With the Summer Holidays only two weeks away, now is the perfect time to start planning fun days out to keep your little ones (and bigger ones too!) entertained throughout the Summer. A visit to your local Farm Park is an absolute must – perfect for enabling them to run off steam and spend time outdoors, they also offer brilliant educational and sensory opportunities.

With over 400 Farm Parks across the UK, wherever you live there is bound to be a one just a short drive away. We’ve put together a handy guide to show you why Farm Parks are brilliant for children of all ages, what the educational benefits are, and what to take with you for a fuss-free, fun-filled day out.

While meeting a variety of friendly farm animals is usually the highlight for most visitors, from tiny fluffy chicks to greedy goats and cheeky llamas, most Farm Parks also have incredible indoor and outdoor play areas to keep little ones entertained for hours. Bocketts Farm in Surrey have a huge soft play as well as multiple outdoor areas including jumping pillows, trampolines, adventure playground, sandpit, go karts, ride on tractors and even quad bikes!

Educational benefits of Farm Parks

As well as being a brilliant source of family fun, spending a day on the Farm has so many benefits for children (and adults) of all ages.

• Children can learn about a wide range of farm animals, the noises they make, the food they eat, and how to care for them.
• It gives children an opportunity to see where their food comes from and learn about food chains.
• Farm Parks offer a wide range of sensory opportunities, from the textures of animal fur, to the different animal noises and smells.
• The outdoor play areas that most Farm Parks have are a great opportunity for little ones to run around in the fresh air, building on their physical development and motor skills.
• By supporting a Farm Park you are supporting local business and your community. Farms need our support to stay open, so it’s important to help whenever you can.
• Farm Parks offer brilliant, memorable experiences for the whole family, and there’s nothing more fun than spotting animals that you don’t normally get to see, even handling small animals like Rabbits and Guinea Pigs.

Farm Parks near you

There are so many wonderful Farm Parks up and down the length of the UK. We’ve put together a helpful list with our Top 10 Farm Parks to Visit with Children this Summer.

What to take with you

Make sure that you check the Weather before you visit a Farm Park, and dress yourself and little ones appropriately. Outdoor paddocks can become very muddy, so a good pair of wellies is an absolute must-have. Of course, the great British weather can be very unpredictable, so we’d always recommend going equipped with a good quality waterproof jacket, just in case of any sudden downpours. In the height of Summer it can get very hot as the ground absorbs heat, so it’s important to take along a good sunhat and plenty of sun cream to protect little ones from the sun’s rays, as well as a bottle or two of water. It’s essential to pack a change of clothes, just in case they get covered in mud, water or sand, and it’s also worth bearing in mind that if there’s a soft play area they will require socks to be worn. Don’t forget their favourite bucket and spade if your local Farm Park has a sandpit! Lastly we’d advise taking some antibacterial hand gel with you to keep little hands nice and clean – there will be handwashing facilities available but it’s always a good idea to have some just in case. If you do decide to visit a Farm Park this Summer, we hope you have the most amazing time. If you take any photos of your little ones in their Muddy Puddles waterproofs, please remember to tag us @muddypuddlesuk – we love seeing your photos!