Streamvale sits in the green fields at Dundonald, just over the hill from east Belfast, and it's built entirely around little hands. Children start in the animal barn, where staff bring out newborn rabbits and guinea pigs to hold and stroke, then hand round feed for the pigs and the poultry. Out in the yard the big animals wait to be fed — Highland cows, goats up on the goat gym, alpacas — and twice a day the milking parlour swings into life with a working dairy herd of over 250 cows.
Everyone piles onto the tractor for a ride out around the fields to spot the red deer, then it's off to the play. There are two barns for the indoor days — a soft-play barn for the under-fives and a big bounce barn with an inflatable digger and assault course — plus an agricultural-themed play village with its own little vet clinic and farm shop. Outside, the ride-on tractors and diggers fill the digger zone, there are climbing frames and zip lines across the playgrounds, and daily sheepdog and dog-agility shows to gather round.
When the little legs give out, the café does hot food, snacks and tea and coffee, and there are homemade ice creams to taste in summer. It's a proper hands-on, run-around farm day for younger children — the kind that sends them home glowing and sleeping well.
Plan your visit
Book ahead to be sure of your spot
Streamvale runs its main season through the spring and summer, open daily from 10.30am to 5pm, with last admission at 4pm. The farm recommends pre-booking to avoid disappointment on busy days. Standard tickets are £11.50 adults, £11 children (3–17), £3.50 toddlers (1–2) and under-1s free, with a family of four at £42; over-65s pay £8 and carers £1.75 with ID. Easter, Halloween and Christmas run to different hours and events, so confirm the dates before an off-season trip.
Café & hot foodToilets, accessible & baby-changingMostly flat, concrete pathsFree parking on siteNo dogs (guide dogs welcome)
Worth knowing:
Streamvale is a seasonal farm — the main season runs spring to early autumn, with special Easter, Halloween and Christmas openings on different dates and hours. Check the day and prices on streamvale.com before you set off, and book ahead if you can.
Before you set off
What to wear & bring
👢Wellies or old shoesIt's a working farm — the yards and fields mean feet find the mud, so save the good trainers.
🧥A coat, whatever the sky's doingPlenty is outdoors, and if the rain comes the two play barns are the cosy backup — a wet day here is no bad day.
🧴Hand gel or wipesLots of animal-holding and feeding, so handy for little hands before the snacks come out.
🧢A hat and water on bright daysMuch of the farm is open, so on a sunny one bring water and something for shade to enjoy it in comfort.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Cost
Standard admission: adults £11.50, children (3–17) £11, toddlers (1–2) £3.50, under-1s free. Over-65s £8, students £11 with ID, carers £1.75 with ID. Family of four £42, family of five £51.50, family of six £61. Prices are lower during the summer VAT-reduction window — confirm the current rate when you book.
Season & hours
Main season runs spring to early autumn, open daily 10.30am–5pm with last admission at 4pm. Easter, Halloween and Christmas open on different dates with their own hours and timed events. Check the day before travelling.
Booking
You can turn up, but the farm recommends pre-booking online to be sure of a spot on busy days. Event days (Halloween, Christmas) usually run in timed sessions.
Ages
Best for toddlers up to around age 10. The hands-on animals, tractor ride and play barns land squarely with younger children.
What you'll see & do
Hold and feed rabbits and guinea pigs, feed the pigs, poultry, goats, alpacas and Highland cows; watch the working milking parlour; a tractor ride out to spot red deer; daily sheepdog and dog-agility shows; indoor soft-play and bounce barns and an agricultural play village; outdoor playgrounds, a digger zone and climbing frames.
Food
On-site café with hot food, snacks, and tea and coffee. Homemade ice-cream tasting at set times in summer. Picnic space too.
Toilets
Toilets throughout, including accessible toilets and baby-changing, with a feeding area and seating for breastfeeding.
Dogs
No dogs — it's a working dairy farm with livestock. Guide dogs are welcome.
Getting around
Grounds are mostly flat concrete, with some loose-stone areas; the woodland nature trail is uneven and the milking parlour has stairs. A wheelchair-accessible tractor ride is available.
How long
Allow at least two to three hours; most families make a half-day of it. Arrive before the 4pm last admission.
Questions
Before you go
Do I need to book?
You can turn up, but the farm recommends pre-booking online so you're sure of a spot on busy days. Halloween and Christmas events usually run in timed sessions, so those are best booked ahead.
What ages is it best for?
Toddlers up to about ten get the most from it — the animal-holding, the tractor ride, the play barns and the digger zone are all pitched at younger children.
Can the children really hold the animals?
Yes — staff bring out newborn rabbits and guinea pigs to hold and stroke at cuddle times, and there's feeding for the pigs, poultry, goats and Highland cows through the day. Hand gel or wipes are handy to bring.
Is it any good in the rain?
It is — alongside the outdoor fields and playgrounds there are two indoor barns, a soft-play one for the under-fives and a bounce barn, plus the play village, so a wet day still works out well.
Can I bring the dog?
Afraid not — it's a working dairy farm with livestock, so pet dogs aren't allowed. Guide dogs are welcome.
Is there food?
Yes — the café does hot food, snacks and tea and coffee, with homemade ice-cream tasting in summer, and there's picnic space if you'd rather bring your own.
Getting there
38 Ballyhanwood Road, Dundonald, Belfast, BT5 7SN — on the eastern edge of Belfast, just above Dundonald, with free parking on site.
Streamvale is a family-run dairy farm at Dundonald, on the green eastern edge of Belfast, that opened its yards to visitors — one of the few working farms in Northern Ireland where children can get right in among the animals and watch a real herd being milked twice a day.
Over the years the farm has kept adding to the day: indoor play barns for the wet ones, an agricultural-themed play village, new playgrounds and animal encounters, and seasonal events at Easter, Halloween and Christmas. What hasn't changed is the heart of it — a real farm, run by a real farming family, where little ones learn where their milk comes from while having the time of their lives.