Yorkshire boasts an abundance of farms, but finding ones that welcome the public for a memorable family day out can be a challenge. Yet, there’s something undeniably soothing about immersing oneself in the company of animals, and across Yorkshire, there are plenty of farm attractions ready to offer just that and more.
From engaging animal encounters to immersive educational opportunities, these family-friendly destinations promise hours of wholesome entertainment for children. Many even feature interactive activities and ample play areas, ensuring endless fun for the little ones.
To assist you in crafting the perfect weekend or school holiday adventure, we’ve curated a selection of the finest Yorkshire farms to visit that are sure to delight both young and old alike.
The Best Yorkshire Farms to Visit With Kids
Cannon Hall Farm
Bark House Lane, Cawthorne, Barnsley S75 4AT
Prices:
Weekday – Adults £11.95, Children (two and over) £11.95, Children Under Two FREE
Weekend – Adults £11.95, Children (two and over) £11.95, Children Under Two FREE
Cannon Hall Farm near Barnsley is probably one of the most well-known Yorkshire farms to visit, due to its hosting of the Channel 5 show, Springtime on The Farm. The award-winning family-friendly attraction in Yorkshire is home to all kinds of adorable animals including llamas, alpacas, horses, ponies, donkeys, sheep, meerkats and many, many more! There’s even a reptile house accommodating snakes, lizards, frogs and insects!
In addition to offering an impressive range of animal encounters and experiences, Cannon Hall Farm has a great indoor play area, an adventure playground, a tube maze, an onsite restaurant, a dog-friendly cafe and a toy and gift shop for those essential souvenirs. One of the best Yorkshire farms to visit with kids as there is so much to see and do!
Piglets Adventure Farm
Towthorpe Grange, Towthorpe Moor Lane, Towthorpe, York YO32 9ST
Prices:
Weekday – Adults £6.95, Children (ages 1 to 16) £7.95, Concessions £5.95, Children Under One FREE
Weekend – Adults £10.95, Children (ages 1 to 16) £11.95, Concessions £9.95, Children Under One FREE
Another Yorkshire farm offering a full, fun-packed day out is the fabulous Piglets Adventure Farm near York. As regards animals, there are plenty of cute characters to meet including bunnies, guinea pigs, alpacas, ponies, goats and chickens. For a truly memorable animal experience, visit the Piglet Maternity Ward which is home to expectant mums and piglets and where any visitors to Piglets Adventure Farm have been lucky enough to witness piglets being born.
The fun doesn’t stop there! There’s an excellent undercover play barn with ride-on tractors, wooden JCB diggers and drop slides so little ones can enjoy hours of playtime after they’ve said Hello to the farm’s feathered and furry characters. Quite uniquely, this Yorkshire farm attraction also has its own beach, complete with beach huts, deckchairs, interactive water features, play equipment and lots of sand for making sandcastles.
The beach is the ideal spot for a family picnic and there’s a cafe there which sells various snacks and drinks. The Beach Cafe, however, isn’t the only place at Piglets Adventure Farm where you can pick up tasty treats. There’s another cafe in the play barn selling light bites and picnic bags, a pizza parlour serving freshly made sourdough pizzas and an ice-cream parlour selling various flavours of Northern Bloc.
Thornton Hall Country Park
Thornton-in-Craven, Skipton BD23 3TS
Prices:
Prices for Thornton Hall Farm vary throughout the year as they host regular events but are currently as follows…
Weekday (school holidays) – Adults £5.95, Children (aged 2 to 15) £7.95, Children Under Two £7.95, Children Under One FREE
Weekend (school holidays) – Adults £9.95, Children (aged 2 to 15) £12.95, Children Under Two £7.95, Children Under One FREE
Thornton Hall Country Park is an award-winning attraction near Skipton with a farm park, entertainment marquee for adults, camping and glamping site and thrilling quad bike experience.
Once you’ve met all the furry friends residing on the farm, there are numerous play opportunities. Entry tickets also include access to jumping pillows, an outdoor play area and the new indoor soft play area featuring plenty of equipment for climbing and sliding plus electric go-karts and a circular track. Thornton Hall Farm also boasts ride experiences, costing between £2 and £3.50 per person. The Farm Safari, which should be booked in advance due to its popularity, is a 25-minute ride around the farm offering magnificent views of woodland, parkland and the farm’s Deer Park.
Be sure to check their website before booking as this one often hosts superb events for kids. Whether it be a magic show, a themed week with animatronics or opportunities to dress up, there’s usually something exciting going on! When it comes to live entertainment, this is by far one of the best Yorkshire farms!
If you wish to take a picnic it must be consumed in the farm’s outdoor areas. Should you wish to eat indoors there’s a lovely diner at Thornton Hall Farm serving breakfasts, burgers, hot dogs, pizzas, tacos and much more.
Hesketh Farm Park
Bolton Abbey, Skipton BD23 6HA
Prices:
Adults £7.50, Children £7.50, Children Under Two £3.50, Children Under One £1
Another farm attraction near Skipton is the wonderful Hesketh Farm Park. It’s still a working farm with over 1,000 livestock including cattle, sheep and pigs. Family-run and ever-so-welcoming, this charming Yorkshire farm is in the most idyllic of settings, with 10 acres of land overlooking the glorious rolling hills of the Yorkshire Dales. For a small charge of £1.50, visitors can enjoy a scenic tractor and trailer ride around the farm with Farmer Chris.
On this Yorkshire farm, you’ll encounter all the expected farm animals as well as a few more unusual inhabitants like Giant Tortoises. In the main barn, there are lots of hands-on animal experiences on offer such as lamb feeding, donkey feeding pig brushing and guinea pig handling.
For children, there’s so much to keep them entertained and encourage them to burn off some of that excess energy! There’s indoor and outdoor play equipment, a giant sandpit, a straw maze and pedal go-karts.
Picnics can be eaten both indoors and outdoors at Hesketh Farm Park and if you don’t want to take your own food, they have a great little cafe serving light bites, sandwiches, snacks and delicious home-baked treats.
Playdale Farm Park
Carr Lane, Cayton, Scarborough YO11 3TL
Prices:
Adults £10.50, Children £10 (or £13 if visiting during the Pumpkin Patch events as pumpkin included), Senior Citizens (£9.50, Children Under Two FREE
One of the most popular family-friendly attractions on the Yorkshire Coast, Playdale Farm Park is a must-visit when in the Scarborough area with children. As well as a large animal barn and interactive paddocks that enable youngsters to meet, greet and feed farm animals, there are also numerous play opportunities and activities on offer.
The enormous indoor play barn features a soft play area with a 4-lane astro slide, pedal tractors, an adventure fort, a rock wall and more. Outside, there’s more fun on offer, with some activities suitable for the grown-ups too! Watch the kids race one another to the bottom of the Summer Sledge Run and then indulge in some healthy competition on the pedal go-kart track and the frisbee golf course. There’s an outdoor playground, surrounded by picnic benches so the grown-ups can rest whilst the little ones tire themselves out.
For a tasty lunch, pop into Playdale Farm Park’s onsite cafe where you’ll find all manner of delicious hot and cold lunches, light bites and snacks. Super handy prepacked lunch bags are available at the cafe – ideal for those wanting to make the most of the farm’s picnic areas.
Monk Park Farm
Green Lane, Thirsk YO7 2AG
Prices:
Ticket prices vary at Monk Park Farm depending on the time of year and scheduled events but the online prices for General Admission tickets are as follows:
Adults £12, Children £12, Children Under One FREE
Monk Park Farm is a popular North Yorkshire farm attraction home to hundreds of adorable animals. Of course, visitors will encounter and learn about the usual farm inhabitants such as sheep, pigs, cows and hens but numerous other animals are waiting to say hello too. Peacocks, donkeys, deer, llamas, emus and even wallabies all call Monk Park Farm home. There’s also an indoor petting barn where visitors can enjoy hands-on animal encounters with rabbits, guinea pigs, a hen and baby chicks.
This Yorkshire farm also boasts some wonderful rides and play attractions. The main play area features lots of play equipment and a large sandpit for which buckets and spades are provided for digging and building. A second play area is situated by a lake and has a play fort, swings and zip wire and Monk Park Farm has recently added a mini train ride and two giant air bouncers. If that’s not enough to tire out your little people, there are various ride-on toys for smaller children, electric ride-ons for all ages and a brilliant barrel ride that takes visitors on a mini safari through the Deer and Llama Park.
If you want to enjoy a spot of lunch during your visit, there are plenty of picnic tables at the main play area or you can pop into the cafe for hot meals, sandwiches, paninis, jacket potatoes and more.
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