Things to do with Kids - A day in the petting farm 't Geertje
Updated: May 12
Ever wondered how a Dutch animal farm looked like? What kind of livestock the farmer own? What kind of produce did they have? What machinery did they use? How did they process their milk and cheese for customers? I did. Every time we drove past vast green farm lands, watching sheep and cows grazing those pastures, my kids squealed with delight. I wondered who owned these lush green farmlands. I wished to take my kids once and have a tour of their farms.
Luckily for me, Boerderij 't Geertje is a full-fledged animal farm cum petting farm not very far off from where I live. I was so excited for my kids and me to explore this very Dutch farm in Zoeterwoude (Geerweg 7, 2381 LT Zoeterwoude). Firstly, lets learn to pronounce this Dutch word properly. Phonetically, it is pronounced as G-AY-R-JHeh. Yeah, you will get there, I still haven't !
This petting farm 't Geertje started off in 1948 as a small-scale farm, when the ownders Hein and Mien van Rijn bought the farm on the Geerweg. Thus, Geertje started off as a family business. And then in 1982, the kids Wim and Ada took over the farm. They have added livestock like cows, pigs, goats, lambs, hens to their farm. The farm is a very interactive, touch and feel experience for kids and adults alike. Most importantly, it is an educative avenue for the little ones to understanding the life of a farmer, caring for animals, and concept of organic foods. It is trying to make the connection between the city life and country life and promoting healthy living with a day out in the open farmland.
Once a small-scale farm with 11 cows, 2 pigs, 10 chickens and 1 goat is now a large-scale organic one with approximately 30 dairy cows, 30 pigs and 125 dairy goats, and it includes a dairy factory, a farm shop and a farm restaurant and offers all kinds of different fun-filled, kid-friendly and family-friendly activities. Thus things to do with kids in petting farm Geertje are in abundance.
Let's take a sneak peak at all that this children's farm has to offer. Also, I'm going to give out some unsolicited free Dutch lessons while I let you explore this page 😉 Stay tuned!
Things to do with kids in petting farm Geertje
Feeding the goats
If you visit the farm from February to mid-October you will be able to feed the goats treats. These treats are available for €1.5/- at the farm shop. Sometimes during spring and summers, when the weather is good (in Netherlands that means the sun is out!), you may find a staff at a temporary counter or a small stall outside near the outdoor fire pit selling the treats.
You can feed the goats every day between 10 am and 5 pm.
Goat - Geit
Feeding milk to the lambs
This is a great way to cuddle with the little lambs and feed them milk. However, here the parents need to guide their children with cuddling and giving milk to the goats. In this way, children learn how to deal with the little lambs and it also remains fun for the animals. The farm staff take care that the lambs are never overfed. The small bottles of milk are only snack for the lambs. They are fed daily twice. So when they are full, they will not feed anymore how much ever you insist. They push away the bottles. And that's a good sign for you to stop as well. You can buy these milk bottles at the farm shop for €2/-. Similar to the treats, you can also buy them at the stall outdoors.
You can feed the lambs every day between 10 am and 5 pm.
Lamb - Lam
Watch the majestic peacock in all its glory
This royal blue peacock is our family favourite when we visit Geertje. It seems to be trained to open its plumage whenever it spots us (how I wish!), but haven't we been lucky boy! Thrice in our six visits to the farm and the majestic beauty has shown off its plumage in all its glory. Up close and this personal, I haven't seen the national bird of India in such proximity. It's glorious colors makes me want to ogle at it for hours.
Peacock - Pauw
Blue - Blauw
A routine with the Pigs and their piglets
Excitement level is peaking now! We are at Peppa Pig arena. Peppa pig and his big family are busy chomping away on something delicious 🤤 (for them indeed, not so much for us). The excitement in Arya’s eyes watching her favourite cartoon character come alive was unmatched. We waited until after farm closing hours to watch the pigs eat. I will not lie when I say that watching them feed ceremoniously and so coordinated felt so peaceful. I was also amazed at how clean and comfortable the pig sty was kept.
Pigs - Varkens
Alpacas in the green open grasslands
A sight to behold! Did you know that approximately 2,000 alpacas graze the grasses of our Dutch countryside? And on route to Geertje, you can spot these beautiful Andean imports. How cute is that!
Fancy a pony ride?
Arya loves this the most in the farm. She met her favourite ponies Jennifer and Dribble and then enjoyed a short ride. The pony rides are daily from 11 am.
€ 2.00 per ride.
Met Jennifer and Dribbel
Cuddle and brush the cows in their barns
Did you know that the world's highest producing dairy cow with a long production life originated in the Netherlands? Known as Holstein Friesian (HF), these cows are black and white or red and white.
Cow - Koe
Milk - Milk
At the farm, kids can cuddle the calves and brush the hair of the cows. If you’re lucky, you can watch the farmer milk the cow too.
Barbecue marshmallows in a pit fire
From September to mid-May, the outdoor fire pit is left burning. So, kids can purchase their marshmallows on a stick for € 1.20 per marshmallow and roast them over the fire. Its a fun way to enjoy the warm and delicious soft marshmallows!
It's Playtime!
Kids will be kids and thus no place is complete without a play town. Geertje offers a beautiful play area equipped with slides, swings, a playground spinner, a see-saw, spring riders and a climbing hut.
Playarea - Speeltuin
Rowing and Canoeing
Rent a row boat or canoe for an hour and enjoy the striking views of the Dutch polder around you. It is so calming to sail through the polders of Zoeterwoude and Stompijk, and while rowing you can jump in for a swim or also anchor your boat to one of the several moor landings for a picnic.
The boats fit 4 adults or up to 6 people if there are young children. You can rent the boats in the restaurant between 10 am and 5 pm (they must be back before 6 pm).
Row boats are €7.5/- for 30 mins or €10/- for an hour.
Boat - boot
Lake - Meer
Duck spotting at the lake
We spotted various ducks and swans while rowing along this freshwater lake. It is known that the Netherlands' numerous freshwater lakes, streams, canals, rivers, and ponds are the perfect breeding grounds for the duck, so it is but normal to spot these elegant ducks by the lakeside.
One important thing to note is that from April 2022, it is forbidden to feed ducks, pigeons and other birds in public outdoor areas in the Netherlands. You can be fined for this. So kindly refrain from doing so.
Duck - eend
Pond - vijver
Canal - kanaal
Pretend to drive a tractor
While tourists and residents alike are busy indulging in their farm activities, the real activities are being performed by the farmers silently. We see farmers driving their tractors, moving heavy logs of wood and barns of hay. Tractors are also used to house small livestock and poultry. Such tractors are called animal tractors. Much machinery and farm equipment are used in the animal farms, to name a few, cow mats, calf - puller, gum boots, calf-feeding bottles, pig feeders, water troughs, chaff cutter, ear tags with applicator etc.
Enjoy goat milk ice cream 🍦
Have you ever tried the goal milk ice cream? Maybe you find a liking to it, who knows. So, one must come and try and then make a conclusion after eating the ice cream at Geertje. They make their own goat milk ice cream at farm de Jong. Considered to be a healthier alternative to cow milk ice cream, it is also a delight to lactose tolerant individuals. By the way my kids belt it up every time we go to the farm. Another farm favourites I guess!
The walking trail
Behind the cow stables, lies an adventurous path to the back and beyond of the farm through a nice rugged pathway, crossing over a small bridge, passing by some old clog making machinery, hopping over cut up logs and peaking into a chicken pen into a miniature forest giving the little adventurers a feel of a jungle trek. (From 2 years old)
€ 0.50 p.p.
Chicken - Kip
Walk - Wandeling
Lekker food and drinks at the Farm Restaurant
Open daily from 10am to 5pm, the farm restaurant offers tasty snacks and drinks. It also offers picnic lunch packages and drinks to go. Tasty pancakes, toasted sandwiches (tosti), coffee (koffie), tea (thee), cake (taart) and hot chocolate is our favourite there. Everything is fresh and produce is from the farm itself, like the milk for the coffee, the meat like the the ham and sausages, the bread and cakes are baked at the Bakery 't Watertje etc.
Tasty - Lekker
Drinks - Drankjes
Bread - Brood
Buy organic cheese, eggs and buttermilk in their local farm store
Before you head back home, I'd recommend a visit to the farm shop. With a plethora of options to choose from, you can visit their farm store to buy fresh milk, cheese, yogurt and also meat from their animals. You can also choose from a variety of jams, spreads and eggs. There are also stuffed animal toys for kids and gifts and souvenirs available.
Farm - Boerderij
Cheese - Kaas
Eggs - Eieren
And with that, I come to the end of my visit to the petting farm. I would like to put in a little mention for the hosts at the farm, who are always at the top of tact and kindness. They are hardworking and they maintain the farm to give you a great experience, so it would but natural that we also approach the farm animals and their facilities with care and kindness.
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