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o you sometimes feel that your kids are too caught up in a frantic and distraction-filled world, full of TV, extracurricular activities, smart phones and online gaming? Ever wish that you could whisk them away to a simpler time where learning came from interacting with nature and not a screen? Luckily there is a place just for you, hidden away but just around the corner, on the Mornington Peninsula. A farm away from home called Rain, Hayne & Shine. My two boys and I were offered the opportunity to check out this family-run farm experience and I can tell you that my little monkeys were super excited at the prospect of a day on a farm. From the moment that we walked beneath the rustic wooden rainbow that arches over the entrance, the three of us ventured into a space of weathered rails, grassed pastures and eager animals. We immediately found the crates of greens that are strategically scattered and began feeding every creature that converged – goats galore, sheep, a donkey, a pony, a calf. With giddy grins, my kids pushed cauliflower leaves through the wire of the fences, trying to manoeuvre the food to the animals who were being pushed out of the way by, as my younger son put it, “a bully-goat!”. Rain, Hayne & Shine is celebrating its 21st birthday this year. What began as an experiment in self-sufficiency evolved into an opportunity to involve suburban kids in hands-on rural education. And, clearly, that is a formula that works. Everyday, children venture to a place that feels like a step out of our hectic urban lives and get to pat, feed and cuddle a range of very friendly creatures. It took us almost 30 minutes just to get from the entrance to the ticket booth (not more than a 50 metre wander) because the simple act of feeding the animals was so entrancing for my sons and offered them a multitude of learning experiences and conversations. Once we finally reached the booth, we were greeted by friendly faces and warm assistance. The overarching tone of the venue is one of self-guided exploration – there are some scheduled activities but mostly you are free to discover all that is on offer at your own pace. The boys hurried me in a variety of directions, and we moved from the turtle and bird enclosures to the young-kids play area, then off to the train carriages, the hay barn and the pig stalls. Everything is close together so that it takes only a few steps to move from one activity to another. As soon as my monkeys lost interest in something (which does seem to happen more quickly these days!) we were only seconds from the next engaging zone. And all the while we were regularly greeted by a screeching “Hello” from the farm’s resident town-crier; Charlie the cockatoo.
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Peninsula Kids – Winter 2019