What’s going on at Dove Farm for you?
Staying at a farm is a great opportunity to find out what farming is all about, and how small farms especially, help to manage the countryside. There is lots of information on our website, about what we do here at Dove farm, but don’t stop there…
There are some great games to try on the friendly farm
club website:
Test your knowledge of farming facts with cowpat challenge
Younger children will enjoy Bug Splatter
www.rspb.org.uk
www.wildlifewatch.org.uk
There are some great games to try on the rspb website:
If you enjoy a challenge, try pond dipping with Gaby
Younger children will enjoy colour a bird
Here is the information you want to know about the cottages and the farm
What’s indoors?
• Toys and books and drawing stuff for little ones
• Wireless broadband for older ones
• CD players,video and DVD players
There is a selection of videos in the cottages. Bring your own DVDs with you, but if you forget them, we can let you have a selection of ours to borrow!
What’s outdoors?
• There is an enclosed patio garden for the 3 cottages to share.
• We put a BBQ in the garden during the summer months
• Play area for children up to age 12 years
• Basketball net to practice your best shots
• Grassy area for ballgames (not good in winter or after prolonged wet
weather)
• Ducks and hens to feed (you can help us collect eggs too)
• Sometimes you can help feed the sheep and alpacas
• Try a walk along our farm trail (with a grown-up) You’ll enjoy
looking for mini-beasts at the woodpile! Ask us if you want to borrow bug-catchers
– but remember to put all creatures back where they came from.
We have a Dalmatian dog, called Berry. She is our
pet, but also the farm guard dog.
She is getting old, and she is not very friendly with people she doesn’t
know.
PLEASE DO NOT try to touch her at all, and do not go close up to her when
she is in her pen. She is frightened and will bark like crazy. It is her way
of asking you to ‘stay away’.
We have three cats, called Sam (Joshua’s cat) Suki (Celine’s
cat) and Tango (Natalie’s cat.) Sam is ginger and short haired, Suki
is tortoiseshell and semi-long haired, and Tango is a ginger fluffball. You
can stroke any of these cats, but Sam and Suki are the friendly ones.
Stay safe during your stay
Farms are interesting to visit, but don’t forget, a farm is also a place of work, like a building site, with heavy machinery and equipment, and vehicles coming and going.
And don’t forget, not all animals are friendly!
Please read this safety code, and remind other children with you, to take
care while you are here at Dove Farm. We want you to enjoy yourselves safely.
Us kids (Celine, Joshua and Natalie) have to do what the safety code
says too.
It doesn’t matter if you live on a farm or visit a farm. It’s
important for all children to stay safe.
1. Stay away from the working
area of the farm
(that means all areas behind the cottages)
2. Look out for traffic when you cross the
farm drive, to get to the play area.
( you must think of it as a road)
3. Don’t try to stroke animals, before
asking us
(they may bite!)
4. Wash your hands after touching the animals,
or handling feedstuffs
(there is anti-bacterial hand cleanser in each of the cottages)
5. Do not wander off on your own
(always tell a responsible adult where you are)
For more information on farm safety, see
www.safekids.co.uk/farmvisits.html
What’s in Ellastone?
At the top end of the village (by St Peters Church, Ellastone) there is a tennis court that you can use (you will need to tell us when you get here, if you want to use the court, so we can book it for you)
There is also a small play area, with zip slide (for children up to approx 10 years).
More play areas with good equipment, at Rocester and Clifton, which also has soft-surface ball games area.
You might like to walk down to Ellastone Bridge, and look at the
river there.
Great things to see and do
There are loads of things to see and do in the area. Check out places to go, in our Out and About section. There are lots of ideas to suit all interests and ages.