If you’re local to Abbotsbury, do yourself a favour and get the yearly pass to Calmsley Hill Farm. Kids under 3 are free, and a yearly pass means you can go as often as you like with the kids in tow. With a pass you can pop in for an hour, grab an ice cream, feed a few animals, let your kids run around and head home again. That flexibility is everything in the early years. No pressure to get your money's worth and 'make a day of it.'
Sometimes, when things feel overwhelming at home, the best move is to scoop everyone up and get out. (That’s why coming to class on your worst morning can actually be the best thing you do.) It’s so easy to default to the shops, but they can be a lot for little ones. Busy, noisy, not much for them to engage with and often lots of time stuck in the pram.
A place like Calmsley Hill Farm offers something different.
A change of scenery.
Open space to move.
Animals to watch and interact with.
A calmer pace for both of you.
Simple, but it works. 🐮 🐷 🐓 🦆 🐐
In my early parenting years, I remember some days feeling so long. I’d reached my limit. The kids were bouncing off the walls and I had run out of ideas. On those days we'd jump into the car and head to the farm. Sometimes it was a long visit with feed and animal petting and some days it was actually just a Bubble-O-Bill icecream and a play in the park. Either way the farm became our go to place for a family reset and really became core memory stuff.
I didn’t know what I know now about nervous system regulation, but looking back, I can see why the whole farm experience was such a great reset for all of us.
Animals and nature have a way of naturally slowing everything down. There’s something about the cuteness and softness of farm animals, the fresh air, the open space, the smell of the grass (and animal poop) and the lack of noise and urgency that helps the body and brain settle.
For both you and your kiddo, it’s a chance to step out of the busyness, take a breath and come back to a calmer state. The gentle sensory input, the predictable environment and the simple act of watching and interacting with animals all work together to support regulation in a really natural way.
There’s another layer that’s just as important.
Because you can go again and again with a yearly pass, your kiddo starts to build familiarity with the environment. The same animals. The same paths. The same routine of buying the cup of food, walking through the gates, seeing the animal keepers. That predictability helps your kiddo feel safe and organised. And when the nervous system feels safe, it has the space to settle, regulate and come back into balance. I’ll admit there were a couple of times I actually went to the farm on my own after drop off, just to grab a coffee and have a quiet walk around. I still find the farm and nature and animals so calming. Even now, with my kids grown, we’ve gone back together a few times. It’s nice to see how those same spaces still hold something special for us
If you’ve been one of our farm themed classes this term, this is the perfect extension of what we’ve been building together. All term, we’ve been building those early 'filing cabinets' through animal sounds, songs and movement. When your kiddo sees a real animal after hearing and singing about it, their brain starts linking things together:
sound → animal
song → real experience
movement → meaning
That’s how understanding builds at this age. A simple visit to the farm supports regulation and connection through real-world experience.
So next time your day isn't going quite as planned, jump in the car and head down to the farm. At $90.00 for an annual adult pass you'll have your money back in a few visits along with some muddy shoes, happy memories and tired, content kids. (Just make sure you put your feet up when you get home while they’re having a nap instead of trying to do the washing.)
Oh and so hi to the snakes! They were always our favourite! 🐍
Miss Tania 💛 🐝 🎶
