Farm activities for kids? We’ve got it covered.

Daily Organised Animal Feeding

Every single day of the year, rain, hail or shine (with the exception of Easter Sunday and Christmas Day) we invite guests to join us for one of the most popular farm activities for kids: our morning animal feed walk. (8am in summer, 8.30am in winter, spring and autumn) This activity takes about 1- 1 1/2 hours each day and is every child’s main highlight of their holiday. Also a fantastic way to start your day.

Join us as we meet and hand feed each and every animal on the property a selection of yummy fruit and vegetables. It is simply the best fun farm experience for the young and young at heart. Feeding the animals includes hand feeding kangaroos, chickens, turkeys, pigs, ducks, ponies, goats, donkeys, sheep, alpacas, our big horse, cows and our bull.

Farm Activities for Kids feeding the donkey
One of our farm activities for kids- Feeding the animals

What if you sleep in and miss the animal feeding? You’re on holidays so it’s good to sleep in but you can always go and visit the animals at any time of the day. Take your kitchen scraps with you and they will be very happy to see you. You can also bring your kitchen scraps along to the animal feed too. We have provided you with a kitchen scrap bucket for this very purpose.

We have a simple gate system that allows you and your children to navigate our farm easily and safely.

Our daily animal feeding is not open to the general public and is solely for our guests. This ensures a more personalised animal feeding where all of the children can experience the animals.

Canoeing

There are two canoes located on the edge of the dam where guests can easily maneuver them into the water. Paddles and life jackets are easily accessible at the games room and the best thing… they’re free to use. The canoes and equipment are well maintained. You are also welcome to bring your own child’s safety vest if you have one.

One of the best fun farm experience for Kids - Canoeing on the dam
One of the best fun farm experiences for kids – Canoeing in the dam

Games Room

The games room is great. It is set up like a communal lounge room with television, PlayStation and small selection of novels paired with a couple of sofas which make it a really comfortable place to just relax away from your cottage. It also has a foosball (table soccer) table and an air hockey table; providing lasting hours of fun for the kids and a giggle for the adults. There is also a games cupboard with a selection of outdoor game items. Being on a farm there is plenty of space for a game of cricket or soccer.

Farm Activities for Kids
Fun farm activities for kids in our Games Room

Fishing or Marroning

The dam is stocked with Rainbow Trout and guests are welcome to try their luck fishing. It’s just like fishing in the natural rivers…the Trout are not easy to catch, but they are in there! The biggest caught to date was a big fellow of 45cm long and in excess of 2.kg. He was caught on a fly rod and was released back into the dam so he’s still there for the next person to catch.

Farm Activities for Kids Fishing for Rainbow Trout
Fishing for Rainbow Trout- another of our fun farm activities for kids

Rods are available for guests to use for a small fee or you are welcome to use your own. Catch and release is encouraged and is free of charge, or for a small fee, you are most welcome to keep your fish and maybe cook it on your private BBQ at your cottage. Yum!

  • Rod hire for fishing is $10 per rod for the length of your stay. You are welcome to bring your own fishing gear but we ask that you use lures, fly fishing gear or bait rods with floats. Sinkers are not permitted to prevent damage to aeration lines in our dam
  • Catch and Release of Rainbow Trout is free
  • Catch and Keep of Rainbow Trout is $10 per fish
  • Marron fishing is seasonal with restrictions during breeding season (Oct-Jan)
  • Marron fishing is subject to strict licensing conditions including size limits, bag limits and types of gear allowed. Traps are strictly prohibited. Marron scoops are provided free of charge.
  • Catch and Release is free. 
  • Catch and Keep is $20 per marron (average size of marron are in excess of 400g)

More Farm Activities for Kids

Winter in the South West can be the perfect time to re-awaken your long-lost child at heart or take the time to relax and unwind with a good book. If it’s raining you won’t have to feel guilty about spending all your time indoors. Lounge around eating good food and enjoying good company, whether that be your own or that of friends and family.

Make it a TV-free night and pull out the board games.

Take a leisurely stroll to explore the 50 acre property and enjoy the scenery and the space. Walk through the gardens or follow the kangaroo trails through the Karri Forest.

Take a picnic lunch down to the gazebo or picnic under the weeping willow trees.

In Winter and Autumn build a fire in the firepit by the dam and roast marshmallows while you listen to the frogs. Take a torch with you and wander around the dam and see how many frogs you can spot.

Enjoy some quiet time on your patio with a good book, watch the parrots feed from your bird feeder or just sit and enjoy the views.

Hand feed our free range ducks, chickens or our cheeky peacock with a bag of complimentary bird seed.

Our chicken pen is accessible all day long for kids to collect eggs and handle our friendly Cochin bantam chickens. In summer there are often baby chicks.

In July, when our lambs are due, get up early to check if we have a new addition to the farm. If you are the first to spot the newborn you get to name the baby.

Take the kids out around our 3 acre dam at night spotting marron and frogs. Frogs are abundant all year round but are most prolific in winter and spring. You can spot Motorbike frogs, Slender Tree frogs and Banjo frogs (also known as Bonking frogs).

If you’ve brought your dog along for your holiday, take advantage of an empty paddock and play frisbee or ball with your pet.

Sit quietly, with or without camera, and spy on the abundant bird life. Depending on the time of year you will see Splendid Fairy Wrens, Red-winged Fairy Wrens, Western Rosellas, Parrots, Kookaburras, Black Cockatoos, Scarlet Robins, Black Swans nesting on the neighbour’s dam, wild ducks, Spoonbills, plus lots more.

Take a 40 minute walk from your cottage through the beautiful Diamond State Forest to the Diamond Tree Lookout, one of the original fire lookouts in the South West. On your way home see if you can spot some Western Grey Kangaroos.

Once you have exhausted all options for things to do on the farm at Diamond Forest Farm Stay why not find out more about the local attractions on offer by checking out what to do in Manjimup or  Pemberton. We are also close to Bridgetown, Walpole and Denmark for day outings.

For more fun activities for kids check out our blog post What is there for kids to do in the Southern Forests?

Click here for a link to print some fun farm learning materials prior to heading down this way to keep your younger children learning along the way.

Our daily animal feeding and other activities are not open to the general public and are solely for guests staying in our cottages. This ensures a more personalised animal feeding as well as privacy for our guests to enjoy their peaceful farm stay holiday.

  • Although we have done our very best to provide a safe environment for children on the farm it is a requirement that parents adequately supervise their children in any and all activities whilst on the property