Last week, we headed off to visit Pennywell Farm - an award winning tourist attraction just a short distance from where we live in Torbay.
Tyne, my 3 year old, was very excited about our day at the farm and couldn't wait to get hands on with some of the animals and he didn't have long to wait as once we entered the farm we found ourselves right in the petting area - a lovely little barn full of cuddly little pets that children (or adults!) are able to hold and stroke.
Blankets are provided to stop little claws from scratching and to help the animals feel secure, and staff are on hand to pass animals out and give advice on how to handle them - there were all kinds of creatures available for cuddles including rabbits, hamsters, the most adorable little mice (Yes! I found a mouse adorable! Me...the woman who is terrified of mice!), guinea pigs and even fluffy ducklings!
Tyne decided to have a hold of a guinea pig...an adorable little brown one that we nicknamed Chocolate - he was a little apprehensive at first as we don't have any pets and so he doesn't have any experience of animals close up, but he soon came around to it and loved smoothing it's fur - I actually really loved getting to hold it too and we've even discussed the idea of getting a pet Guinea Pig at home since.
After some snuggle time, we headed out to the farm and had a look around at the animals - we had bought some bags of animal food from reception as we entered (priced at £1 per bag and clearly labelled to remind you of which animals it's suitable for) and Tyne was keen to get feeding!
We visited the donkey, the goats, sheep, tortoises, hedgehogs, the horses and the deer - all of which seemed really happy in their environments and were very friendly and tame - Tyne particularly loved feeding the goats and really got a giggle out of them licking his hands!
What I loved about Pennywell Farm was how on the ball they are with cleanliness as this can be a real concern to me when visiting animals, but there were signs clearly displayed everywhere reminding you to wash your hands when leaving an animal contact point and with lots of sinks at every point with plenty of soap, warm water and paper towels too.
After the goats, we headed to see Pennywell's famous miniature pigs - these teeny little piggies are just about the cutest thing you're likely to see and you can cuddle them to your hearts content!
As we entered the main farm, we had noticed a large black board detailing the timings for the day of the various activities on offer - these included animal feeding and talks, seed planting and lots more - we decided to head to the main barn for the goat bottle feeding.
The session was really fun and informative, and everybody got to bottle feed a goat (even though the barn was full of people all wanting a turn!) which Tyne was delighted with!
My personal favorite part of Pennywell Farm was the pony area - ponies have always been my favorite animals and I loved that their pen was laid out with grooming equipment and that children were encouraged to have a go at pony pampering - Tyne and Noah both had a go at brushing the ponies and had so much fun doing it.
What is really fantastic about Pennywell Farm is that there is so much more to it than just animals - there are lots of rides to try out too including a tractor and trailer ride, go karts, mini golf, a little train ride and a "rocket" pull along ride which Tyne just adored!
There are also areas full of bikes & little push along cars and tractors to drive too, a maze, a play park, trampolines dotted about and picnic areas too.
There is also the option of having a go at horse riding for an additional fee of £3.50 and Tyne loved it, declaring himself a cowboy!
There is a large indoor area called Noah's Barn which has a soft play area for under 5s, a bouncy castle and a few little rides too.
We had such a fun filled day out at Pennywell Farm - both 3 year old Tyne and 16 month old Noah really enjoyed themselves, and we will definitely be returning around Christmas time to visit Pennywell's Santa and take part in the lovely Nativity performances (starring your children!) in the barn - highly recommended!
A visit to Pennywell Farm costs £13.95 for adults, and £9.95 for children (Under 3's are free) - and if you book online at the moment you receive a £5 voucher to spend in the gift shop too!
To find out more, please visit www.pennywellfarm.co.uk
Coming Up Next In Our Devon Days Out Series: Kents Cavern!
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