I stumbled across Mini Meadows Farm last year whilst looking for a meet in the middle point to meet a twin Mummy friend (she lives in Nottingham and I live in rural Bedfordshire). It was around 1-hour drive for both of us but I was so impressed by the format, layout, price and facilities, I decided to take the boys back for February half-term this week, and I was just as impressed by it all the 2nd time 🙂, so now I’m writing this blog post to tell you all about it.
Equipment :
What I love about this farm, more than any other farm I have been to with the kids, is how well catered it is for all weathers. The first time we went there was in the middle of summer, it was baking hot outside, and too hot to stay outside very long, but there was still plenty to do. This week when we went it was the opposite, rainy and cold but again there was plenty to keep all both entertained and happy.
- When you first walk in there is a large cafe/ packed lunch area with plenty of seating, and a microwave to heat baby food.
- Then you come to the shop, which has a lot of educational gifts and ice-creams too, also buckets of colour-coded mixed animal food for £2 a bucket.
- Then there is a large soft play, all beautifully handcrafted in wood, with plenty of picnic benches, this stays cooler in the summer heat and warm in the winter
- Then there is a small animal area, with lots of pens you can get in with rabbits and guinea pigs to pet the animals and feel them and really get up close and personal with them with the kids (up to 3 kids can enter each cage at a time). This is all under cover so great if it’s raining too.
- On the other side of this barn there are some very cheeky alpacas to feed and interact with and then a lovely under cover beach area, which the kids all just loved!
- Round the back there were donkeys and Shetland ponies to visit outside and turkeys and chickens.
- To the side of this there was another enclosure with baby lambs
- In front there was a hand washing station, and an outdoor play park
- Followed by more outdoor animal enclosures with geese and ducks a plenty to feed and interact with
Cost:
At the time of writing:
- Adults: from £6
- Children (2-16 years): from £6
- Toddlers (12 months – 24 months): from £3
- Babies (under 12 months): free
This makes it a really affordable day out for the 3 of us in the holidays – about £20 – whereas some of the Milton Keynes farms are double that and the facilities are very poor by comparison. We will definitely be back again!
Access: Off a farm lane but easy to find using google maps
Toilets (changing facilities): Yes
Picnic Facilities: Yes
Parking: Plenty and free
Star rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Social Media Links/ Website:
Photos:
Map:
Please do check out my other Play Park Diary Posts at: Play Park Diaries. And please comment below with any local parks/soft-plays/value activities to do with kids locally, I’m always up for new ideas or drop me a line at gill@jamjargill.com