Our Little Farmers Club
Little Farmers is an outdoor practical club for young children. We run 6 weeks blocks in line with school half terms (further details below). If you are interested in joining Little Farmers or would like further details, please book a space in the ‘Session Bookings’ tab on our website or drop me an email to info@drakesfarm.net to be put on our waiting list (please check your spam folder for any response, as sometimes it goes into this folder).
We are now taking bookings for Sep/Oct 2023. Please go to the session bookings tab on this website to find available places for the Little farmers sessions.
If you would like to be put on our waiting list for future blocks of Little Farmers, then please drop us an email and I will let you know when booking for these sessions are open online.
Little Farmers for 1-5 year olds.
Little Farmers is part of our hands-on farm sessions. This is a special practical session for children aged 1 - 5 years old (although I recommend from the age of 20 months), to get involved with the farm animals.
We offer a multi-sensory experience, giving children the chance to embrace the great outdoors, whilst caring for different animals, getting involved in messy play and crafts around our weekly theme. See below for full details.
Please note our address: Drakes Farm & Cafe, Higher Fingle Farm, Crockernwell, Exeter, EX6 6NP (as there are other addresses with Drakes Farm in them nr Exeter).
Course information
The Little Farmers courses are run in half term blocks.
There are 4 different sessions to choose from:
Wednesday mornings 10:00am - 11.15am
Thursday mornings 10:00am - 11.15am
Friday mornings 10:00am - 11.15am
Each session includes a fruit snack and drink for all children.
Cost: £8.50 per session. Siblings discount available. Course to be booked in half term blocks.
All children are to be accompanied by an adult throughout Little Farmers sessions.
For bookings, please see the right hand tab on our home page called ‘Session Bookings’. If you would like to be notified when the next booking window is open, please drop us an email.
So much learning and fun to be had…
Being outside is fun, interesting, exciting and important for children’s learning and development.
Some of the key learning outcomes from working with the farm animals are:
Enhanced confidence
Respect for animals and the great outdoors
To learn and care for animals
Understanding about where our food comes from
Physical development and coordination
Language and communication development
Social interaction
Emotional development and self esteem
Fine and Gross Motor Skill development
Who leads the course?
Kim Drake BEd Science (Hons) 2:1
Kim is an experienced teacher, with a passion for giving children hands on real life experiences and getting children out and about in the great outdoors. Kim has 3 children who love to come out and help out with the farm jobs. Kim lives and works on the farm with her husband Colin.
We encourage & support all the children (and their parents/carers) to get involved in working with the farm animals we have here including goats, pigs and chickens. We want everyone to explore, have fun and learn with us.
School Visits
Each year we take a number of school, preschool and nursery visits.
The school have the site to themselves.
Available on Mondays term time.
We plan and prepare a round robin of activites for the whole day.
We can plan the sessions to your groups needs, ages and learning requirements.
Suitable for Foundation stage & KS1 pupils
Drop us an email for further details.
Home Ed and Flexi School Groups
We are also happen to run Home Ed and Flexi school groups on a private booking. Please email me for further information. We can adapt the content to the age & needs of the children. We can extend some of our activites for KS2 children.
Private Group Booking Options
Looking for a space to meet up with a Toddler Group, Pre-school, Friends or Family get together? We have week day and weekend hire available in the school holidays.
1) Basic Private hire the site
You can bring activities, pack lunches and just use the site, you tidy down the site after use.
The animals will be there and animal feed to will be available to purchase.
We do not provide staff or any activities (except the site/sand pit etc).
You are welcome to bring your own food/crafts/play activities should you wish.
£75 per morning or afternoon.
2)Private hire the site
We provide 1 staff member selling tea and coffee/ ice creams etc
Our staff member will clean down the site at the end of the day.
Your group is welcome to bring food/pack lunches etc.
We do not provide any activities (except the site/sand pit etc).
The animals will be there and animal feed will be available to purchase.
You are welcome to bring your own crafts/play activities.
£125 per morning or afternoon booking.
3)Private hire with lead activities
Kim will plan Little Farmers activities, crafts and messy play.
Suitable for 18 months to 6 years (older and younger children are welcome to join in but this gives you a guide for the activities).
Cost of morning activities £10.00 per child.
Minimum of 20 paying children (we can run with less but the price per head would have to rise).
Grown ups and babies are free for our private group bookings.
Parents are welcome to bring food, packed lunches and snacks.
The cafe will be open but only serving beverages, cakes, crisps, ice creams etc. The main kitchen will not be open.
A Staff member will clean down the site at the end of the session.
