We love to have our grandchildren come to stay with us for the weekend, which is usually every other week. While it’s nice to just play around the house with them, we really enjoy taking them out for the day somewhere fun. And they really enjoy going out for the day with us. So we recently had a kids day out down at the farm. This is no ordinary farm, it’s actually a very interactive adventure park and mini zoo so read on to find out how we spent the day.
Where is it?
Down At The Farm is based on Stoneygate Lane, Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne & Wear in the North East of England. It’s well sign-posted from the roads leading up to it. Although the day we visited the sign outside the farm actually said closed! Luckily it was open. There’s a large free car park just as you turn into the site.
How much is this kids day out?
I thought it was quite good value for money. It cost us £32.80 for 2 adults and 2 children (ages 5 and 3). Included in the price is a tractor ride for adults and children and a barrel ride for the kids (more about those later). Their website advise that you book online in advance just to make sure you get in.
If you’re looking for free things to do with kids then StephLovesHoney has lots of ideas for you here.
When is it open?
The farm is open weekends and school holiday from April to the end of October, from 10am to 5pm.
What is there to do Down At The Farm?
There’s actually quite a lot to do. However please note this attraction is all outside, so if it was a rainy day it probably wouldn’t be much fun.
Play Areas
The Farm is quite set in a fairly large field, but not too large that you can get lost! The fun started as soon as we got through the gate. Ashton (5) and Harriet (3) loved the old static tractor and spent a few minutes taking turns sitting in the driver’s seat. Then it was on to a mini child’s assault-type course with little rope bridges, stepping blocks and a slide.
The Mega Playzone was a big hit as part of our kids day out. Even though it was quite large and high we felt the grandkids were safe as long as one of us was on hand to keep an eye on them. They spent quite a while on this until they discovered a large tube-like slide coming over a hill. We had lots of fun shouting through the tube to each other, our voices sounding like they were right up close. The inside of the tube gets quite dirty from little feet running up and down it so make sure your kids don’t have their Sunday best on!
Next we explored the area with the large sandpit and tube maze. A sandpit is always popular on a kids day out, and we pleasantly surprised to find their were buckets and spades already provided for them. Digging a hole through the centre of the earth took Ashton a good half hour 🙂 On to the tube maze next. This one didn’t go down so well with Harriet. The tubes do have windows in them and there are exits everywhere but Harriet was getting a little panicky that she couldn’t find her way out. I’m a little too old (and unfit) to be crawling into tube mazes so it was nice when an older girl went in to rescue her. I’m sure the tube maze is quite safe but maybe it’s a little overwhelming for a 3 year old. Needless to say Harriet didn’t go back in.
The air bouncers were next on Ashton & Harriet’s list. These are two huge dome-like trampolines sunk into the ground (the best way I can describe them). They are surrounded by rubber mulch so your children can’t hurt themselves if they fall. It was shoes off and start bouncing. There are two air bouncers at Down At The Farm, one for 6 years and over and one for 5 years and under. It did seem like the kids were just going whereever they fancied though. It did look like fun, there should definitely be one for adults too.
Once they’d done bouncing they spotted the large wooden digger slide. Note that on sunny days the wooden slide can get quite warm so maybe take long trousers as well if you’ve dressed the kids in shorts. In this play area there was also a zip slide, some swings and some ride-on toy tractors. The zip slide was a bit on the large side for our two but the long run-through tunnel next to it was a great hit with a lot of children.
Down At The Farm also has a large tree house (which Ashton & Harriet didn’t spend much time on but did look fun) and a small Under 3’s play area (which they both wanted to play in). The Under 3’s play area is surrounded by a fence and has seating areas for parents to keep an eye on their little ones.
This interactive adventure farm also has a couple of rides you have to pay for. There is a Quad Bike area for ages 6+ which costs £4 per person, and a Racing Car area which costs £2 per ride (the cars have slots to put 2 x £1 coins in). As our grandchildren are 5 and 3 we let them have a couple of goes on the racing cars. There is room in each car for two children (one at the front and one at the back), but as Harriet is a fiercely independent 3 year old she wanted her own. They racing cars were a huge hit and the ride lasted a good amount of time so you didn’t feel it was a waste of money. I noticed a couple of small children on the racing cars with a parent on it too, so that’s an option if you feel they’re not quite ready to go out on their own.
The Tractor Ride
With your entry tickets you also get tickets for adults and children to go on the tractor ride. This is a farm tractor that pulls you up the hill in a large trailer that has seating and a canopy. As you ride up the hill and around the cow field you’re given a bit of farm history and info on the cows. These rides are scheduled throughout the day and you can check the times on the notice next to the ticket office.
The Barrel Ride
You’re also given tickets for each child to have a barrel ride with your entry fee. This ride involves a tractor pulling about 8 barrel-like cars behind it, with your child (aged 2 and over) fastened into it with a safety belt. Ashton tells me this is a very bumpy ride! But they did look like they were enjoying it.
The Animals
As it’s a farm, obviously they have animals too. Always a plus on family days out in the north east (and probably everywhere really). There was a lot more kinds of animals than I was expecting! Dotted in and around the play areas are enclosures with goats, llamas, emus, monkeys, pigs, reindeer, meerkats, donkeys, owls, rabbits and lambs.
Feeding the lambs
We were lucky enough to go in the spring when bottle feeding the lambs is available to visitors. This is done at varying times throughout the day to give the mother sheep a rest. A keeper is on hand to supervise the giving out of bottle of milk with teats. The lambs are behind a fence but are happy to stick their heads through to get a drink of milk. They couldn’t drink it fast enough! I thought this was a lovely addition to a kids day out.
Brushing the donkey
As well as feeding the lambs there was also an opportunity for children to brush one of the donkeys resident at the farm. Apparently Summer the Donkey loves to be groomed. The children go into the donkey enclosure with two keepers supervising closely. They are handed a grooming brush and are told not to brush Summer’s hand and don’t stand behind her. After all the running around Ashton & Harriet had done this seemed a very calming activity for them and the donkey.
Cafe & picnic areas
There is a cafe on-site which is inside a large marquee but we like to take a picnic with us on a kids day out. Cafes’ can sometimes get a bit expensive and I think picnics are just more fun. Luckily Down At The Farm have a large covered over area with picnic tables and lots of open air picnic tables dotted around the farm. Plenty of space for a really nice family picnic. And the covered over picnic area is right next to the cafe just in case you need anything extra. The toilets are also close by so you can freshen up before you head out for more fun.
Round-up
We all thoroughly enjoyed the day Down At The Farm. I’d say we spent a good 5 hours here. There was lots for the kids to see and do and everything seemed very well organised. I’d highly recommend this as a kids day out for children up to the age of 12. Any older and I think they might not get as much fun out of it … then again it would depend on the child.
We’ll definitely be back to one of the best north east days out 🙂
You can read about another kids day out we had at Kirkley Hall Zoo in Northumberland.