There is nothing that makes a child feel more excited and alive than a visit to the animal farm. However, toddlers are likely to be baffled or scared by their first experience and it’s always a good idea to talk to them and tell them about the fun stuff they will encounter and give them pointers about what they are not supposed to do such as:
- Don’t make sudden movements around the animals – it might frighten them. Animals should be touched at a distance and treated with care
- There might be heavy machinery lying around the farm – don’t touch any machinery or go off exploring alone
- Don’t put fingers in your mouth or eat anything lying around at the farm. There could be germs anywhere
- Don’t touch the manure
- Don’t eat the animal food
- Don’t kiss the animals
The risk is small, but farm animals are known to transmit bacteria that could make your toddlers sick. All you have to do is:
- Wash their hands after the visit with a good soap OR
- Bring along some alcohol wipes or an alcohol hand gel, which will kill most of the remaining viruses and bacteria
If, in spite of following the above precautions, your toddlers fall sick after contact with farm animals, you should let your doctor know right away.