4 pecking chickens

A wooden toy that turns one twirl of the wrist into a barnyard of pecking chickens. Grip the handle and swing it gently, and a weighted red ball spins beneath the base, its motion traveling up through hidden strings to make all four chickens bob down and peck at the grass in a rolling, rippling sequence. There's no battery and no fixed rhythm, just cause and effect a toddler can watch and repeat, swing after swing, each time a little differently depending on how the ball spins. It's an easy first lesson in mechanical cause and effect, and a satisfying one to master: getting the wrist motion right so every chicken pecks in turn takes a bit of practice, which keeps the toy interesting well past the first few tries. Bright, cheerful paint on a green grassy base makes it as fun to look at as it is to spin. Sturdy wooden construction holds up to enthusiastic swinging. A simple, charming classic for curious hands ages 3 and up.