a bucolic little farm. But if you're buying this toy on the pretense that it is, as the guidebook says, “a lesson in nature study,” beware. The box says you'll see ants dig tunnels, erect bridges, and plan and construct highways and subways. What they dig are tunnels that connect what might loosely be called “chambers.” And that's about it. Without a queen, new births, real food to gather, foraging trips, or other ant colonies to tangle with, what you'll purchase are ants that perform in a behavior-stunting environment. You may feel that all this is of no concern so long as the farm provides a slice of childhood wonder. But if you're uneasy with the ant world you set into motion, and Uncle Milton's green farm begins to look surreal instead of jolly, the feeling may pass from you to your kids. –Jeannine Prince has a Master's in Education. She has worked as both a teacher and a curriculum coordinator in a constructivist learning and problem solving program for ages birth to 5 years.