Last week, we visited Folly Farm as part of our week in Wales with Bluestone. Folly Farm is one of our favourite places to visit in Wales as it has so much to see and do.
The last time we went T was only one and a half and had limited legs, seeing as he’d just started walking, so he was in a buggy for some of the time, but even then I knew it would be the perfect place for a toddler to stretch their legs.
Folly Farm
Located just down the road from Bluestone in Kilgetty, Folly Farm boasts four main attractions; The Zoo, The Farm, The Fairground and The Play Area. But within these four areas you’ll find heaps of things to do – even on a rainy day I struggled to fit them all in comfortably – all the more reason to come again.
Comparing this visit with our last visit, there were already noticeable changes. From the brand new reception and gift shop (which has tripled in size!) to the indoor picnic area. I almost didn’t recognise the place when I arrived.
Once we got through the gift shop, we started our visit at the farm as it had just started to rain (I actually wish we’d done the zoo first now as the rain just got worse as the day went on).
Farm
The farm area is the massive, open plan barn that houses a number of farm animals, including your typical ones; from goats and sheep, to ponies and donkeys. But it also houses some more interesting creatures such as rats and mice in a couple of interesting enclosures, as well as turkeys and cockroaches! There’s also a wonderful ‘cwtch corner’ for all your guinea and rabbit needs.
T spent most of his time admiring the chickens for some reason, but also enjoyed milking a goat and trying to communicate with the pigs.
In addition to the farm animals, there’s also a smallish play area in the middle made from old farming equipment – this broke up the area nicely when T didn’t fancy helping me try and get a baby goat in my bag.
Fair
After spending an hour or so in the farm area, we then dashed to the fun fair which, again, is indoors. This is another large, open plan area – but this time home to a variety of fun fair rides and vintage arcades!
This area is absolutely stunning and bursts with colour (and history!). Considering the majority of the rides and arcades are decades old, they still look new, with their vibrant colour. Plus, I didn’t feel like the rides were going to collapse underneath me which is a bonus!
When we weren’t riding on vintage merry-go-rounds, we were trying our luck at the hook-a-duck or the 2p machines. What I loved about this area was that there was a huge amount of choice for all ages.
T had a lovely variety of rides to choose from, but so did we – which made us feel welcome and not there just for the kids. There was even a few rides that made me hold on a little tighter than normal! In addition, I also really liked reading about the history behind all the rides and what fun fairs they had originally come from.
We must have spent another good hour here and surprisingly not that much extra money, as all rides are reasonable in price as you pay for them in tokens. I think we put £5 in the machine and easily rode half a dozen rides each.
Zoo
After the fairground and some lunch in the new indoor picnic area we decided to brave the rain; that was now chucking it down, and head outside. Here we found ‘Folly Interactive‘ which is this interesting walkthrough of reptiles, fish, birds, and rodents – some of which are in open displays. Here is where I found my new best friend and the reason I lost 40 minutes.
Aside from my charming buddy, here. T spent time digging up fossils in the learning zone as well as watching bats fly around their enclosure. When my friend let me leave, I also enjoyed looking at various lizards and reptiles, as well as a gorgeous sloth.
Leaving Folly Interactive, we then properly ventured outside to tour their zoo. This is always a real treat for me as I always forget how much they have here and just when you think you’ve done everything you see a sign for something else.
This post would become even longer than it already is if I were to list every animal they have at the zoo, but I need to stress that this area is fantastic. Folly Farm not only houses the only giraffes in Wales, but also Rhinos, Lions, and Zebras, as well as monkeys and smaller primates, meerkats, penguins, even ostriches. The list goes on and really must not be missed when you visit. We spent some good time here even in the rain.
Sadly a lot of the animals were inside due to the rain, but that didn’t stop us viewing them from their indoor enclosures when we had the chance or via a webcam! Out of the animals we managed to spot, we really enjoyed watching the lions – who seemed to take a fancy to the toddler – as well as the penguin enclosure which is host to this wonderful underwater viewing gallery that allows you to view the penguins underwater.
Play
If you hadn’t already had enough play from within the fun fair, there are also several play areas dotted around the park. From adventure parks to an outdoor theme park, which includes the new ‘Pirate Cove’ for 2017 as well as a racing track. Sadly by this time it was way too wet to let T get stuck in the sand but I know he would have loved it. The weather also meant some of the rides like the wheel wasn’t operational.
In addition, there’s also a large play arena inside near the fun fair which includes more adventure zones, climbing areas, and a soft play.
If you hadn’t already guessed, we ADORE Folly Farm and cannot stress how amazing it is. I still can’t believe there is so much to see and do – and I didn’t even mention the land train and farm tour! We will no doubt visit here every time we visit the area as T will grow with the park, with something different attracting his attention each time.
If you’ve been to Folly Farm I’d love to know what you think and what your favourite parts are? Why not pop over to our YouTube channel to also have a look at the little video we created from our day! I’d love to know what you think.
We received complimentary tickets to Folly Farm in exchange for an honest review, however all thoughts and options are our own.
Oh lovely, we keep meaning to go to this when we’re in the area but haven’t got around to it yet. Great that you can get so involved and milk a goat. I also love the fact the rides aren’t a rip off like most places!
Nat.x