I like this farm. I first visited Ponderosa about 6 years ago with friends and their children.

I now have 2 children of my own, aged 5 and 2 years and they both love going here.

I have to say it has got better over the years.

There is plenty to do at Ponderosa, but it does not take too long to get all the way around. I would suggest taking a picnic along with you.

There is a little gift shop when you first walk in where you can pay your admission and purchase food to feed the animals, along with other things such as stuffed animals, colouring books etc.

When you walk out of the shop and into the farm their are some llamas which you can feed if you are brave enough!

Across from that there is a hut that has rabbits, rats, guinea pigs, hamsters, chinchillas etc. The friendly staff will sometimes even let you and your children hold some of the animals. There are also hygienic handwash's outside the building. You can then walk towards a little slide/climbing frame, where you will see a few other animals along the way, including deer.

If you carry on walking forward there is another climbing frame with a few slides next to a lovely large pond, surrounded by beautiful flowers.

There are many other animals there for you to see, such as:

Birds
Birds of Prey
Pigs
Horses
Goats
Meerkats
Reindeer
Ring Tailed Lemurs
Porcupine
Skunk
and many, many more.

There are lots more things to do such as:

Reptile Room - You can see snakes in here along with other reptiles. The keeper in there will answer any questions you have and they have handling sessions on at certain times of the day.

Nature Trail

Aquatica - A room where there are a variety of tropical fish

Pony Rides - These run on weekends and school holidays but if that was one of the main reasons for visiting Ponderosa, I would ring up first just to check as my son was a bit dissapointed last time we went as for an unknown reason they were not available.

They also hold various events such as falconry days, children fun days and craft workshops.

Guided walks and tours are also avilable.

There is also a little sand area where children can make sandcastles.

They have a cafe too which sell a range of delicious ice creams.

There is also a day care centre at Ponderosa for people with special needs and learning difficulties.

Admission is:

Children (2-15 years) £4.00
Children (0-2 years) Free
Adults £4.50
OAP's £4.00
Family Ticket £15.00 (2 adults & 2 children or 1 adult & 3 children)

You can also get season tickets:

Family Season Ticket £75.00
Adult Season Ticket £22.50
Child/OAP Season Ticket £20.00

I think that this is very cheap for a lovely family day out.

Opening Times are:

Beginning easter holidays - October 1st & October half term
Everyday inc weekends 10.00am - 5.00pm (last entry 4.00pm)

October 1st - Beginning easter holidays
Everyday inc weekends 10.00am - 4.00pm (last entry 3.00pm)

I would definately recommend Ponderosa to anybody who has children. Its not only fun for them though - I enjoy it too.

Overall I think it is a lovely day out for the family at affordable prices.