My kids love a good petting zoo, and really, what kid doesn’t? Jay even got a fussy wet surprise kiss by a new friend! Tiger Lily Farm is a fun petting zoo activity right outside of Parksville, BC on Vancouver Island.

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Written By: Gretta Kennedy, Traveling Islanders
Directions To Tiger Lily Farm: Google Maps. 

My kids love animals.  And really, what kid doesn’t?  They’re cute, they make noises and they are often cuddly.

And it’s for these reasons we really enjoy taking our kids to a petting farm.

Driving to Englishman River Falls a few months back we passed a quaint petting farm called “Tiger Lily Farm” and quickly logged it in our memories as a place we’d like to return with the kids. During our week camping at Rathtrevor Beach we found the perfect time to try it out.

It’s a quick 10 minute drive from Parksville, making it an easy addition to our family trip.

Tiger Lily Farm is a quaint, family owned farm with friendly staff and gentle animals. The kids were all given a “passport” with spots for a stamp from each animal they visited.

They were eager to see it all and find all the Tiger Lily Farm animals.

We started with the bunnies. Oh the bunnies. They are soft, fluffy and cute…especially when they nibble a carrot from a child’s hand.  The kids giggled and I have to admit, I had a hard time leaving the rabbits.  They are just so cute!

From there we ventured on to see more animals, but stopped quickly when we heard the bell telling us it was time to milk a goat!

Have you ever milked a goat?

It’s not as hard as I thought, and way more fun. Our kids were a bit hesitant to try, but once I got my hands in there and showed them it wasn’t so hard, they wanted a turn too.

The staff were patient and friendly with the kids and made sure all who wanted were given a turn.

The milk was then put into bottles for the children have a turn feeding two baby goats.  Kaia, Titus and Koen lined up in the baby goat pen and each held the bottle while the baby suckled away.

I’m sure they will remember that experience for a long, long time.

Tiger Lily Farm is complete with egg-laying chickens, young turkeys, cows, a donkey, llama and even a pony to ride. When our children realized they would be able to ride a pony,

Titus through his excitement said, “But I left my cowboy hat at home!”

Duly noted, son.  Next time, we’ll be more prepared and bring the hat.

Tiger Lily farm is really a go-at-your-own-pace type of place and the kids loved it.  Once we were out in the pasture area, I just watched as the kids ran from animal to animal to pet it, love it and then stamp their passport.

They even got to grab a basket and head over to the hen house in search of a freshly laid egg.

Have you ever received a kiss from a llama?

None of us had either and we weren’t quite sure if we wanted one.  I thought they spit. You know, like a camel.  But we’re Traveling Islanders.  We’re always up for an adventure.

So I hopped up on the fence and tapped on my cheek and the sweet llama gave me a kiss.  No spit, just a little peck.  Koen quickly followed suit and giggled as the llama shared a moment with him.

We figured nothing could top a llama kiss, so with that, we decided to get in the car and call it a day. A great family adventure, really.

Visit Tiger Lily Farm online for more information.

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While our families experience at the Tiger Lily Farm was complimentary, you can rest assured that our thoughts, opinions, and findings are our own as always.