Rand Farm Park Review
Rand Farm Park
Lincoln
Reviewed by Gemma Ingham
Rand Farm is located in Lincoln and easily accessible from all surrounding areas. We travelled from South Yorkshire and found the farm easy to find and well signposted. There is disabled parking available at the very front of the farm entrance, ample car parking available including an overflow car park for busy times, and spaces for coaches.
The entrance to the farm is inside the gift and toy shop and is large, open and inviting. We were greeted by a staff member who provided us with wrist bands, a map, and details of activities happening throughout the day. The map was really informative and gave us a good idea of what was where, and the best order in which to do things. It’s a nice small map and easily held in one hand so I wasn’t having to fight to fold or handle it.
The way into the farm is through a soft play barn that in my opinion is worth the entry fee alone. My daughter is 2½ so could only play in the toddler part that holds a slide, climbing platforms and soft shapes but she was more than happy with that. The rest of the soft play for older children is huge, reaching all the way to the roof of the barn and has various levels of activities and slides.
From the soft play barn we walked outside to the cattle shed, rabbits, poultry and guinea pigs. It is clear to see the animals are well looked after and in amazing health. Their surroundings were clean and well stocked with hay and food. I really liked that each animal has a little story above its enclosure telling us its name, breed, and why it was in that pen. For example with the guinea pigs there were different pens for retired or pregnant animals. This approach makes the animals individual and you don’t feel that you are looking at ‘just another rabbit’. In this area is also a milking demonstration area, and calf feeding at certain times that unfortunately we didn’t manage to see.
My favourite part of this area was the Hatchery that shows the growth of a chick from egg to chicken. Chicks of all stages of development are housed in here in glass tanks, so in the same room you can see the development from hatching egg to chicken. There is plenty of educational information up on the walls and I can see why Rand Farm seems to be a favourite with school groups.
Interaction with animals in the farm is encouraged, with feed being available to purchase upon entry. Unlike most farms nowadays you come face to face with the animals, can touch and feed them, and you are not just viewing from a distance through multiple barriers. This is the way I remember farm visits being in my childhood and is refreshing to see now.
Naturally there are plenty of handwashing stations and reminders to wash your hands after touching the animals.
Also dotted throughout the farm are numerous outdoor activities such as ‘Crazy pool’ which appears to be a hybrid of pool and crazy golf, electric quad bikes, go karts, a sandpit and a mechanical ride on cow called Randolf!
We visited in mid-December, so of course it would only be right to go and see Father Christmas. The Grotto houses animated elves working busily inside their workshop, and a moving nativity scene that my daughter was unsure of but I’m sure slightly older children would love. There is a sleigh you are welcome to take pictures of your children in, and reindeers and donkeys. There was no wait for Father Christmas on this occasion but should there be a wait there is enough in the grotto to keep children entertained for a while. Father Christmas and his elf were very friendly and talkative to a toddler who was a bit unsure, and we came away with a good quality age appropriate present.
From here we went for lunch in the Coffee Baa, one of Rand Farms two places to eat, with the other location being the tea rooms half way round. The coffee baa was clean with plenty of seating and a good choice of food from the menu. The prices were very reasonable for the lasagna I had, and the burger my husband had and both were delicious. The Coffee Baa also has a lovely selection of cakes and light bites if you’re not after a full lunch.
With our stomachs full we went to go on the tractor ride that is offered at certain times of the day. It goes from the car park down to the road and back again allowing you to see a few horses that are in the fields. From being on tractor rides at other farms I was expecting a longer ride that maybe took us through more of the farm or behind the scenes, but the children on it were very happy with the ride regardless. Throughout the ride the driver did tell us about the horses and wildlife around the fields so I feel that we were educated about the animals we did see.
We also paid a visit to the Barn Theatre that housed a winter wonderland – a Christmas scene with animated snowmen and reindeers, and went through to the Heated Podular Area. This area is lovely and warm and a welcome relief from the bitter cold outside. It’s a playroom that has a tube play system connected to it from outside. Children can climb in through a tunnel to different pods or compartments housing different things to do before being able to climb back through into the playroom. It’s a novel idea I haven’t seen before and an awesome idea for winter.
We dragged ourselves back out into the cold to see the adventure playground that in summer would be fabulous. Obviously with it being winter it was a little waterlogged but it had a vast array of play and climbing equipment and I can imagine it’s a very popular area in summer for picnics. To the side of this is also an under 4’s play area with smaller equipment, and a duck pond – fenced off for safety.
To end our day out we went back to the main shop and purchased a few reminders of our day. The shop is incredibly well stocked with brand names such as Melissa & Doug, Orchard Toys and Playmobil, and a good variety of clothes and pyjamas.
I would highly recommend Rand Farm as a day out for any family. We felt really valued on our visit and found every single staff member we came into contact with very friendly and approachable. We never went long without seeing a member of staff around and they were happy to casually chat to us or answer questions.
Rating: 5/5 
Tickets cost from £6.25 to £8.25 per person, under 2’s free, £29.95 to £27.50 family ticket. For more information or to book tickets visit www.randfarmpark.com.
Rand Farm Park, Rand, Lincoln, LN8 5NJ | 01673 858904
