For its 25^th anniversary the Farm Park has joined with Bournemouth-based Storycises to create ‘I Love Visiting My Favourite Farm Park!’

The collaboration came about after paediatric chartered physiotherapists, Wendy Joy and Jane Reynolds, met with Sandra Palmer-Snellin at Farmer Palmer’s and spoke about their work helping children to gain essential motor skills.

The book launch marks a special anniversary for the award-winning farm park – 25 years since the doors opened. Sandra, whose family own the farm, explains: “For the past 25 years, generations of children have grown up at Farmer Palmer’s. We’ve had employees that are coming back with their children, and I thought ‘what better way than to now integrate Storycises skills and our 25 years with this beautiful creation as a celebration?’

“We all know that ‘play’ is crucial full-body exercise that develops problem-solving skills. Children are like sponges, soaking up everything as they learn new things. At Farmer Palmer’s they can be curious and investigate, explore, run, climb, communicate, and develop imagination and creativity.”

Jane and Wendy created Storycises after seeing increasing numbers of children referred to physiotherapy with difficulties with fine and gross motor skills over a decade ago. The number of children being referred has increased dramatically since the pandemic.

They have created a school’s programme and provided resources to pre-schools, nurseries, and libraries. In addition, they have self-published two children’s storybooks. Last year, the pair released ‘Farm Adventure,’ to help primary school pupils build motor skill confidence using interactive storytelling and play. The pair approached Farmer Palmer’s about stocking their latest publication, so were delighted when Sandra asked to work together to produce a bespoke book for the farm park.

The colourful book shows how to integrate essential foundation movement skills through play, practise, learning and experiences all available at Farmer Palmer’s that help children to prepare for school and beyond.

Jane says “If our children are to be robust and healthy young people, they need to be more physical and experience a wide range of movements form birth onward.  They need time to experiment, practise and consolidate their motor skills with those adults around them scaffolding them to do this. Farmer Palmer’s provides so many opportunities to do this in a fun and exciting way.”

Wendy adds: “Now families will be able to take away a special memory of their visit to Farmer Palmer’s while helping their children to gain essential movement skill practice.

“We love the family sense to Farmer Palmer’s. Every time we met, Sandra would talk about family and the intergenerational activities, and in our work, we’re always talking about modelling. Modelling behaviour, modelling play and modelling the joy in movement, so the collaboration links in well with that.”

Copies of ‘I Love Visiting My Favourite Farm Park!’ are available to buy from Farmer Palmer’s onsite shop with online sales to follow.