Destination: Cannon Hall Farm How to get there: Five miles west of Barnsley, sign-posted off the A635.From M1 junction 38, take third exit off roundabout and follow the signs Information and ticket details:Opening hours 10.30am-4.30pm daily, April to September. Admission £3.25 for adults, £2.75 for children and OAPs. Par ties of 20 or more pay £2.75 each. Price includes readmission on the day and full guided tour. Telephone 01226 790427.

Sixmonths ago our world as we knew it changed forever with the arrival of our bundle of joy, baby Katy.

Bank holidays usually spent in traffic tailbacks destined for some sunny sea front didn't fit snugly with our new regime of nappies and feeds, so we novice parents headed off for a fun day down on the farm.

Our friends who have a head start on us when it comes to parenting had previously been to the delightful Cannon Hall Farm near Barnsley, and following our introduction to this wonderful place I was keen to share it with parents who haven't yet explored this rural attraction.

It's very much a child-orientated place and while Katy may be a little too young to appreciate the fun being among furry friends can bring, she's looking and learning all the time. Her little eyes widened at the sight of the cute Shetland ponies nosing through the gate where the gathering crowd of youngsters were eagerly waiting with outstretched hands for their turn to pat.

For our friends' children, who have a few years on Katy, it's an exciting place with so many things to see and do. The adventure playground with swing bridge, slides to play on and towers to explore allows little ones to let off steam. The zip slide was an instant hit with young Sam while the animals were a winner with Lily.

Baby animals are born daily on this working farm, run by the Nicholson family. For hundreds of years Cannon Hall Farm was the home of Cannon Hall Estate. Since opening it as a farm park 17 years ago, tens of thousands have passed through the gate, earning it the revered mantle of an award-winning visitor attraction.

Lambs, goats, donkeys, ponies, chickens, cows, guinea pigs and rabbits share their home with rarer breeds such as llamas, alpacas and wallabies.

There's a stable, neighbouring barns and sheds in the farmyard, while the interesting sign-post 'Maternity Ward' beckoned visitors who had defied the bank holiday drizzle to take a peek at the sleeping sows and their offspring.

Even the odd shower failed to dampen the spirits of youngsters gleefully popping in and out of the sheds to greet and feed their new-found furry friends. This ideal mix of indoor and outdoor attractions offers fresh air when it's fine and shelter during a downpour.

Educationally, it's a great experience for older children. More than 35,000 youngsters visit Cannon Hall every year, making it one of the region's top educational attractions.

A one-hour farmyard tour, encompassing elements of the National Curriculum, is a fun way for children to expand knowledge of their furry friends.

Pre-booking is advisable for the tour - judging by the amount of people there when we visited, this place does get very busy. There's also a handy queue-beating, pre-ordering service for animal fodder, ice-creams and any souvenirs you may want to buy as a memento of your visit from the on-site gift shop, complete with Hornby layout for all you locomotive lovers.

With so much to see and explore you can easily spend a full day here. And when you want to rest and recharge there are plenty of picnic areas for those who want to bring their own food, or you can have something prepared for you from the extensive menu of home-made dishes in the on-site tearoom.

When we arrived shortly before lunch this place was packed and remained so during our visit, but it does provide baby changing and bottle warming facilities so it's worth the wait.

If the tea-room menu has whetted your appetite you can recreate the fodder back home using regionally-sourced produce and fine foods from around the world available to buy from the Farm Shop, a finalist in the Local Food and Drink in the tourism section of the White Rose awards 2003.

The complex offers access for people with disabilities, with ramps into the stables and sheds, and the concrete farmyard is perfect terrain for pushchairs.

If you've still got time to spare and your little ones aren't too tired, you can always pop into the neighbouring Cannon Hall Museum before heading back to the car park. The hall, occupied by the SpencerStanhope family for two centuries, houses collections of fine furniture, Old Master paintings, ornate glassware and colourful pottery. Military enthusiasts can chart the historic battles of the 13th/18th Hussars played out in displays and memorabilia housed in the regimental museum, the 'Charge'.