This weekend the sun was out and I wanted to make the most of getting out of the house and do something with Ivy. Looking for something to do, I came across The Secret Farm on Facebook and saw they were doing a strawberry-picking event over the weekend. It sounded like something my 2-year-old would enjoy, and it was only 40 minutes away from us located in Moggerhanger, just the other side of Bedford.
The Secret Farm only opened in 2021 offering pick your own pumpkins and is now open seasonally offering ‘pick your own’ fruit, vegetables, and flowers. As they weren’t open to the public until 2021, hardly anyone knew they were there – hence the name, The Secret Farm. As it’s currently strawberry season they held a pick your own strawberries event, but speaking to someone who worked on the farm told us that last year they had pumpkins and a fireworks display, and it sounds like they’ve got some great ideas for future events too!
I’ve been to a few ‘pick your own’ events in the past including the pumpkins at The Patch MK and loved it and knew Ivy would be happy as strawberries are one of her favourites. We visited with a friend of mine who lives nearby, and as there were also refreshments, food, and play areas on offer we made an afternoon of it!
Once you arrive you need to buy your punnets to put your strawberries in. We went for a large one which cost us £7, but there were smaller ones available for £3.50, and even larger ones if you want to pick more! You’re then welcome to explore the strawberry fields and pick what you like – and we picked loads! At the time of visiting, there were loads of perfectly ripe strawberries and Ivy loved running around pointing them out and picking them.
After we successfully filled up our punnets with strawberries, we went for a look around the rest of The Secret Farm. There were a couple of play areas for kids, including Moggerhanger-on-Sea a huge sandpit with palm trees! Ivy loved playing in an area with ride-on tractors and haybales to climb on. There was also a bouncy castle and go-karts you could play on for an additional cost and of course lots of photo opportunities including a tractor you could sit in. There was also someone who was helping children to plant their own seeds, and we came away with a pumpkin and a sunflower we’re going to try and grow!
We had a great time at The Secret Farm, and there were lots for kids to play with and be entertained with. I also love that it helped to teach Ivy about where food comes from, about farming, and the countryside. I’m looking forward to seeing what other events they have in the future – and I’m sure we’ll be coming back!
How to Find it
The Secret Farm can be found at Blunham Rd, Moggerhanger, Bedford MK44 3RA – use the map below for directions. There’s a large car park as you enter the farm.
Good to Know
- There are two types of tickets available for The Secret Farm; ‘just PYO strawberries’ and ‘PYO strawberries and fun’ which includes the other activities
- Strawberry picking at The Secret Farm cost £2.50 each, with under 3’s free
- Punnets to pick your strawberries cost: £2.50 for extra small, £3.50 for small, £7 for a large punnet, and £18 for extra large
- There are additional charges for some of the activities like the go-karts and bouncy castle
- While this was only our experience picking strawberries, there are likely to be lots of other events throughout the year, so keep an eye on their Facebook page for upcoming events!
- Try to be cautious when walking around the strawberries so they don’t get squashed for others!
- Keep in mind that this is in an open field – so it can get quite muddy! So best to come dressed appropriately.
