There’s a lot to be excited about in the lead up to Spring… hopefully it’ll be warmer, the daffodils are already out… and the lambing days start! We went to a couple of them last year as my son approached three years old. Now he’s approaching four, and the little one is 19 months old it’s still something they’re interested in, so whilst looking at what’s on this year, I thought I’d put together a list of the ones we’ve found with what we know about them. If you know of others that won’t cost a fortune to visit, do drop me an email at laura@miltonkeyneskids.com and I may add them to the list. Please remember I haven’t organised any of these events, so please do check with each place for details or last minute changes before travelling.
Old Dairy Farm Centre, Upper Stowe, nr Weedon, Northamptonshire. NN7 4SH
11/12 March, 18/19 March, 25/26 March. £2 per person to enter the lambing sheds. The lambing sheds will open between 10.00am & 4.30pm. We haven’t been but there are shops and a restaurant there. More details about lambing days on their website.
Manor Farm, Cotton End Road, Wilstead, Bedfordshire
Sunday 12th March 2017 – The cheapest option for a lambing day is this one. It’s completely back to basics though. Lots of lambs and sheep to meet & farm equipment to look at. My eldest had a great time last year. BUT. And this is a big but. It was really really busy. We had to park in a long line of cars on the edge of the field and walk down. It was really muddy, not great for a buggy. There was a portaloo, a food stall, cake stall and a tombola. I don’t think they anticipated the demand. Seating was limited. So if you go this year be prepared for that particularly if you have toilet training toddlers, do wear wellies and possibly take your own food for lunch if you don’t want to queue. This is a proper working farm – not a tourist attraction. This year they have a burger stand and cakes etc. £2.50 per adult, £1 per child. It’s on between 11am and 3pm. Approx postcode is MK45 3DS although from what I remember from last year the turning for the farm was slightly further down the road so keep an eye out for signs / lots of cars!
Watergate Farm, Hockliffe, LU7 9LN
25/26 March, 1/2 April, 8/9 April, 14th – 17th April – Lots of opportunities to see the lambs here. More than two thousand sheep are due to give birth at this farm. There’s also pony rides and sheep shearing and wool spinning (on selected days). You can also see pigs. BBQ and refreshments. We went last year on a really good day weather wise. As a result it was really busy. We queued to get in but parked ok. My eldest enjoyed watching the sheep shearing and playing in the hay. It’s very well organised but it was busy in the lambing shed and we struggled to see the chicks. My eldest did get to give a lamb a bottle though which was great. The food stand was busy. We took a picnic. Quite a few portaloos but still queued. £5 an adult, £4 a child. Events start at 10.30am and finish at 6pm according to their Facebook page.
Thrift Farm, Whaddon, MK17 0EQ
8th April 2017 – Thrift Farm has more than one hundred sheep ready to give birth throughout April and hope to see plenty of new-borns arrive on this day. There’ll also be talks from the Farmer, hog roast & BBQ, bouncy castle, face painting, colouring corner, story time. Entrance is £5 per adult, £2.50 per child (2-16), FREE for children under 2 years and £12.50 for a family (2 adults & 2 children). It’s on 9.30am – 4pm. We haven’t been to this lambing event but we are big fans of Thrift Farm. If you want to see some picture of what it’s like you can read our previous visit to Thrift Farm here. And if you want to keep an eye on any changes to the event this is their facebook page.
I'm Laura, mum of two boys - aged six and four. I started this website at the end of Sept 2015 whilst on maternity leave. I now work four days a week and do this blog late at night once the little boys are sleeping. It's won several awards over the last four years and I continue to run it for free and mostly focus on free, cheap, and good value days out. Do drop me an email laura@miltonkeyneskids.com if you want to contact me. Don't forget to follow all of our latest adventures on facebook, instagram and twitter and have a look at all of the videos of the places we visit on the Milton Keynes Kids YouTube Channel - subscribe to it for notifications every time I add a new place. And remember... you may been reading this post months after we visited, do check with the destination you're visiting for up to date opening times and prices. If you find this blog useful then please do comment on my posts and leave me a Facebook review - it makes doing this all the more worthwhile.
