Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park
Poole, Dorset
Reviewed by Clare Walsh
There was much excitement in the car as we pulled into Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park in Poole, Dorset with my husband and four boys (12, 9 and 6 year old twins). We easily found a car park space in the huge car park and were pleasantly surprised to see that there were 2 kennels available (free of charge) for those wishing to use them for their dogs. This was the start of many little ‘thoughtful extras’ we encountered during our day at Farmer Palmers.
The reception desk was well manned by staff as we arrived and we were given both a general leaflet on the park as well as an activity leaflet detailing the 15 activity sessions taking place today (holding guinea pigs, bottle feeding lambs, cow milking demonstration, pony grooming, trotter time with the pigs were all included in the entrance fee plus the option of a tractor trailer ride for £1 each and a deer safari for £2 each). The boys opted for the tractor trailer ride and got to go through the meadow and puddles going ‘fast and bumpy’ and thoroughly enjoyed it!
The choice of play areas were outstanding, Farmer Palmer’s aims to cater for children 0-8 years, and they certainly excel in this area, however there was also enough to do for my elder sons 9 and 12 who found their way to the go kart area and entertained themselves doing laps around the track and often giving their younger brothers a lift around thanks to the double seats on the go karts. This seems to be a hugely popular area of the park for both children and parents who were also peddling around the track furiously!
My 6 year olds enjoyed having their own riding area where there were big and small tractor rides to be ridden around for smaller children to enjoy.
Out next step was into the hay barn filled with hidden tunnels through the hay and various levels of slides too, yet again another area where all the children could play together happily – what more could any parent wish for. Happy children equals happy parents!
The sand playgrounds both also got well used during our day, the 1st area is complete with play houses, traditional swings, see saw and activity areas as well as sand diggers and pulleys. The other area (splash zone) had sand, sprinklers and general water fun, which also caught our imagination, the boys having to work out where to pump the water. And where to remove plugs to allow the water to flow-fun and educational at the same time!
Before we knew it lunchtime had arrived (it’s the sign of how much fun we were having at Farmer Palmers that the boys hadn’t even mentioned being hungry since we arrived – unheard of usually!). We had brought a packed lunch and were pleasantly surprised by the huge number of picnic benches available all around the park for this purpose, brilliant to see that this is encouraged, unlike some parks! If however you wanted to buy lunch ‘The hen house’ has plenty of indoor seating and an array of delicious homemade food (hot and cold) available for a very reasonable price alongside huge slabs of cake and my own personal favourite was that they sell mugs of tea, no tiny cups here!
After lunch we targeted the 2 bouncy castles, 1 unique cow shaped outdoor one (complete with udders no less!) and the indoor farm one complete with animals to climb on and a slide! Both were enjoyed equally well.
We chose to participate in bottle feeding the 4 week old lambs which was a lovely experience, well organised and the staff went to great lengths to ensure that every child had a turn. In fact we enjoyed this so much we did it again later on in the day! My elder boys also took part in meeting and holding a guinea pig and this was again an activity which was un-rushed with staff answering any questions enthusiastically.
Inside ‘the hen house’ is yet another play area – this time soft play with a separate area for babies as well as a huge play frame for the older children. This was clean and appeared very well maintained. Yet another hour whizzed by whilst we enjoyed our time in here! Whilst visiting the park there were some birthday parties taking place and the birthday party rooms were being well used also.
On leaving farmer palmers through the gift shop it was found to be well stocked and filled with a variety of goods from pocket money toys (pencils, balls, erasers etc…) through to farm toys, clothing and local produce.
The Farm Park is well equipped with everything a family could need or want, plenty of hand washing facilities (with child friendly foamy soap), spacious toilets with child height sinks plus some toilets (marked out) which have wall mounted toddler seats inside them to allow parents to safely use the toilets themselves (practical and thoughtful!). We were lucky with the weather and enjoyed all aspects of the park, however with the animal barn, hay barn, pedal tractors, bouncy castle and indoor soft play areas there is a vast amount of undercover play areas should the weather turn.
The park had plenty of signs advising on where to obtain first aid supplies should you need them and staff were easy to spot and happy to offer assistance. It is obvious that Farmer Palmer’s have really thought about their clientele and succeed because of the attention to detail they provide and the fact that they charge reasonable prices for entry and food, which ensures that families wish to return again and again. The entry price for adults and children 3 years plus is £8.50 which is fantastic value for the whole day and incredibly if you return within 5 days you can get in for half price – amazing for anyone on holiday in the area! Children aged 2 – £4.25 and under 2 are free, family saver 2 adults, 2 children £31.50 also reductions for OAP disabled and carers). Farmer palmers also offer an annual pass for £40 which would certainly be amazing value for a year’s access!
The only reason we left, with 4 happy, tired boys, was because it was closing time, we could easily have stayed for longer! I have already been asked when are we returning, and no doubt it will be soon as I would have no hesitation in spending another family day out at Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park, and give it 5 out of 5 stars. A true family fun day out, amazing value for money, and a great mixture of fun and education for all.
Rating: 5/5 
For more information or to book tickets visit www.farmerpalmers.co.uk.
Farmer Palmers Farm Park, Wareham Road, Organford, Poole, Dorset, BH16 6EU
Tel: 01202 622022 | Email: info@farmerpalmers.co.uk
