We did it. Yesterday we left the house and had a little day out for the first time in what feels like forever. We weren't sure what to do as the weather forecast was a bit dicey, but decided to take a chance on Green Dragon Eco Farm. The website said there were indoor and outdoor options, as well as a picnic area and a cafe, so off we went.
As we approached the farm there was a road closure so we had to take a little detour but we found it easily enough. Very well signposted - I like that! On the way I did spot the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre so that's been added to the list for another day.
Anyway, we paid £15 to get in (my youngest was free) and 50p for animal feed. They have two types of feed, one for goats etc, and another for poultry. My daughter is a bit nervous about letting animal eat out of her hand so we opted to feed the chickens and ducks. There was a great variety of farm animals on the outdoor trail, and a fair few indoors in the animal barn. The gorgeous piglets were my personal favourite.
The Dragon Field housed a bouncy pillow and a brilliant climbing frame.
There was also some smaller play equipment, which was more appropriate for my son, and a giant sandpit - which I struggled to extract him from. Never mind, he smuggled half the sand home with him in his shoes and the folds of his trousers! My car could currently give the Sahara a run for its money.
My daughter was a bit befuddled by the "dragon" part of the Dragon Field - you can just about see it in the sandpit photo above. I didn't manage to get a proper photo as it was so big (I attempted a pano shot but a small person grabbed my leg at the end and I wobbled) but it is basically a giant, curved, mound of grass which was designed to look like a sleeping dragon with tunnels through it.
Stepping back to view from afar I could see what had been done, but she couldn't work it out. I can't say she was overly bothered though. She made a friend on the play equipment so was happy clambering on there.
We were very lucky with the weather, the rain started just as we pulled out of the carpark to leave, but the website was correct - there was plenty of choice with a number of both indoor and outdoor sections. The Pet Cabin was, in my opinion, better than the average. Although small it didn't just house the usual gerbils and hamsters, but a chameleon, axelottle, frogs, tarantula, stick insects and other things I can't remember.
We picnicked inside the Messy Play Barn, and uncovered some dinosaur bones while we were at it. Then onto the Soft Play Barn, where we bought a drink and biscuits from the Cafe. The Soft Play was fairly compact but that meant I could play with my youngest in the smaller section, and still keep an eye on my bigger girl in the bigger area. Not that it mattered too much. My daughter and her new found friend were now joint at the hip, so her mum acted as a second pair of eyes to help me out. (I looked in a mirror when I got home, and I looked like a bedraggled, wind-swept, crazy lady with the beginnings of a spot on her nose. So, apologies to that nice woman whoever you are!) I also spotted a separate ball pit for under 1s, which I thought was a great idea. As babies, I've lost my two in ball pits under toddlers countless times!
On the way out my daughter spotted some pedal karts and ride on toys (yep, still more yet to do!) so had a quick zoom around before we had to be on our way.
Having only visited once I'm not sure if we were just lucky, or if it's always fairly quiet, but I couldn't believe how few people were there. Compared to other farms and farm parks we've visited I thought it was pretty good value for money, there were some interesting animals to look at, and it would have worked well for either a dry or rainy day out - although I would advise wellies if it's on the soggy side. I did spot that they have an annual pass option. I think we might visit a few more places before committing, but it's definitely high up on the list of potential investments alongside our trusty National Trust membership.
As we approached the farm there was a road closure so we had to take a little detour but we found it easily enough. Very well signposted - I like that! On the way I did spot the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre so that's been added to the list for another day.
Anyway, we paid £15 to get in (my youngest was free) and 50p for animal feed. They have two types of feed, one for goats etc, and another for poultry. My daughter is a bit nervous about letting animal eat out of her hand so we opted to feed the chickens and ducks. There was a great variety of farm animals on the outdoor trail, and a fair few indoors in the animal barn. The gorgeous piglets were my personal favourite.
The Dragon Field housed a bouncy pillow and a brilliant climbing frame.
There was also some smaller play equipment, which was more appropriate for my son, and a giant sandpit - which I struggled to extract him from. Never mind, he smuggled half the sand home with him in his shoes and the folds of his trousers! My car could currently give the Sahara a run for its money.
My daughter was a bit befuddled by the "dragon" part of the Dragon Field - you can just about see it in the sandpit photo above. I didn't manage to get a proper photo as it was so big (I attempted a pano shot but a small person grabbed my leg at the end and I wobbled) but it is basically a giant, curved, mound of grass which was designed to look like a sleeping dragon with tunnels through it.
Stepping back to view from afar I could see what had been done, but she couldn't work it out. I can't say she was overly bothered though. She made a friend on the play equipment so was happy clambering on there.
We picnicked inside the Messy Play Barn, and uncovered some dinosaur bones while we were at it. Then onto the Soft Play Barn, where we bought a drink and biscuits from the Cafe. The Soft Play was fairly compact but that meant I could play with my youngest in the smaller section, and still keep an eye on my bigger girl in the bigger area. Not that it mattered too much. My daughter and her new found friend were now joint at the hip, so her mum acted as a second pair of eyes to help me out. (I looked in a mirror when I got home, and I looked like a bedraggled, wind-swept, crazy lady with the beginnings of a spot on her nose. So, apologies to that nice woman whoever you are!) I also spotted a separate ball pit for under 1s, which I thought was a great idea. As babies, I've lost my two in ball pits under toddlers countless times!
On the way out my daughter spotted some pedal karts and ride on toys (yep, still more yet to do!) so had a quick zoom around before we had to be on our way.
Having only visited once I'm not sure if we were just lucky, or if it's always fairly quiet, but I couldn't believe how few people were there. Compared to other farms and farm parks we've visited I thought it was pretty good value for money, there were some interesting animals to look at, and it would have worked well for either a dry or rainy day out - although I would advise wellies if it's on the soggy side. I did spot that they have an annual pass option. I think we might visit a few more places before committing, but it's definitely high up on the list of potential investments alongside our trusty National Trust membership.
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