They say you should never work with children or animals, so we’ve decided to combine the two together for the ultimate fun day out. Both my children love animals, and I’ve found that introducing them early on has really contributed to their respect and kindness for all creatures great and small. There’s some brilliant hands-on experience to be had in the North-east, with animal themed activities to suit all budgets. Here at Trend we love a list, so have compiled the top three days out where you can experience animals up close and personal. Remember to wash your hands following any lovely encounter, especially if your little one is feeding animals.
Pets Corner at Hazlehead
I always feel nostalgic when visiting Pets Corner which can be found at Hazlehead Park. My eight year old still loves it there, although thankfully no longer tries to climb in with the donkeys. The one-year-old has recently been introduced and was a huge fan of the goats. Although Pets Corner is quite small, there’s a good selection ranging from impressive reptiles to very friendly ponies, and even meerkats. If you go on a dreich day, you’ll soon warm up inside where the snakes, lizards and fish are kept. There are also guinea-pigs and rabbits alongside a resident peacock. A family ticket comes in at £9.96 and children under three go free. It opens from 10am-3:15pm, ten out of ten recommend.
Farm Stop Portlethen
Farm Stop is a fantastic interactive experience where you can get up close and personal with a wide range of animals. You can cuddle, feed and brush some very inquisitive goats before meeting pigs, donkeys, ducks, chickens, alpacas, sheep and cattle including Highland Cows. Visitors spend time in each pen as part of the tour, where you’ll learn some fun facts about each animal. Booking is essential and a child ticket comes in at £13.50 (age 2 and above) whilst an adult ticket is £20. In my experience it is absolutely worth it however, and seems to get better with each visit.
Huntly Falconry Centre
I booked a visit to Huntly Falconry Centre when my youngest was just five months old. I was also flying solo as my husband was at work; two kids and birds of prey, what could possibly go wrong? We had a fantastic day out and my eldest was honestly enthralled. The falconry display team introduce you to some incredible birds and hold flying demonstrations three times a day during the peak summer months. Members of the audience are invited to participate so you can experience firsthand how these beautiful birds behave and feel close up. From hawks to falcons and eagles, it’s a brilliant day out and there’s a small but lovely café on site. An adult ticket costs £13 with a child ticket coming in at £7, fairly economical for the purse strings.