On our staycation recently we couldn’t forget about the ‘little ones’ so we searched out some appropriate days out in Tipperary that would suit children under the age of 6.

We explained to the older kids that since they had lots of fun going kayaking and paddle boarding, they could just bring a picnic and relax for the day while their little brothers had some fun for a change.

To our surprise and delight, the venue we visited had enough going on that they were all entertained….for hours! Even daddy got in on some activities including go karts and football!

Where was it we hear you ask?

We visited Tearaways Pet Farm, located about 4km outside Birr in Offaly. Its right on the Tipp and Offaly border and we were staying in Nenagh in Tipperary so this was ideal, only about 30 minutes’ drive from our holiday home.

This venue had both indoor and outdoor activities. The weather was cloudy but still warm and it was perfect to sit outdoors in shorts and t-shirts while the gang explored. The first thing that caught everyone’s eye were 2 emus standing inside the fence beside the car park. I thought they were statues for a second until one moved. The kids stood there entranced as I don’t think they’ve ever got that close to a real emu before! I spent some time looking at them myself, almost prehistoric creatures when you see them that close.

Nobody was hanging about to hear daddy talk about old dinosaur movies though as behind the emus were some brightly coloured swings and climbing forts, complete with bridges and slides.

The kids were checked in and out the back door again to go climbing. There were several goes at climbing up and sliding down but from their lofty vantage point, they spotted some brightly coloured red karts that you sit in and go downhill. They were out of the forts in a flash and over to the purpose-built SLEDGE RUN.

The guys at Tearaways pet farm have built this wooden sledge track on the grass, that runs down a gentle slope. The karts are on wheels and have a brake handle built in and kids basically sit in and roll down the track and pull the brake at the end. So simple but the kids absolutely loved it. They gathered at the bottom of the slope to collect the karts for their turn, then ran back up the slope to get in line to come down again. Mammy and daddy were counting the calories being burnt here and we smiled gently as we sent messages to each other telepathically …..“they’ll sleep tonight!”.

Meanwhile dad spotted a large board standing vertically on the grass that had some holes cut into it, along with an unattended football close by. Surely, wait….do you think that ball needs to be kicked through the holes? Step forward Messi and Ronaldo (aka DayOut daddy and eldest son) for a perfectly simple footie competition. It was as basic as it gets – it’s an old weathered looking board with holes in it but it was time spent together, in the sunshine on the grass and it was great. We had to race after the ball sometimes to stop it going under the fence on the far side into the Ilama enclosure. That was of course if you got it through the holes which didn’t happen as often as I would have liked! The goats’, ponies, donkey and Ilamas looked on like they had seen it all before.

When our little guy was finished hurtling down the sledge track, he decided to get in on some footie action. Slowly but surely, some other little kids joined and before we knew it there was a world cup competition going on between Messi, Ronaldo, Bale and ‘DayOut daddy’ in goal. Lovely to see kids interacting with each other. They start out as shy and cautious and then one of them does the ‘L’ from Fortnite and boom, they’re all best mates!

So, it came down to penalties and I thought it unfair if I was in goal, cause ya know, I’d save them all. Not a chance, they were zinging in all over the place. In the end, through some G8 summit negotiation, we arranged it so it came down to a ‘sudden death’ penalty. I was on foreign turf here, the visiting team so of course I let the other guys win, I’m a nice person! They were only about 6yrs old! (Knew all those years soccer coaching would come in handy!)

I walked back past some other parents who nodded in approval. If I hung around there any longer I reckon we might have got a parent’s match going! 

By now, the kids were scattered all around the outdoor area. Technically the outdoor area is enclosed so they can’t wander far and they were just exploring and doing kids’ stuff. After the footie, the two little ones discovered a large sand pit and that was it for them, they were there for the day!

There’s a small go kart track with some tyres and 4 wheel karts. All are well used and this might be an area that could be developed more. A couple of the karts are not working and could be repaired easily, a couple of others have passenger seats so DayOut daddy was employed again to chauffeur our youngest around the track. 3 laps of that and I was looking for someone to come and rescue me!.

I was sitting down (recovering) with mammy thinking of dinner when next thing all the kids bolted up the slope in unison like some type of herd. The word was out – the barrel train was starting up!

I’ve seen these at other venues but this one looked the part and appeared to have all parts working, bolted on and ready for action. Towed by a very fancy quad bike, the train pulled out of the station before us daddies got near it to start kicking tyres and discuss engine cc’s. The kids loved this train and some ran alongside chasing their friends. As parents we worry all the time about tablets, too much screen time, are they getting enough fresh air, are they drinking enough water, are they developing socially etc.

You need to get kids out to places like Tearaways Pet Farm and let them loose. They make up their own games, whether it’s football, chasing, sand castles or just exploring. It offers really good fun all round. Kids sort it out themselves, they queue up and take turns without the involvement of parents. Other kids waited in anticipation for the train to come back and then they had their turn and the others ran after them. There wasn’t a tablet, PS4, head phones or vbucks in sight! They were outdoors and having a ball.

There was so much fun going on that we’d almost forgotten there was an entire indoor area too. We saw the first light shower of our time away and this was the perfect excuse to move indoors. The interior was bright, clean and very spacious. Brightly coloured all round, there were some party tables being prepared and everything looked brand new. The building is like a very large industrial unit and either it was just built last week or they must be on their hands and knees all day cleaning it ‘cause I just couldn’t figure out how it was kept so ‘new’ looking. There’s wasn’t a smudge or a cob web in sight!

I took a walk around inside and have to say, it was very well maintained. I walked behind the main play area, an area that would be out of sight to most and it was still spotless. Care and attention was taken where it needed to be, even down to the padded ‘piping’ strips that are placed on the building’s vertical girder pillar edges. When you see them, you think “oh very good, I would’ve done the same” but I’ve seen places where it hasn’t been done.

I didn’t see any unhappy kids for the entire time we were there.  The coffee shop had an appealing menu which was also very reasonable. That and the coffee was absolutely rock star too!

There were young staff on the reception desk and around their play centre and all were polite, helpful and courteous. Hats off to the team at Tearaways Pet Farm – they really do it right. Our gang were aged 13 to 5yrs so there’s something for everyone and they all had an absolute blast.

We thoroughly enjoyed our day out here and recommend a visit if you’re in the area.

Tearaways Pet Farm & Activity Centre

Located in North Tipperary in the centre of Ireland. Bordering the counties of Offaly and Galway and the provinces Leinster and Connaught.

Tel: (057) 913 9081
Email:  

Sat Nav Co-ordinates : S53° 6.022 W7° 58.853  

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