Long term readers of my blog will know that I love finding child-friendly days out. Finding somewhere to take the kids to, and watch them have fun is one of my favourite things to do. A few months ago I took my two-year-old out for a day out with my friend to The Bucks Goat Centre, as Ivy loves animals – particularly goats! Neither me or my friend had visited before either, so was great for us to have a day out to explore.
The Bucks Goat Centre is located near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire – about a 45 minute drive away from us in Milton Keynes. It’s a small farm, that reminded me of Thrift Farm in terms of size, that homes friendly farm animals – mainly goats.
When we visited the Bucks Goat Centre we didn’t book before hand, and were able to turn up and pay on the door. We also bought a couple of bags of animal feed to walk around with and feed the animals – each bag cost £1 each.
We spent a good hour walking around the farm feeding the goats, which Ivy loved! All of the animals were friendly, and very happy to be fed! There’s plenty of space to walk between the pens, and it’s nicely spread out so you can enjoy wandering around. There is also a barn, but during the day we visited this was closed for cleaning so all of the animals were outside in their enclosures.
As I mentioned earlier in the blog post, there’s not just goats at the Bucks Goat Centre. We got to see alpacas, pigs, rabbits, ferrets, ducks, chickens, and a lovely silver fox called Barnaby! Some of the animals you were able to pet and feed, others you can’t – you’ll be advised when you visit.
We visited during the school holidays, so there were a couple of events going on during our visit. The alpacas were walked through the farm at one point, you could meet some of the smaller animals, and we watched the silver fox be fed. I’m not sure how often events are on at the Bucks Goat Centre, so it’s worth keeping an eye on their social media if you’re planning a visit!
There’s also a lovely play are at the Bucks Goat Centre, that Ivy had a great time in. There’s a huge sandpit, a climbing frame with a slide, an assault course, as well as plastic seesaws, cars and tractors to play with. Everything is spread out, and there’s loads of space to run around as well. My two-year-old spent most of her time in the sandpit digging and playing. Some of the play equipment was too big for her, but I felt there was a nice range for children of all ages to play with.
We also spend some time in the cafe during our visit to the Bucks Goat Centre. There were lots of options for hot and cold food, drinks and snacks, as well as a picnic area if you want to bring your own food.
We spent a good few hours visiting the Bucks Goat Centre, and found it a lovely place to visit with small children. Being a small farm it was great for my 2-year-old to wander around and not be too far for her to walk around. All of the animals were friendly, and enjoyed being fed, and petted – even by a very enthusatistic toddler!
How to Find it
The Bucks Goat Centre is located at Layby Farm, Old Risborough Road, Stoke Mandeville, Buckinghamshire, HP22 5XJ – use the map below for directions.
Good to Know
- The Bucks Goat Centre is open Tuesday – Sunday between 10am – 5pm. Open on Mondays on bank holidays and school holidays
- We didn’t need to book online and were able to turn up on the day
- There’s free parking on site
- Adults are £5.50, children 2-15 are £4.50, and under 2’s are free
- Bags of animal feed are available for £1
- There’s a cafe on site serving hot food, drinks and snacks, as well as a picnic area for you to bring your own food.
