A day or a stay on a working farm is a great way of spending time together as a family and seeing French savoir-faire in action, with outdoor activities for children and animals on hand to pet.
Farm visits and farmstays are wonderful things to do during family holidays in France. As well as giving you some previous family bonding time, farmhouse B&Bs and farms that are open to the public allow you to live like a local and to experience the French touch!
Taking your children to a French cheese farm is a great way of opening their eyes to other cultures and to a rural way of life that they might never have experienced before. Meeting local people pas-sionate about artisan produce, you may all have the change to practise your French and you’ll certainly learn about the country’s heritage along with the everyday workings of a farm. In France, a country of 1,200 cheeses, working farms allow children to see at first hand where cheese actually comes from!
"They may even get the chance to take part in making cheese, and everyone will get to sample some and to expand their culinary horizons…"
La Ferme du Vinage Near Lille
This working dairy farm is a fantastic place for a family day out in France. Michel and Marie Thérèse (the friendly owners) – part of a family of dairy farmers going back ten generations – show-case their expertise and produce to families each Saturday at 5pm and will welcome you with open arms. Visits are free, but advance booking is essentila as places are limited.
During the one-hour tour, you will watch milking in progress, get the chance to stroke calves, and see around 20 kinds of cheese, as well as cream, fromage blanc, butter and yogurt, being made. You can also taste the farm’s cheese and charcuterie. Alternatively, the farm shop is open from Monday to Saturday, as is the children’s play area.
Other great places to take the kids for tastings are the cheese cellars/shops in Lille itself (La Cave des Fromages) and in nearby Arras (La Finarde).
Other Things to Do in Lille with Kids
Don’t miss the city’s free zoo, the Natural History Museum or the summer puppet theatre. But most of all, make sure to
sample some famous Lille waffles at Méert – one of France’s oldest patisse-ries, open since 1761.
Where to Stay and Eat with kids in and around Lille
La Verdière - Les Ifs is an airy six-person gîte just 8km from Lille, with a cosy fireplace and lovely tree-filled grounds to explore.
Estaminet Au Vieux de la Vieille on a cobbled lane in Lille’s Old Town welcomes family with warm, traditional decor and typical northern French dishes, including child-friendly croquettes, gratins and crêpes.
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