Five animal farms to take the kids to

So if you’re thinking about a drive in the countryside, here’s our selection of the best farms specifically designed for children to play and interact with a variety of domesticated critters.

This family run farm has been open to children’s excursions for more than 45 years. It’s in Dural, about 40 minutes north-west of Sydney and a great destination for a fun day out. The daily tour (bookings are essential) includes a baby animal cuddle session, milking the cow, wandering the paddock with some of the bigger livestock and bottle feeding lambs. Book a birthday party and you can add activities such as gumboot throwing, an egg-and-spoon race or sack racing. You can bet city kids are going to love it.

The first Saturday of every month Trevena Glen flings open the farm gates for what turns out to be a real country-style party for kids. Just outside Brisbane near Mount Samson, the monthly open day features a jumping castle and tractor rides but the animals are the real stars. Chooks, pigs, goats, guinea pigs, donkeys, alpacas and miniature horses are all there plus there’s pony rides and a barbecue. The farm also does daily animal feeding and has birthday party options, so book ahead.

Okay, so Landsdale is not exactly out in the country – it’s in Darch, about half an hour from central Perth – but it offers all the fun of the farm. And being an education support school, kids will actually learn something too. Landsdale has a host of farm animals including goats, chickens, sheep and even turkeys and there is always staff on hand to talk you through their foibles and habits. There’s even a gnome trail for children to track down their favourite miniature garden guardians. School groups get a more intensive learning experience and the school is specially set-up for kids with disabilities.

You want farm animals? This family farm has the lot but wait, there’s more. On top of all the lambs, rabbits, ponies, ducks and geese there’s also native critters such as kangaroos, emus and potoroos to amuse the kids. Tractor and pony rides, a musical garden, lamb and baby goat feeding are all part of the fun and it’s all on the lovely Fleurieu Peninsula, about an hour south of Adelaide.

A short drive out on the Calder Freeway from Melbourne finds you in Diggers Rest, where Animal Land does tours of its working farm. Rather than just pat a goat or a lamb, children are shown what practical farming is all about and get to go on a tractor ride, milk a cow and collect eggs as part of the two-hour tour. And yes, there are plenty of farm animals about from pigs and donkeys to ducks, chickens and rabbits. The café, barbecue and picnic facilities top off a great day out.

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