The summer holidays should be one of the highlights of the year. However, for some families they present a particular challenge with six weeks of children who need occupying, a budget that has to stretch, and the lurking suspicion that wherever you choose to take your break, half of Britain has chosen the same place.
If you’re looking for a summer break that solves several of these problems simultaneously, a farm stay could be the perfect solution, offering experiences that aren’t available in many traditional destinations.
After months of school, routines, and screen time, children want one thing more than anything during the summer holidays: freedom. And a farm stay gives them exactly that.
Instead of spending their holiday in busy resorts or crowded attractions, children can enjoy wide open spaces and the pleasure of being outside from morning until evening.
Whether they’re helping to collect eggs, watching tractors at work, spotting wildlife around the farm, making friends with the animals, or playing games in paddocks, there’s always something new to discover.
For parents, that means less time hearing “I’m bored” and more time to spend actually relaxing.
A farm stay is an excellent choice for a family holiday at any time of year, but summer is one of the most exciting times to visit a working farm.
Fields are full of crops, livestock are outside enjoying the warmer weather, and farmers are busy making the most of the growing season. Depending on where you stay, you may see haymaking, silage cutting, harvesting, sheep shearing, and other seasonal activities taking place during your visit.
For children especially, it’s a fascinating opportunity to see where food comes from and learn more about life in the countryside. And unlike many family attractions, these experiences are real with the chance to get hands-on if the farm allows.
One of the best things about a summer farm holiday is the feeling that you have more time in the day. Life on a farm tends to start earlier than you might be used to, but during the summer months, when the sun rises as early as 5am, getting up early feels far more natural.
Unlike a typical holiday resort, where you might spend three or four hours waiting for attractions, restaurants, or facilities to open, a farm is already buzzing with activity. You can watch the cows being milked, collect fresh eggs for breakfast, or take a peaceful walk as the sun rises over the fields.
Once you’re up, it’s easy to spend the entire day outdoors, making the most of the extra daylight. Families can enjoy bike rides together, pack a picnic, explore the countryside, or simply relax in the garden.
As evening approaches, there’s still plenty of time for a barbecue or a soak in the hot tub. And because you’re not tied to the schedule of a busy tourist destination, you may find yourself enjoying these activities a little earlier than usual and heading to bed earlier too. The day isn’t actually any longer but you’ve simply shifted your routine to make the most of every hour of daylight.
Some of Britain’s finest seasonal food is produced over the summer months, when new potatoes, salad leaves, peas, tomatoes, strawberries, cherries, and plums come into their own.
Many farm stays are located close to farm shops and local markets, while others grow their own produce or operate as pick-your-own farms, allowing guests and other visitors to walk directly into the fields to harvest their own fruit, vegetables, flowers, and herbs.
For families spending a summer holiday on a farm, this means enjoying produce that may have travelled only a few miles, or even just a few yards, rather than food that has crossed countries or continents before reaching a supermarket shelf.
And it can be a surprise to find how much better field-to-fork food tastes. Fruit and vegetables develop most of their flavour in the final days before ripening, as the plant transfers sugars and other nutrients into the crop. When produce is picked when it’s unripe and green to withstand transport and storage, the process is interrupted, resulting in less sweetness and a milder flavour.
Combined with the novelty of picking their own food or buying directly from the farm, many parents find that children who usually turn their noses up at fruit and vegetables at home are far more willing to try them during a farm stay over the summer.
One of the frustrations of a traditional summer holiday is how heavily it can depend on the weather, and let’s be honest, a British summer doesn’t always mean sunshine.
A rainy day by the seaside can leave families searching for indoor attractions, crowded cafés, or ways to entertain children in a holiday apartment while waiting for the skies to clear.
Life on a farm, though, carries on whatever the weather, and guests often find themselves doing the same. Pull on a pair of wellies, zip up a waterproof jacket, and head outside to feed the animals, explore the farmyard, or enjoy a walk through the countryside. Children rarely mind a bit of mud, and some of the best holiday memories are made splashing through puddles rather than avoiding them.
Even if it’s too wet to go out, there’s something quite comforting about a cosy farmhouse or cottage with the pitter patter of rain drops on the window pane. Light the fire, get something baking in the Aga, or enjoy a game of cards at the kitchen table, while enjoying the views of cattle grazing in the nearby fields.
On a farm stay by embracing nature, the weather becomes part of the experience rather than something that ruins it.
A farm stay doesn’t mean spending every day on the farm. Although many are situated in secluded locations, due to the relatively small size of the British Isles, you won’t be far from beaches, national parks, family attractions, and walking and cycling routes.
The difference is that at the end of the day you return to a peaceful rural setting rather than another busy tourist hotspot, giving you time to relax and recuperate before heading off on the next day’s adventure. The balance makes a farm stay particularly appealing during the school summer holidays when popular destinations are at their busiest and can sometimes feel overwhelming.
The other side to this is that many families find thy want to leave the farm and its immediate vicinity less than they expected, so don’t be surprised if some planned day trips never happen.
For dog owners, who want to take their four-legged family member on holiday with them, finding somewhere can be a struggle. Many of the most popular beaches ban dogs over the summer season, conventional holiday homes, even if they are advertised as pet-friendly, may not have enough space, and dogs can feel anxious in unknown, busy environments.
The countryside is much more welcoming to dogs, farmers often have dogs of their own, and accommodation on a farm is likely to have a larger garden or a dedicated paddocks to allow dogs the freedom to run around safely.
With miles of footpaths and bridleways to explore from the doorstep and lots of new things to sniff, a summer holiday on a farm can be just as enjoyable for dogs as it is for everyone else.
Summer is peak holiday season across the UK, but farm stays can offer excellent value compared with hotels, resorts, and holiday parks. Although weekly rental prices will rise, the impact is usually less than in more popular destinations.
Many farm stays include amenities such as outdoor play areas, games rooms, hot tubs, swimming pools, and access to farm animals as standard, meaning you won’t need to fork out extra during your stay.
Staying on a rural farm gives families access to a wide range of ‘free’ activities, such as pond dipping, foraging for berries, a woodland walk, wildlife watching, or swimming in a river. The countryside is also dotted with free-to-visit historic sites and gardens from medieval ruins and mystical stone circles to country estates and nature reserves. Check on the National Trust, English Heritage, and The Wildlife Trusts websites to find free things to do near your farm stay.
If you’re looking for a summer holiday that offers space, freedom, a way to truly relax, and the opportunity to see Britain from a brand new viewpoint, browse our collection of family-friendly farm stays, and start planing your dream getaway today.
