If you’re planning days out with your kids now the weather is getting warmer, we’ve got plenty of ideas for you. Heading on a walk to find spring flowers is one way to do it, or why not make the most of lambing season and head to a local city or community farm to see the animals and visit the petting zoo?
We’ve selected five from across the UK, but there are many more, so search in your local area if these aren’t near you. If you do decide to make a day trip to one of them, get your kids to make a list of what animals they think they’ll see and tick them off when you’re walking around.
Mudchute Park and Farm
Where? Isle of Dogs, London.
Price: Free, but donations are encouraged.
Mudchute is a local charity which has a 32-acre site open to the public for free, offering pretty lush views across London. They say their farm is one of the largest inner city farms in Europe and they have more than 100 animals and birds, with the smaller and perhaps more cuddly ones kept in ‘Pets Corner’. Most of the animals go to bed around 4pm, so be sure to visit before.
Cockfields Farm
Where? Ashton, Greater Manchester.
Price: Adults £8.50, children £10.95. Buy tickets online.
Cockfields Farm is full of fun activities for kids. Children can handle some of the smaller animals every day including rabbits, baby goats and pygmy hedgehogs. The main barn is where they keep most of their larger farm animals, and you’ll be able to see llamas, goats, miniature donkeys, cows, pigs and sheep. Throughout the year, animal activities include washing the pigs, donkey grooming, reptile shows and meeting the goats. Get in touch before the visit to find out what’s currently going on.
Longdown Activity Farm
Where? Ashurst, Southampton.
Price: Adult £9.50, child £8.50, under 3s are free. Buy tickets online.
This family-run farm has a daily schedule of hands-on activities including bottle-feeding kid goats and calves and duck feeding. There are loads of friendly animals to meet including donkeys, chicks, pygmy goats, kunekune pigs and cows. They even have a small herd of alpacas who live together in their back field - they’re said to be very friendly and enjoy meeting new friends.
Woodgate Valley Urban Farm
Where? Bartley Green, Birmingham.
Price: Adults £1, children free.
This community farm and charity is managed entirely by unpaid volunteers from the local community. It has rare breed sheep, Limousin cattle, Vietnamese pot bellied pigs, poultry, pygmy goats, rabbits, guinea pigs and other small animals. The farm also includes a traditional orchard and nature reserve.
Briarlands farm
Where? Stirling, Scotland.
Price: Adults £5.50, children £7.50, under-threes are free.
At Briarlands, kids can head to the animal paddock to feed the animals each day, as well as handle the small rabbits and guinea pigs. Make a day of it as there are tonnes of other things for kids to do including a craft area, go-karting, an indoor soft play area, tearoom, zip wire and sandpits.
Before You Go
