Children at Highwood Nursery enjoyed a new learning experience when Ems Friendly Farm visited Brockenhurst College recently.
The babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers took turns to meet, stroke and ask questions about pigs Cookie and Oreo, Dave the ram, Ron the goat and Shetland pony Merrylegs.
Children not scheduled to attend nursery that day were also invited along so they did not miss out.
Nursery Manager Sarah Bower said: “This event is not just fun for the children, it also supports their personal, social and emotional development, as well as their development of language and other communication skills.
“One little girl was initially very wary of the animals, but by the end she was quite happily standing in the pen with the pigs.”
Ems Friendly Farm is based in Winchester and is run by Emma Southwell who takes the animals on the road to visit nurseries, schools and care homes, among other places.
Emma said: “As a therapy farm, we provide animal experiences that are educational, helpful for stress, good for memory recall, and generally create a feel-good factor that brightens people’s day.”
You can find out more about Ems Friendly Farm by visiting https://www.emsfriendlyfarm.com/