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You are here: Home / ADVENTURE / Days out in Devon: Pennywell Farm

Days out in Devon: Pennywell Farm

June 17, 2017 by Molly 24 Comments

There are so many options for days out in Devon at this time of year, it can get a bit overwhelming. Whether you’re new to the area on holiday or – like us – live here, the sheer amount of options for fun family days out in Devon can make choosing just one place to visit seem like a daunting task.

Aside from the obvious beaches, cute towns and stunning rugged moorland, there are also plenty of destination places set up for family days out – parks, gardens, farms, amusement parks etc – and it’s these types of places I’ve been reviewing in my Days Out in Devon series (check out our previous trips to Bicton Park Gardens, Wildwood Escot and River Dart Country Park to see more). Pennywell Farm is next up on our list and, for the sake of honesty, I’ll tell you now – it’s already been a firm a favourite with us since we moved here back in 2013. 

My first trip to Pennywell was a couple of months after we moved to Devon, when Frog was a tiny three years old. We immediately loved it, because it seemed to have everything you needed for a day out with young kids – animals, trampolines, a toddler play area and bouncy castles, not to mention the child-friendly cafe. Since then we’ve visited a few times, including at Christmas for the farm’s famous interactive nativity play featuring real animals (this gets booked up aaages in advance!).

Our last trip to Pennywell was when Baby Girl was a baby, so it was really interesting to see what she made of the place as a toddler. She’s very different to Frog at this age, more fearless and less focused, so seeing her take on the place was a good indication of the appeal of Pennywell – i.e. is there enough there to keep all sorts of kids involved and entertained?

The answer is a resounding yes. From the minute we arrived, Baby Girl’s head was on a swivel stick, running around to look at all the different animals, play equipment and activities. She was like a pinball, bouncing from one thing to the next in a state of increased excitement.

The great thing about Pennywell is that it’s so hands on. You can buy food to feed the animals, for example, can help milk the goats, bottlefeed the baby animals and cuddle them. The staff are all really friendly (in fact, the farm’s tagline is “Devon’s friendliest day out”) and this definitely adds to the atmosphere of the place. There’s a huge board packed with a timetable of the day’s activities that you can opt in or out of, so there’s no time to get bored. Not that you would anyway, what with the indoor play barn, rocket racer tractor, tractor rides, pony rides, mini train etc etc.

It’s worth checking out the website before you go, to see if there’s a special themed day taking place because this can really affect how busy it gets. We didn’t do this and ended up visiting on “Dino Day”, a day full of dinosaur themed activities some of which even included a very realistic interactive dinosaur! It was really busy, but luckily Pennywell is big enough to cater for the crowds, so although it was hectic it didn’t feel overwhelming.

There’s a great cafe serving tasty food which we’ve eaten in before, but this time we opted for a picnic as the sun was shining. There are lots of grassy areas and picnic tables to enjoy a picnic of your own – including a covered seating area near the cafe if you don’t fancy sitting under the sky.

After a typically chaotic family picnic we threw ourselves into various activities, including the train ride, cuddling the teeny tiny piglets, a play in the indoor barn, a dinosaur treasure hunt, tractor ride and plenty of trampoline action.

After a few weeks of horrendous bedtimes (see my video on toddler sleep regression to find out more about that), bedtime that night was smooth sailing, proving that a day at Pennywell is the answer to pretty much all parenting woes of the sleep variety. I kid you not.

Seriously though, if you’re looking for a fun day out in Devon jam-packed with activities and things to see and do with young kids, then Pennywell Farm needs to be on your list. It’s a Devon institution and multiple winner of various tourism awards for a reason.

You can see a behind-the-scenes view of our day in my latest YouTube video here:

Thanks to Visit South Devon and Devon’s Top Attractions for working with us on this series of posts. Next up: Becky Falls.

Pin this post for later…

 

If you missed the others in the series, you can read more here:

Days Out in Devon: Bicton Botanical Gardens

Days Out in Devon: Wildwood Escot

Days Out in Devon: River Dart Country Park

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Filed Under: ADVENTURE Tagged With: days out in Devon, days out with kids, family day out, family days out in Devon, Pennywell Farm

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Comments

  1. Claire at Tin Box Traveller says

    June 22, 2017 at 7:14 pm

    We had a fab day at Pennywell at Easter. The animals are super cute. Dino Day sounds like an added bonus!

    Reply
    • Molly says

      June 27, 2017 at 11:56 am

      It’s such a great spot isn’t it?

      Reply
  2. Morgana says

    June 22, 2017 at 8:53 am

    Oh gosh, I remember going to Pennywell when I was little! It’s changed a fair bit since then though obviously! Such a fun family day out and one to remember next time we’re in the South West xx

    Reply
    • Molly says

      June 27, 2017 at 11:57 am

      Definitely do visit if you get a chance – there’s so much going on there and it’s loads of fun!

      Reply
  3. Bridie By The Sea says

    June 21, 2017 at 2:48 pm

    This looks like such a lovely day out – we love a good farm and the dinosaur would have my little one in a frenzy!! Xx

    Reply
    • Molly says

      June 27, 2017 at 11:57 am

      Mine were very excited by it too!

      Reply
  4. Michelle Twin Mum says

    June 20, 2017 at 10:13 pm

    Ohh I saw your vlog about this last week. My girls would be all over that trampoline. Play farms are such fun. Mich x

    Reply
    • Molly says

      June 27, 2017 at 11:58 am

      I would quite like to work in one!

      Reply
  5. Cathy (MummyTravels) says

    June 20, 2017 at 9:08 pm

    I love Devon – we’ve had a few holidays there and hoping to get back later this year so will have to remember Pennywell farm. My daugher adores animals (and dinosaurs are a definite bonus)

    Reply
    • Molly says

      June 27, 2017 at 11:58 am

      Definitely check it out if you’re in the area – it’s such a great day out!

      Reply
  6. Anna says

    June 20, 2017 at 7:40 pm

    This looks like a lovely day out, I’m sure my boys would enjoy going there on a dino day too!

    Reply
    • Molly says

      June 27, 2017 at 11:59 am

      It’s honestly so much fun x

      Reply
  7. Sam | North East Family Fun Travel Blog says

    June 20, 2017 at 6:51 pm

    You can’t beat a day out at the farm – love the extras this one has like the little tykes cars and dinosaurs. My three would love it x

    Reply
    • Molly says

      June 27, 2017 at 11:59 am

      There are so many fun things to do – it’s a great day out!

      Reply
  8. Donna says

    June 20, 2017 at 11:34 am

    This looks like such a great day out and clearly offers so much more than being ‘just’ a farm x

    Reply
    • Molly says

      June 27, 2017 at 11:59 am

      It definitely does. It’s great at Christmas too because they do an interactive nativity with real animals. Gets sold out really early though!

      Reply
  9. Deb says

    June 20, 2017 at 11:07 am

    We’ll be in Devon this summer will have to check it out.

    Reply
    • Molly says

      June 20, 2017 at 11:10 am

      You won’t regret it – it’s lovely there!

      Reply
  10. Kate | Lesbemums says

    June 20, 2017 at 10:53 am

    We’ve been to Devon so many times but I can’t remember visiting here so it’s definitely at the top of our list of places to go next time!

    Reply
    • Molly says

      June 20, 2017 at 11:11 am

      It’s such a lovely spot – great for kids!

      Reply
  11. Sophia says

    June 20, 2017 at 10:36 am

    Farm parks are SO much fun, for all the family! I’m nearly 29 and a farm park is still one of my favourite places to go. This one looks fab! xo

    Reply
    • Molly says

      June 20, 2017 at 11:11 am

      Same here! x

      Reply
  12. SARAH - Arthurwears says

    June 20, 2017 at 10:34 am

    Looks fab – we used to go to cornwall for our holidays when I was little but never been to Devon. It’s quite far for us to go now that I live up north!

    Reply
    • Molly says

      June 20, 2017 at 11:11 am

      It’s a really lovely holiday destination once you arrive! x

      Reply

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Hello and welcome! I'm Molly Forbes - podcaster, presenter and blogger with a passion for positivity, confidence and body image chat. Regularly writing and vlogging about empowering female issues from a motherhood angle, I also cover lifestyle and fashion topics for like-minded mums who want to rediscover themselves after having children. Thanks for stopping by! Read More…

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Dear PE teachers (and everyone), don’t do this 💔
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If you’re a PE teacher and you’re interested in engaging more kids in class then lose the diet culture and body shaming messaging - even if it’s meant in jest. Research shows kids who feel comfortable in their body are more likely to take part in sports, and movement is for ALL bodies, not just the kids with super athletic toned ones. 
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Want more insight and help with this stuff? Sign up to a Body Happy Kids workshop - we’ve got you. Oh, and read Train Happy by @tallyrye in the meantime.
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And parents - if your kids experience this type of messaging in their school setting absolutely challenge it. We’ve got a template letter on the #FreeFromDiets website you can tweak and a downloadable info pack about the workshops you can send to your school if you’d like them to sign up. Just hit the Workshops link in my bio and scroll down towards the bottom of the page.
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Creating a body happy setting can: 
⚡️increase engagement in class 
⚡️increase engagement in movement 
⚡️increase academic attainment 
⚡️increase happiness, confidence and overall wellbeing
⚡️help kids be more likely to engage in health promoting behaviours 
(And that’s just for starters).
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PS. I’m not coming for teachers - my husband is one. BUT research shows weight bias is often more common in PE teachers than other subject areas so this is a conversation worth having. 
#BodyHappyKids
I turn 37 in three weeks. When I was younger I use I turn 37 in three weeks. When I was younger I used to think 37 was old. It was “grown-up”, boring, over-the-hill. 
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By the time you were 37 you had your life figured out, wore sensible clothes and had waved goodbye to the fun stuff. 
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It’s no surprise I thought that really. Women aged 37 and over - particularly mums - were invisible. The only representations of older women on screen were the matriarchs. Ad campaigns and magazines featured young women in their “prime” (side note: 🤮 hate that phrase - what does “prime” even mean? We’re not cuts of meat. “Prime” baby making age? Is making babies all we’re good for?!)
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There was no space for any other version of women over 35. Women over 35 weren’t playful, fun, adventurous, sexual, curious. Women over 35 were Responsible, Sensible, Dutiful.
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Well that’s not what 37 is going to look like for me. Sure I do school runs and meet deadlines and wash smelly socks. But I also play and dance and adventure and enjoy my body. I feel like I’m just getting going to be honest. 
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37 is going to be a big year. I’m excited. I’m ready. And I’m certainly not invisible. Bring it on.
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#BirthdayCountdown #MumsGoneWild
Every year @GirlGuiding publishes something called Every year @GirlGuiding publishes something called the Girls’ Attitudes Survey. It’s a big piece of research into the thoughts and feelings of the girls in their community and gives an insight into some of the things that are important to girls and young women in the UK today. 
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The early findings of the 2020 survey have been released and the headline is (surprise, surprise) girls feel under intense pressure to look a certain way and it’s damaging their confidence and wellbeing. 
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Here are some of the stats:
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⚡️80% of girls and young women have considered changing how they look. 
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⚡️51% of girls aged 7-10 believe women are judged more on what they look like than what they can do (this figure is up from 35% in 2016).
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There’s also the finding that two thirds of girls support legislation to stop them seeing ads for diet products and weight loss clubs. 
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It makes for pretty devastating reading but is worth looking at, particularly if you have a daughter - I’ll link to the early findings in my Stories and the full report will be out next month.
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These girls are telling us not only do they feel this intense pressure to look a certain way, but that it’s causing them pain. They are telling us they don’t want the pressure, the ads, the constant barrage of negativity making them feel insecure about their appearance and their body. It’s costing them their wellbeing, confidence and health. 
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It’s time to listen.
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Sign the #FreeFromDiets petition. Tell your kids’ school about the Body Happy Kids Workshop for teachers. Call out diet culture when you see it (particularly when it comes for your kids). There are more resources in my bio as well as a post on media literacy further down my grid too. It doesn’t have to be this way. 💕✨ #BodyHappyKids
My babies started Year 1 & Year 6 today and as I w My babies started Year 1 & Year 6 today and as I waved them off to school after months of being home, it got me thinking about how my relationship with their first home has changed: my body. ❤️
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I have thin privilege but I’ve still often felt like my body was “wrong”. Why? Because like many of us I live in a society that taught me to fear fatness and idolise thinness from an early age. 
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Internalised fatphobia ran so deep that even after my body performed its most miraculous feat of my life - growing and birthing a human - I feared the softness of my belly.
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I justified the internalised fat phobia by telling myself it was about health, believing that health was a simplified concept I could control and monitor by a number on the scales. 
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And even when I started to suspect diets weren’t healthy I still failed to recognise the total system of oppression that diet culture is, how it harms so very many people including children, how it creates a culture where discriminating against people over their weight is seen as acceptable under the guise of health concern.
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I believe we will never end body-based oppression until we do the internal work too, rejecting diet culture & internalised fat phobia. Then we can challenge the health “facts” we’re sold by a multi billion £ industry, and investigate why we’re so ready to accept government diet culture infused health policy when we’re quick to question other policies.
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It starts with us showing body acceptance to our children, teaching them ALL bodies are good bodies, giving them the tools to question anyone who says otherwise. 
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This is not just about raising children at peace in their body. It’s about raising children who grow to challenge a system that harms us all, but particularly those in marginalised bodies. 
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For me, it started with exploring my feelings about my babies’ first home. ❤️
A little story about 🩸periods🩸 and intuitive A little story about 🩸periods🩸 and intuitive movement and diet culture - here’s the headline: DIET CULTURE MESSES UP OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR BODY AND THIS HARM RUNS DEEP.
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Let me explain. 
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This was me last week. We hiked up a hill and when we got to the top the sky turned a murky shade of grey. Within seconds we were being pelted by hail and rain. It was GLORIOUS. I felt ALIVE.
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Not so this week. Because this week I got my period. And instead of relaxing into it, being gentle with myself, I battled it. I got frustrated with myself when exhaustion hit and my brain felt soupy. I tried to dig deep to find my spark, my energy, I felt guilt at missing swim sessions I’d booked. 
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Why? Because diet culture runs deep. I examined it and realised I was feeling guilt at what I’d told myself I “should” be doing, rather than what my body *actually* needed. “No one regrets a workout! It’ll pep you up! Energise you!” Said the voice. But my body was bleeding and I was tired to my bones. I didn’t feel like it. And I felt like I was letting some invisible person down. 
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Last night I gave myself permission to be gentle. Cancelled all my swim sessions for a couple of days. Had a bath and put on my comfiest PJs. Turned off my laptop and phone, watched a film and had an early night. It’s what my body needed, and once I actually listened to it I felt so much better. 
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Embracing the seasons of my cycle and going with my natural energy levels is how I’m reclaiming my relationship with my body, I’ve decided. For me, this is the last internal bastion of rebellion against diet culture. And it’s (literally) bloody liberating 🩸⚡️💥
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#BodyHappyMum #JoyfulMovement #DevonIsHeaven #PeriodPower #WeBleed
No child comes fresh out the womb doubting their b No child comes fresh out the womb doubting their body. But, little by little, the messages come.
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Some of the messages may be from what they see online on TV and in magazines. Some of them may even come from the people who love and care for them - their friends, parents, grandparents, teachers and even doctors. Some of the messages are blatant and some are more insidious.
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It’s not hopeless though. Here are some things you can do, right now:
✨ Speak to yourself with kindness or use neutral language about your own body in front of your kids.
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✨Call out the messages when you see them - point them out and talk about what they’re promoting, and show your kids the other perspective. This is called media literacy and I’ve got a post further down my grid with lots more info on this.
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✨ Teach your kids that beauty and health don’t just look one way, and that regardless of the outside shell of our body all humans deserve respect, empathy and love - and that includes self-love. (Some mantras that I use with my kids to help drive this message home - ALL bodies are GOOD bodies 💕 It’s not your job to be pretty 💕 Your body is YOUR OWN.)
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✨ Seek out wider representation, whether that’s through books, social media accounts, positive TV shows and films, it all matters.
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✨ Set clear boundaries - if you have a family member or friend who constantly discusses diets, body shames themselves or makes comments about other people’s bodies (and maybe even your child’s) have a conversation with them about why this isn’t OK. Explain that little ears are always listening and you’re working hard to raise your kids to have a happy, healthy relationship with their body. 
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For more resources on this check out the links in my bio ❤️
#BodyHappyKids
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[📸 My one day old daughter’s foot in my hand, taken in 2010, by @carolinepalmerphoto]
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